Nneka

Few artists possess such a seemingly effortless ability to captivate, educate and groove an audience as Nigerian-born singer-songwriter Nneka, something witnessed two years prior and certainly not forgotten by the near-capacity crowd that packed the Mod Club for her much-anticipated Toronto return. Her commanding presence blanketed the room from the moment she took to the stage, as the deceptively diminutive singer led her exceptionally rhythmic backing players through an equally gripping blend of soul, reggae and Afrobeat moods. Nneka interacted with her audience as though they were together in a small living room, mixing politics with humour as she expressed her compelling thoughts to a remarkably hushed crowd and invited fan participation on songs like fan favourite "Suffri" and Fela Kuti cover "V.I.P. (Vagabonds In Power)." The artist's inviting laughter turned to tears during an unexpectedly emotional rendition of the desperate "My Home" to wind down the set, before a stylistically disparate, synth-led encore that would close out what was yet another undeniable exceptional Toronto showing by the gifted star.