After a day of music, literature and contemplative workshopping, Lawnya Vawnya's second night of programming was a decidedly dancy affair with every performance begging to get the audience moving. Both the outpouring of rhythms from the Rock House's speakers and the charismatic musicianship of the performers contributed to a night of high energy and enthusiastic patronage.
Kicking the night off with a lyrical blend of afro-beat and afro-swing, Nigerian-born and Newfoundland-based DaMi warmed up the audience with an animated stage presence and songs begging to be sung along to. Alternating between hip-hop bars and melodious lyricism, DaMi exhibited a palpable flow over a tracklist of rhythmically varied productions. Audience members could be seen swaying to the beats in anticipation of the dancefloor explosion to come.
The aptly named NL Latin Band came in red hot, immediately captivating the audience after a set change shorter than an 11-piece band has any right to be able to maneuver. From the first note of the opening song to the final lines of a well deserved encore, the Latin rhythms by way of music-school virtuosity were on full display as the band cycled through an infectious setlist of salsa, merengue, bachata and cumbia. If you could peel your eyes from your dance partner to gaze at the band for even a few moments, you would have seen a musical chemistry of deep substance shared by each and every member from its multiple vocalists, two percussionists, saxophonist, pianist and anything else in between. Band members traded dexterous solos almost as much as the smiles, glances and laughter that dotted each and every song, effectively holding everything together like a celebratory glue. When it was over it was over too soon, but the band were compelled to play just one more highly-danceable Latin ripper after a resounding "Otra! Otra" from the not-quite-yet satiated crowd.
As soon as the cool blue stage lights draped themselves over Halifax headliner Aquakultre, I was totally and utterly submerged. Soulful is a common word to describe vibey R&B/hip-hop groups the world over, but would be a trite and starved understatement when it comes to explaining the deep, enveloping experience of witnessing a live Aquakultre show. Core-rattling bass, ethereal synthesizers, delicious guitar lines and a duo of soul-nourishing crooners swirled together to create an incredible performance that needs to be seen to be understood. The power of the music only served to amplify the meaning of lead vocalist Lance Sampson's lyrical delivery, ranging from topics like true love, rough upbringings, the importance of family and Sampson's own grandfather Daniel Perry Sampson, the last person to be hanged in Halifax. Sampson doesn't banter between songs. He tells you a story.