Once again the Troubadour played host to some local roots talent with seriously feel good vibes when Saritah performed with Kooii on Sunday night.
On a chilly Brisbane night a very funked up crowd gathered to get their groove on. The Troubadour was a bit chilly inside and what better way to warm up than to take to your feet and dance. Before long the whole joint was jumping as the seven-piece Kooii jazzed things up with some dubaliscious tunes. With lots of brass and percusssion this spunky outfit created a carribean beach party feel with lots of happy vibes and lots of dancing.
Saritah took to the stage at 10.15pm, starting out with an unplanned solo version of a special request by Jodie from in the crowd; Safe Again. With just the tiny but powerful-voiced Saritah on stage with her guitar, and Charles the percussionist from the band, who hadn’t leanrned this song yet, on the bongos, this was a jazzy little tune about everything being as it should be.
Saritah is then joined on stage by the rest of the band and the crowd dances on as they play Connected, a lilting number about manifesting your destiny. That’s the sort of stuff Saritah sings about. She sings like a bedtime story or a prayer, with strong tribal influneces and positively inspired lyrics about the important things in life. It’s nice to listen to, it makes you feel good and reminds you what it’s all really about. Then, for the third track, No Alternative, about speaking your truth, the band are joined by by Peter and Jason; the trumpet and saxophonist from Kooii who dread-locked Saritah invites to join in “whenever they feel like it”. Joining in on ocaasion from the side of the stage, their smiling enthusiastic faces make a welcome addition to the band.
Saritah often offers the meaning behind each of her beautiful songs. Time Will Come is a song about housing developments and roads taking over the beautiful places, and Tears Come Easy is a rockier number about “not judging the bad times, and just letting them be”. Playing a few new numbers from the new EP along with a few tracks from the album Gratitude, Saritah commented on the crowd which was dancing enthusiastically calling the Brisbane crowd “a bunch of groovers”. The Inala Represent shirt dude was there! Bizarre! And who was wearing hers too? Hmm…It was one of those nights…
Finishing the eight-song set of with You’re the One, about being able to make a difference, had the crowd begging for more and after thanking Marty on sound they came back to play the beautiful I Pray “for anyone who has had tough times of late” and whose lyrics include such lines as “Be strong have faith that you will you will be loved and warm and safe” and “I pray that in times of need there’ll be someone for you…” which was a lovely, warm and fuzzy way to end a chilly Sunday night.
