Saidah Baba Talibah

On a night when two middleweight out-of-towners held much of the anticipation of the folks who made it down to Queen West's Wrongbar to catch a few of CMW's last official moments, local soul-rock torch bearer Saidah Baba Talibah showed she was out for a lot more than the polite applause normally reserved for show openers. Carried to the stage on the back of a sousaphone bass line and subsequent musical build from the rest of her band, the sultry vocalist wasted little time in putting every inch of her commanding presence and face-twisting vocal prowess on display during her brief though exacting five-song mini-set. Firing off flaming shots of piercing attitude at every turn, the seasoned singer rode stridently through the show's initial bit of country-tinged flare before truly exuding the raw and sexy deep-bellied soul that characterizes her appeal on the rich and juicy "No More." Her dramatic and evocative delivery was matched only by that of guitarist Donna Grantis, who turned in her own singing solo on set centrepiece "High" before kicking off final cut "Place Called Grace." It set was a victory lap of sorts with a bankable impression having already been left on the venue's soul-living public.