I remember having this really cool party week in Amsterdam, somewhere around 1997, that I've always loved looking back to. I love going to concerts by well-known artists and in this week I went to three gigs! It was a rare, very good week. I had gotten a little over excited by hearing that r&b singer Ginuwine was coming to Amsterdam, so I got tickets to see both his Amsterdam shows and I would close the week with a concert by Shola Ama, who had just hit the charts with "You Might Need Somebody".
Ginuwine was a big artist at the time and my expectation was that his concerts would be amazing, but even though I had made it to the front row, the drums were too loud to actually hear him sing. No, the highlight of the week came from the one hit wonder, Shola.
She was amazing live. It was no surprise to me that she was discovered when singing, while she was just going somewhere. I think she was discovered on the street or on a train. During the concert, she didn't miss a beat or note, vocally, and her songs were easy to catch onto for a first time listener.
Shola Ama has continued performing, but her success faded. However, I'm pleased to announce that she has a new single out. She's one of the featured artists on a dance track. Together with Donae'o, she's featured on the club track, "Work U Out", by English producer FTSE. It's probably the catchiest and most commercial track for FTSE, who’s normally more chaotic and experimental. He doesn’t really have a style throughout all of his work, but just incorporates everything played in clubs.
The only strange thing about this song, is probably its beginning. It’s got a bit of a sloppy start because the vocal begin right away, but it’s at a weird point to cut it. Or maybe, my internet connection encountered a hiccup.
Shola Ama sings the most parts of this song and she shows she still got her skills. Her voice hasn't changed one bit. It’s still got that strong vibrato and she’s still got that r&b sound. It adds something to a dance track like this, which make it really come together nicely. She’s done various features on dance tracks over the years. I’m not sure if this would put her back on the map, but it would be nice if a little light gets directed her way again.
