TMW 2017 for a funk junkie: the Estonian Funk Embassy stage
Put together impeccable organization and a wide range of music-related events and conferences in what appears to be a thriving cultural environment, and you get Tallinn Music Week 2017. From concerts to conferences, from speed meetings to enjoying mutton dumplings in mushroom sauce together with a new friend, the highlight for any funk junkie was no doubt the Estonian Funk Embassy stage on Saturday April 1st at Erinevate Tubade Klubi in the vibrant Telliskivi Creative City.
With its rich lineup of bands ranging from jazz-funk to soul-funk, afro-funk, psychedelic trance-folk (I kid you not, more on that later, cause wow!), or electro-pop, this stage really showcased a bustling and varied scene. So let’s cut to the chase, cause attention spans are limited and you can do your own research into each and every single act, this is what caught my attention the most:
The Blassics (Finland)
Who’d expect a band from such a cold north-European country to feel so at home with warm, African rhythms and raw, analog sounds. It was a real pleasure to sway to their grooves and I’m definitely keeping an eye on them for the future. You can hear more of them at bandcamp, I recommend starting with the “We Call It Real” album!
My Baby (Netherlands)
If you’re faint of heart or attached to labels and genres, please stay away. My Baby are a hybrid animal: country, blues, psych, trance, folk. Their hypnotic sound has something very visceral about it and when experienced live you can’t help but find yourself mesmerized by charismatic lead singer and professional cool chick Cato van Dijck. As a whole My Baby sound a lot bigger than their 3-member number, and with what was unarguably the strongest response of the night from the crowd, I really think they’re destined to be big!
All of the bands and DJs did a great job in providing the perfect musical backdrop of what was a dope event, in spite of the rather funny fact that everybody in the club had to leave their shoes at the door and wear slippers provided by the venue, or rather this will probably make it even more memorable!
– (Calamity) Jade
