GRACE RODSON

PERFORMS AT SARASTRO

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT!

FROM 8:30 to 10:30 PM

PARTY SET AT: 9:30 PM

Article by Adriana Rubio

Live Show & Dinner:

Courtesy of Sarastro & Grace Rodson

YOU CAN’T MISS IT!

SARASTRO RESTAURANT

126 DRURY LANE THEATRELAND

LONDON WC2B 5SU

http://www.sarastro-restaurant.com/

Singer Grace Rodson was born in Galicia, Spain and currently resides in London. She is undoubtedly an artist who was born to perform. Her passion and love for music are unique. She can sing all kinds of styles and genres while in the middle she creates dancing tunes from pop, disco and funk melodies, giving the listener an intense and vivid picture of what music means to her: “Freedom”.
 
Grace Rodson has also worked with prestigious musicians such as Dave Kilminster internationally known as the touring guitarist of Roger Waters’ The Wall, and Xantoné Blacq the keyboardist of the late Amy Winehouse.

Grace Rodson is an award winning of the GSD Latin Music Awards 2011, given to Latin musicians in London every two years, winning in 3 categories: Best Album, Best Female Singer and Best Song "It Will Rain" and headlined the Mayor's Newham Show in 2011 followed by a mini-tour in Galicia (Spain) with her acoustic Trio format in April 2012 and invited to be part of the Olympics 2012 by performing at one of the parks in London during the Games.

Grace is very much acclaimed as an artist-singer-performer in the United Kingdom, and is currently expanding her musical talents to new horizons in the United States. She has signed with Global Journey Media USA! The year 2014 looks so promising!

As a favorite Latin act, Grace Rodson performs every Friday at “SARASTRO”, one of the most distinctive and must see restaurants located in the heart of Theatreland in London.

“Sarastro” offers an exciting mix of fun, delicious food and high-status music every night. “Sarastro” is also described by many as “The Show after the Show”. This unique restaurant hosts its own musical acts on different days weekly to enjoy the singing melodies of professional Opera Singers coming from a vast number of Opera Houses including the Royal Opera every Sunday and Monday evenings. Swing & Motow with Colin Roy on Thursday evenings, while Grace Rodson is the one for the Latin Music schedule.  

“If Music is the Food of Love, Eat Up!”

If you are a London resident or just a casual visitor, you can’t miss a fine dine with a live show at “Sarastro”. And if you are a Latin Music lover, you must see Grace Rodson by simple reserving a table in advance for a Friday night. Show starts at 8:30 pm. 

Grace Rodson act is accompanied by two amazing and talented musicians: Luismi Valles on keyboards and Alavaro López on drums and percussion. The show is divided in two sets as follows:

SET 1

1. Chan-Chan

2. Lagrimas Negras  

3. La Negra Tomasa  

4. Con los años que me quedan

5. Obsesión

6. Oye como va

7. Corazon Partio

8. Beautiful Maria of my Soul

9. El Cantante

10. Ayer

11. Usted Abusó

SET 2

1. Mi Tierra

2. Quimbara

3. La Vida es un Carnaval

4. Juliana

5. La Tortura

6. Valió la Pena

7. Conga

8. Yo Viviré

9. Waka Waka

10. Danza Kuduro

11. Feelin' Hot

Grace Rodson is working on a new CD, to be completed by the beginning of 2014. This matches a new period in Grace's artistic and personal life, so get ready to dance!

With the culmination of multiple awards and appearances in 2011 & 2012 Grace Rodson was a natural for the record label GJ Tunes and Allegro Media Group for distribution in America. In November 2013 Grace Rodson entered into a multiyear agreement with Global Journey Media USA to provide distribution via Allegro Media Group for all America. Global Journey Media is the sole US licensee of Global Journey Ltd., the second largest distribution company in the US providing audio and video distribution along with promotional services (radio, TV and live concerts).

GRACE RODSON HIGHLIGHTS IN 2013:

- Glastonbury Festival 2013 as the lead vocalist of Roberto Pla's Latin Ensemble.

- Walk the Walk 2013 festival in Battersea (London).

- Performing as a soprano with La Lira classical concert band at the Festas do Portal 2012, Ribadavia (Spain).

- Release of the CD-demo "Confin del Mare", a selection of Grace’s favorites classical arias/songs sung by her.

- Performing in Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) at the big St. Valentine's Masquerade Ball 2013.

- Live performance for BBC Radio 4 as part of the World Routes Academy 2013.

- Spring Fiesta 2013, an annual charity ball organised by the Colombian community in London.

- Ealing Jazz Festival 2013, London.

- Resident singer at the Eight Club, OXO Tower, Cubana Bar and Sarastro (London).

For further info on Grace Rodson, tour dates, new releases, pictures and videos please visit her website at:

www.gracimusic.com

http://www.sarastro-restaurant.com/

"INFAMOUS"

THE ALBUM BY

ALEX LATO

CD Review by Adriana Rubio

Interview & Article by Adriana Rubio

Photographs: Courtesy of Alex Lato

“The best story about the album is really the story of how it all came about…”(Alex Lato).

Alex Lato is the lead singer of the London-based famous band “THE FUSE”, previously known as “Lato”, a New Wave-Pop-Rock band. Alex plays piano from when he was 4, guitar from his teen’s years and studied singing with an opera singer.

“Infamous” is a 13 tracks album produced by Dany Huppermans, co-produced by Roby Mildenberger and executive produced by Sandro de Angelus. The songwriting process of “Infamous” started in or around 2011/12 with Dany Huppermans, a well known music producer, engineer and composer who in 2008 was called by the owner of Blue Turtle Studios in Los Angeles, CA to help produce Alex’s band “The Fuse” first record as a signed act for Russ Regan, the man behind Elton John, Barry White and Marvin Gaye. A fabulous partnership was born then and led to the release of Alex’s debut solo album in Benelux on November 1^st, 2013 by VMV Music and Rough Trade.

“The best story about the album is really the story of how it all came about. I met Dany in LA in 20087 when I was recording under the aegis of Velocity Entertainment, who had signed LATO – the band that later became The Fuse.  Dany had been parachuted in to the recording by the producer Thierry Migeotte to help out. Anyway Dany and I clicked straightaway, helped by the fact that we both spoke Italian. Dany is half Italian, and my Italian is fluent as a result of spending a year in Bologna University. So Dany and I would rattle away in Italian and that was the basis of our friendship - we still speak in Italian now. Sadly the LA album never got released by Velocity because they went bust in the 2008 financial meltdown, but Dany and I stayed in touch over the next few years”.

“Infamous” songs were recorded and performed professionally with musicians that VMV Music put together for Alex. They are the Belgian Christopher Genette and the Germans Robby Midenberger, Alex Vesper and Marius Goldhammer.

“Infamous” can be described as a “hits album” right from the first track titled “Black Magic”, a song that’s been featured on Lopsided World of L’s Exciting New Artists of 2013. The track has a bit of groovy rhythm with the inclusion of a synth bass and a guitar solo that really please the listener’s ears.

“I wrote the basis of Black Magic with Christophe Genette sometime in April 2013. We were both really in the mood, riding the creative wave, working at Dany’s studio. Christophe always turns up with bottles of great Belgian beer and they really got us in vibe. We had the structure largely finished by the end of the day, but at this stage it was a piano and vocal song. I had this lyric it’s a ‘different kind of magic’ and the chorus melody pretty set, but I didn’t really finish the song until much later, writing most of the lyrics and revising the melodies in London”.

“I was looking for phrases that would work with ‘Black Magic’ and I remembered this phrase that Russ Regan used to use when I was out in LA – ‘smoke and mirrors’. I really wanted to use this phrase, and I built the verses around it.  I told Russ about it and he loved it. Black Magic contains another lyric I’m quite proud of: ‘Heaven knows, everything’s better, when anything goes.’”.

This is an album with a profound message of love with inspiring and thoughtful lyrics. The singing melodies will make the audiences sing along without stop. “Infamous” is undoubtedly the result of a creative process guided by the passion of making music and the inspiration of the everyday living. Songs like “Hurt You” and “Waves Of The Sea” are the purest examples of it.

“Hurt You was one of the first songs Dany and I wrote together – it was born in the very first creative session in 2011. I was in a funny place creatively, I hadn’t written anything outside the context of “The Fuse” for quite a long time and I hadn’t played the guitar much either. In short, I was a bit rusty, which is why the song is so simple structure wise – I was just playing Am Dm chords, and shuffling a little melody out because my soft fingers were killing me! Dany had some really great ideas for Hurt You, the central chorus line ‘nothing is ever going to hurt you’ was his melody, and I think I came up with the lyric about the same time. I was inspired by (my fiancé) Tracy for Hurt You, we’d only recently started going out, so were in the first flush of love.  Robby came in on this song as well, adding the chord extensions to the chorus, which allowed me to come up with the ‘wherever you go / I’ll be there’ sections of the melody. That section was originally a BV/instrumental, and it was only when I was recording the lead vocal in autumn 2012 that I thought of the lyrics!”

“Waves Of The Sea was a song I began in Croydon on my old piano at my mum’s house. I was inspired by Sting for this track, I really love the song ‘Fields Of Gold’ and got into the vibe of that song when I was writing the piano lick. This track is also inspired by Tracy, it’s based around this amazing experience we had at Camber Sands (a beach in East Sussex) in the summer of 2010. It was the day of the England Germany football match. Tracy and I had ridden on my gorgeous old CB550 down to the coast to get some sun and sand, and watch the game. Afterwards we were standing in the warm sea, kissing, and moving with the water, and that’s where I got the image for the lyrics”.

The songwriting process with Dany Huppermans helped Alex Lato to explore more musically by listening to different artists he was not used to really listen to. The making of “Infamous” opened Alex’s inner talent to discover even more his songwriting and singing potential.   

“Dany introduced me to so many acts I’d never really listened to, like The Doors, Hall and Oates, even Black Sabbath. I bought tons of music, and listened to as much of it as I could, so writing the album really broadened my creative horizon and also helped with things like vocal technique – watching Daryl Hall was one of the most important experiences I’ve had – he’s the singer I’d like to try and emulate”.

Alex Lato jumped into the music world with his first band in 1994, and since then he hasn’t stopped making music, singing and touring. Alex is an award winning of the Rock Category in the UK Songsearch with Crib in 2004 and was finalist for the Rock Star Lottery in 2006. The long road he walked with “Lato” then “The Fuse” and the experience he gained as a professional songwriter/singer, encouraged him to release his first solo record “Infamous”. Now, the song “Hurt You” is play-listed on 32 stations in Belgium! Isn't it great! Of course it is! 

“INFAMOUS” TRACKS LISTING:

1.      BLACK MAGIC

2.      SOUND OF LOVE

3.      HURT YOU

4.      BLOW

5.      HUMAN STORY

6.      BEAUTIFUL

7.      INTERGALACTICA

8.      CALIFORNIA

9.      REVENGE

10.    WAVES OF THE SEA

11.    REEVA, FOREVER

12.    HEROINE

13.    THE END?

For further info on Alex Lato, please visit the official websites at:

www.alexlato.co.uk/

http://vmvmusic.com/

There’s more to come!

Stay Tuned!