James KakandeFri 23 Mar – Baltic Soul Weekender
I just returned from Germany's first soul weekender which was held in the beach resort Weissenhäuser Strand from Friday, March 23, to Sunday, March 25, 2007.
It featured about 15 live acts and over 50 DJs who performed on four dance floors.
My personal favorite was the wonderful Roy Ayers. He did one of the most exciting live performances I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot ;-) ). At times, he and his amazing band were as funky and raw as Parliament/Funkadelic; with some added jazz thrown in.
Additional shots of Roy Ayers at Baltic Soul
Another great find was soul veteran Ann Sexton who - contrary to her predecessor on stage, Marva Whitney - sounded as great as ever.
Local German acts included Joy Denalane and Carl Keaton Jr..
Also on stage: Omar, Junior Giscombe (his classic
Mama Used To Say, released as Junior, hasn't aged a bit!), Erobique, Jeff Hendrick, James Kakande, and Ngone.
A selection of DJs: Mousse T., Smudo (Die Fantastischen Vier), Boris Dlugosch, Disco Boys, and Hans Nieswandt.
In case you missed the weekender, you have a second chance: There will be a second one from Friday, November 16, to Sunday, November 18, 2007.
For further info, check out the official Baltic Soul website (in German) or the English summary (PDF).
You can get there with various low-cost airlines. The venue is close to Lübeck airport (aka Hamburg-Lübeck) which is serviced by Ryanair. From Hamburg airport (serviced by Germanwings and TUIfly), it's a 90-minute car ride.
Finally: I just started the Baltic Soul Weekender group. Stop by in case you visited Weissenhäuser Strand and want to discuss it!
I just returned from Germany's first soul weekender which was held in the beach resort Weissenhäuser Strand from Friday, March 23, to Sunday, March 25, 2007.
It featured about 15 live acts and over 50 DJs who performed on four dance floors.
My personal favorite was the wonderful Roy Ayers. He did one of the most exciting live performances I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot ;-) ). At times, he and his amazing band were as funky and raw as Parliament/Funkadelic; with some added jazz thrown in.
Additional shots of Roy Ayers at Baltic Soul
Another great find was soul veteran Ann Sexton who - contrary to her predecessor on stage, Marva Whitney - sounded as great as ever.
Local German acts included Joy Denalane and Carl Keaton Jr..
Also on stage: Omar, Junior Giscombe (his classic
Mama Used To Say, released as Junior, hasn't aged a bit!), Erobique, Jeff Hendrick, James Kakande, and Ngone.A selection of DJs: Mousse T., Smudo (Die Fantastischen Vier), Boris Dlugosch, Disco Boys, and Hans Nieswandt.
In case you missed the weekender, you have a second chance: There will be a second one from Friday, November 16, to Sunday, November 18, 2007.
For further info, check out the official Baltic Soul website (in German) or the English summary (PDF).
You can get there with various low-cost airlines. The venue is close to Lübeck airport (aka Hamburg-Lübeck) which is serviced by Ryanair. From Hamburg airport (serviced by Germanwings and TUIfly), it's a 90-minute car ride.
Finally: I just started the Baltic Soul Weekender group. Stop by in case you visited Weissenhäuser Strand and want to discuss it!
