SERGIO SELVA
Having waited so long to grace the stage, Sergio Selva treated the audience to a cover-to-cover rendition of his forthcoming Album ‘Ever Closer’ that did not disappoint. A body of work initially anticipated to be an EP, the long run up to the show has allowed Sergio to develop his sound. To witness the performance of this Album in full was truly an experience to remember. Captivating the audience with his controlled, commanding yet unmistakably soulful voice, Sergio proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with in the Brighton Soul scene. The performance was uplifted by a live band comprised of Stephen Bamidele, Ollie Foreman, Ish Hussein & Kim Roman. Performing with the effortless grace of a band who’ve been playing together for a lifetime, the collective complimented each other perfectly.
Lacing together timeless melodies, Sergio’s sound rests somewhere in between comforting familiarity and refreshing originality. It was evident that he had used his time away from the stage to hone in on his talent and develop his sound to unbelievable highs. His humble-natured audience interactions demonstrated his charming demeanour, and it was clear he had the crowd under his spell. Dancing, singing along to the previously released track ‘Stay’ and pining for an encore, the atmosphere was captivating. An uplifting and magical night, Sergio Selva smashed it out of the water, earning his stripes as a master of soul.
IN CONVERSATION // SERGIO SELVA
How are you feeling to be here tonight, after two years?
Good but also nervous. As you said, two years since the gig was originally booked, so anticipation has been building up for those two years.
Do you feel like your sound has changed a lot in that time?
100% it definitely has! With lockdown, I couldn't actually be with my band. I was writing a lot by myself. I got a lot more into production. That's my full-time job now; I jumped really hard into that.
Wow! So you're an all-rounder now, self-producing?
Yeah, I do everything myself. Before, I used to get my drummer and my bassist to send their parts, and then I'd deal with the rest of it, but now I do everything from home, which can get lonely!
How did you manage to keep motivated over the pandemic?
It came in waves. I was doing a production course over the first year of the lockdown, so that was keeping me busy. This past year, I've played keys for Steven Bamidele and Scoop Monty, which has kept me busy for a while.
It's where I honed in on my music because the place I used to live, a little town called Sudbury, was very singer-songwriter-y. But when I moved here, I started playing keys, my whole music direction changed.
What can we expect to hear from you tonight?
I'm in the process of recording an album, 'Ever Closer', and tonight I'll be playing the tracklist from start to finish. It delves into more of a concept album because the first half of the album is my older stuff that I've been doing the past four or five years and the second half is more recent, so it progresses through my musical journey.
How would you describe yourself to a new audience member that doesn't know anything about you?
The early stuff is more Jazz, Neo-Soul; the newer stuff leans into more traditional soul - Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.
Got any music recommendations for the readers?
I watched the 'Get Back’ documentary, and I never had a Beatles phase when I was growing up, so I've just been absolutely rinsing them!
Favourite Beatles track?
Difficult question! Probably Baby, You're A Rich Man off of ‘The Magical Mystery Tour’ Album.
Sergio Selva:
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Fukushima Dolphin:
Instagram - @fukushimadolphin
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Twitter - @fukdolphin
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Lisa Lo:
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Photographer: Claude Di Rito
Website - https://shotbyclaude.com
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Written by: Alice Hingley of South Lanes Studios
Alice's Contact Email - alice@southlanesstudios.co.uk
South Lanes Studios's Instagram - @southlanesstudios
South Lanes Studios's Email - info@southlanesstudios.co.uk
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