Thabo

THABO first broke through as an artist singing with a localYorkshire hip-hop band in the late 2000s before embarking on hisown solo career in 2011 with his three piece band The Real Deal.The same three musicians from day one are still with him today.Keyboard wizard/pianist Aron Kyne, guitarist Emmanuel Allert andpercussionist/drummer Ali Mac.From 2011 to 2015, Thabo & The Real Deal released a couple ofself-produced independent EPs and gigged a lot across the wholeof the UK. From high profile support slots to headline shows, theysoon built up a large following across the country with their uniqueand refreshing style of stripped down acoustic soul.Soon, major labels came knocking on the door and the guysdecided to take a break from live gigs to concentrate on furtherdeveloping their sound and more importantly, write a lot more newmaterial. One thing that always made THABO stand out from dayone was his desire to perform as much original self-penned materialas possible.What started as a short break from live shows ended up being wellover a year but now for 2017, THABO is back and has a lot to say.Still only a four piece but the beats and sound are bigger/heavier,the lyrics even deeper than before, and there are so many newamazing songs to be played out live for the first time. Whether youare an original fan or new to the music of THABO, you'll soonappreciate why they call it bare knuckle soul!Support comes from Otis Mensah - a young story-teller-rapper-poet with a talent for drawing the poetic from the everyday happenings in his life. This alternative hip-hop artist has risen from a new wave; age and era, embodying a contemporary, poetic take on hip-hop music. The music he creates sheds light on existential commonalities discovered through introspection with often off-kilter lyrics, accompanied by a sentimental vibe.Otis' music almost appears as a stream of consciousness, as though the young artist is documenting a journey of thought, however, drowned in playful imagery and unconventional symbolism left open to interpretation. It's not unusual to hear Otis' lyrics accompanied by a boom-bap sounding hip-hop instrumental with a mellow and soulful feel, drawing from influences such as Mos Def, Common & The Roots.