CLICK HERE FOR MORE SXSW 2018 COVERAGE!
AUSTIN, TX- For most of our SXSW artist coverage, we’ll keep it relatively short and sweet. We have over 80 artists to cover, so cut us some slack! 😉 We’ll basically be formatting each post into two parts: (1) Why our contributor wanted to see this act and (2) what our contributor thought of the performance”. Easy peasy. If you want to learn more about the act, make sure you click through to their social media links to get in the know. You won’t be disappointed!
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Why I Wanted To See Deva Mahal: At the suggestion of one my close friends, it was recommended that I should attend Miles Davis House while I was in Austin. It turns out my friend’s friend is Erin Davis, the son of seminal trumpeter and jazz legend Miles Davis.
Presented by Miles Davis Estate in association with Legacy Recordings/Sony Music Entertainment and Riviera Imports, Miles Davis House is an annual SXSW day party hosted by the Miles Davis family and featuring a wide cross section of multi-genre emerging talent, the next generation of musical disruptors. In the spirit of Miles, the celebration promotes music, art and cultural progressiveness.
To be absolutely honest, I didn’t have Deva Mahal on my SXSW radar or Spotify playlist, but as I was waiting to photograph and review Larkin Poe‘s scheduled performance, I had a conversation with another photographer who urged me to stick around to see Deva Mahal perform. All he said was that her voice was amazing, but he said it with such conviction, I decided to heed his advice.
What I Thought Of Deva Mahal’s Performance: What the photographer DIDN’T tell me was that Deva is the daughter of the LEGENDARY blues musician Taj Mahal, and if you know me, you’ll know that his song “Corrinna” is a blues song I sing aloud while working around the house all the time.
I only discovered this fact after the fact when I was home from SXSW studying up on Deva’s discography. As it turned out, Deva was using her time at SXSW to showcase music from her debut full-length album “Run Deep” (released on March 23th, 2018).
“Run Deep” is a solid debut. It’s an album that shows off Deva’s versatile musical/vocal ability. An R&B album, it touches on various styles and themes of the genre with dabs of pop and rock sprinkled throughout. She is particularly impressive on the track “Snakes” which really digs deep into the traditional blues sonics, with her powerful voice booming over the thumping kick drum.
Deva’s performance at Antone’s was equally powerful. Her name (pronounced ‘diva’) says it all. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, you could feel her presence fill the room. She carried an air about her that simply exuded confidence and conviction.
If anybody had any doubts as to her musical ability, those doubts were immediately shot down as soon as she sang her first note. Her clear alto voice was even more powerful and commanding in person than in her recordings, and when coupled with her expressive gestures and the emotions she expressed through her eyes, it was truly a performance that I was certainly glad to have been able to witness in person.
Follow Deva Mahal on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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LIVE CLIPS
Deva Mahal at Antone during SXSW 3/17/18. Thoughts and photos coming soon to @BlurredCulture. pic.twitter.com/CUqTV4rrMd
— Derrick K. Lee (@methodman13) May 3, 2018
Deva Mahal at Antone during SXSW 3/17/18. Thoughts and photos coming soon to @BlurredCulture. pic.twitter.com/I9SOpH1HHl
— Derrick K. Lee (@methodman13) May 3, 2018
