And The Lights Come On...
The lights come up and the crowd applauds and whoops. It's a little past 10pm and Melua steps on stage, flashes a heartbreaker of a smile, accidentally knocks over the bottle of Dasani at the foot of her stool, and unfazed, says "this song is for Eva Cassidy" (one of her biggest influences, she had told me earlier) and sings "Far Away Voice" from her album. The crowd cheers. When the song is over, Melua notices the water pooling around electrical wires, impishly says, "Who did that?" Smile. Someone rushes to the stage with towels to catch the spill. We are indeed captivated. Unfazed, Melua continues, and I would guess, many in the crowd are touched by her hypnotic voice. Just as she had hoped. Katie Melua's moment will last more than fifteen minutes - it already has - she's someone to watch, as we see her star shooting, higher, higher, higher, as high as she wants.
Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti
For more about Katie Melua, music and video, click here.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Great job, very fine profile and introduction to someone who would really appear to have a future. That she is only 19 really gives one pause.
2 - srp
she really is an incredible young woman. not just as a performer, but as a person. it's rare to see someone her age and getting so much attention be so absolutely grounded and centered... none of this has gone to her head in any negative way, and she's not of the same cloth as the teen "pop" crowd at all. I expect she will be around for quite a long while. I certainly hope so. Though i tell you, photos do not do her justice: she is an incredibly beautiful young woman as well - very natural, gamine, no fakery, which is just so refreshing.
Glad you liked the interview. I went for less standard; more of a portrait.
s.
3 - Kiersten Marek
Katie Melua's voice transports and transcends. Her blues are heavy and soulful, yet uplifting for their sheer expressiveness. I've never heard anything quite like her and hope she can continue to keep her head screwed on straight once the world catches on to her glorious ways.
4 - Eric Olsen
very lovely comment Kiersten, thanks, and once again, great job on this Sadi!
5 - sadi
thanks K and thanks Eric --
Katie took a lot of flak for that album and some were really pretty harsh. To me, she is a young girl with some immense talent and perhaps not the management that she needs. I fear that her management is turning her into something she is NOT, witness, the rehearsal was amazing and she completely herself and sang the best version of "love cats" by the Cure that i have EVER heard. She's a real folk singer, and not a Norah Jones-er - and that is the direction she's being pushed. Nothing wrong with Norah Jones, but that's not Katie.
Yes, just my opinion, but i think if you had heard the rehearsal (i taped it and still listen to it), you'd be even more in awe in her talent. It's easy to write something nasty or pithy; she's just a kid and just starting out. I'm glad to know that there are others here who see the same bright spot that i saw there, and truly, you had to sit with her one-on-one to get a real sense of her beauty and poise.
With the right management and the right direction (read: folk, not jazz), she will go far.
Thanks for reading, as ever,
sade