FRIDAY 9 | Striding onto the catwalk in an emerald-green dress crafted from recycled water bottles, a seemingly endless train of fabric spooling over the stage behind her, Rhiannon Johnson embodied the very essence of Glamazon 2.0. Born in Barbados to English parents and having spent her formative years in Kenya before graduating from London’s much-admired Central St Martins University of the Arts, this elegant chanteuse cuts quite the dsash on the runway. But it’s what’s underneath – namely, her vocal chords – that really quickens the pulse. “Music in Barbados is a big deal,” she says. “In the Caribbean, it’s a huge part of their culture. Once a year, we’d have this big festival to celebrate the end of the crops and sugar cane; it’s called Crop Over. Listening to the radio and singing was always a huge part of my life, but it wasn’t until I got to school in Kenya that I got the chance to focus on it. It felt great: it was me coming out of myself. I’d only ever sung by myself in the shower.” From singing in the shower to fronting Cambodia’s rowdiest funk band, Durian, tonight she takes centre stage at The Groove, the newest jazz venue in town, conjuring a jazz/soul set list with the help of Barry Speirs (keys) and Ritchy (drums).
WHO: Rhiannon Johnson Trio
WHAT: Jazz and soul
WHERE: The Groove, Terrazza, Street 282
WHEN: 9pm August 9 & 14
WHY: If you weren’t at Glamazon 2.0, ask anyone who was