Hootananny Brixton welcomed guests back inside last Saturday with a comeback featuring a powerful all-female line-up, Medya Gungor reports
As last week marked a significant milestone in the out-of-lockdown calendar for the events and hospitality industry, the long-awaited return of indoor live performance is finally back on the cards.
Brixton’s much loved venues have been gearing up to reopen their doors for inside seated events that, while still socially distanced, allow people to revel in the longed-for intimacy of a live gig; an atmosphere that for many, virtual events were not able to match.
The Hootananny, renowned for its devotion to showcasing music from a range of different and often under-represented cultures, brought the vibes back to its community last Saturday.
Their second Hoots Speakeasy event saw artists Summer Pearl, Teshay Makeda, Meron T and DJ Mi TrYb take to the stage hosting a full-house for an enchanting night encompassing fierce musicians and instrumentalists.
Bringing with her an eclectic fusion of reggae, soul and RnB, empress of ‘Roots Soul’ Teshay Makeda opened the evening with all of the elements reflective of her Rastafarirn upbringing and musical influence.
Alongside her skilled guitarist James Shepard, an impassioned performance that brought messages of empowerment and reclaiming strength had her audience captivated throughout.
Next up was Summer Pearl and her band, who transcended us through to poetic justice with her dexterous vocals and sharp-witted lyricism over the sounds of jazz and soul.
Her smooth transitions into moments of hip-hop and spoken melodies brought an energy like no other. Along with an unforgettable soulful spin on Little Man by Sia, a track usually synonymous with the golden era of UK garage.
Finally, Meron T graced the crowd with her humbling elegance and tender vocals that blended neo-soul, jazz and RnB for an enrapturing performance.
After working on her sound and vocal ability over the past year, she explained to me that it was good to be able to put this into practice and see how far she’s come.
“It was magical. The fact that I got to perform and be a part of such a beautiful night at Hoots was an extra level of epic.”
With an all-woman line-up present during the evening, we got onto the conversation about the lack of space being given to female artists in the industry.
“Seeing an all-female line-up is rare and being a part of that felt special.
“There are so many talented female musicians out there and we bring a lot of energy.” Meron explains.
“We’re trying to break the norms of an industry that is very male dominated and it’s about time we took this by storm.
“We’ve been sidelined for way too long and we’ve got a lot to say, a lot to show, a lot to give.”
Up until 21 June, Hootananny will be hosting its socially distanced sit-down events every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Full capacity will return from 21 June with an exciting schedule including their Hoots Re-opening Hoo Hah; two days of festival-style music featuring Cut Capers, The Busy Twist, JFB, Hippo Soundsystem and many more.
Tickets can be purchased from Skiddle and are selling fast – so act quickly to get your hands on one. This party will be one to remember.
See Hootananny’s full gig listings or follow their Instagram for regular updates.
