igerian singer-songwriter Tems was performing in opposition to the percentages at Somerset Home. “It’s a miracle I’m right here” she admitted. A nasty bout of reflux laryngitis meant she nearly wasn’t the opener for the venue’s summer time live performance collection, however she had made it.
Defiant within the face of any vocal issues, Temilade Openiyi had no backing monitor or microphone programmed with comforting reverb. As a substitute it was only a four-piece band, two backing singers, and her voice, which has drawn admirers in A-list belters Adele and Rihanna, to call however two.
Its potential was unleashed with a gap rendition of Greater, from 2020’s For Damaged Ears, her debut EP that covers intimate territory together with love, longing, and struggles with psychological well being. Her wealthy vocals swirled with delicate, intricate melodies that swung between a wealthy bass and piercing head voice. A single arpeggiating guitar and lightweight drumming showcased them properly.
Any illusions that this might be a laid-back efficiency, nevertheless, have been shattered when the band kicked into gear for her subsequent monitor Keep away from Issues. She revved up the viewers with loads of booty swaying, dropping to the ground and throwing up gun fingers. Amid the emotional punches of the tune – “Badman wanna play thoughts video games with me” – she channelled the enjoyment and abandon of the nightclub. She was cheered on and sometimes imitated by the well-dressed, multicultural crowd.
Tems is a part of a tsunami of expertise hailing from Nigeria hitting musical shores around the globe. Because of her, and artists like Wizkid and Burna Boy, the sounds of the summer time final yr have been underpinned by Afrobeats, a catch-all time period for the enjoyable, in style and extremely danceable music popping out of West Africa. However what units Tems aside is her seamless weaving of R&B, soul, reggae and jazz into her sound. She’s additionally not afraid to let free throughout a guitar solo, head-banging on the ground when the guitarist got here to the entrance of the stage to shred throughout Loopy Tings.
With a lot onstage charisma and musical expertise, it was then an actual disgrace when her voice began to present manner throughout the present’s second half. The issues started with a battle to hit the excessive notes in Mr Insurgent, after which progressed into laughter, shrugs and apologies to the viewers as her clearly not but recovered voice grew to become more and more drained. She left the stage earlier than the backing singers had completed their prolonged outro for Free Thoughts.
Though this maybe wasn’t the “miracle” that Tems had been ready for, the viewers was wholly forgiving. Declarations of affection have been shared between her and the group so usually that it might have made any onlooker really feel like a 3rd wheel. They knew that whereas this wasn’t the night time for Tems, she has completely buckets of potential.
