As regular readers will know, our location across the sea from the Nordic countries does mean that we can be a little behind in finding out about new artists, but in the case of 'Amelifé & The Little Orchestra' we've actually been aware of her for sometime, and quietly tracking progress towards the release of her debut video. And we're delighted that day has finally arrived, and we have an opportunity to share with you an artist who we think has enormous potential and talent, as well as some beautiful stories to tell.
Amelifé is a Copenhagen based street musician and storyteller, and her experiences and passion for playing music have been developed through months of touring Europe as a busker armed with just a backpack and a keyboard. Returning home to Denmark she then gathered a small group of talented musicians to play alongside and inspire her, and that has become 'The Little Orchestra'.
Her debut track and video is entitled 'Birds', and the first thing that stands out is Amelifé's voice, which has a softness and purity to it, but which also has the ability to burst out with moments of intensity and strength, and the combination makes her vocals distinct - slightly unusual too. The track itself is a subtle mix of darkness and beauty, which left me contemplating it for some time after, so there is a power to it too. And I love the contribution from 'The Little Orchestra', joining in towards the end with an animated burst of vigorous brass and assorted instruments.
You can watch the video for 'Birds' here:
Amelifé is an artist with a real passion for the power of music, as well as linking that to the use of photography and visual art to stimulate different senses - and the video is inspired by her photography project, 'The Vulnerable Facade'. Clearly we haven't yet heard many of her compositions yet, and we need to wait patiently to see how her music will develop over the next 12 months, but I'm really hopeful that this talented group of musicians will be able to pull together something fairly special and very different from the norm too.
And if you're based in Copenhagen you can see 'Amelife & The Little Orchestra' perform at the Church of Trinitatis on the 3rd January in Copenhagen. There's a link to the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1693913240918693
We hope you like 'Birds' as much as we do, but be careful, you will find yourself humming the little tune in the chorus over and over again.