Gizelle Smith

Ever since their fi rst collaboration on the “Mocambo Funk Forty Fives” compilation,
things have gained momentum for Gizelle Smith, the “Golden Girl
of Funk”, and the much respected Hamburg-based label and live band
The Mighty Mocambos. Their fi rst single “Working Woman” became an
overnight smash and a prime-time club favourite of funk & soul DJs from
all over the world. Initially released on the Finnish private press label Old
Capital, producer legend and Grammy nominee Kenny Dope (Masters at
Work, Bucketheads) picked up and remixed the song for his own label Kay
Dee Records.
Gizelle Smith & Mocambo now step up with a full-length album of bonafi
de sister funk. In the days of digital recording and Pro Tools editing, they
show true exception to modern techniques and create their highly regarded,
unique and raw soul sound, by making use of simple dynamic microphones and reel-to-reel tape
machines.
In a genre which is often littered with overused clichés of the past, the charismatic Gizelle Smith adds a
lot of her own fl avour rather than slavishly copying icons of bygone decades. The result is a refreshing
alternative to post-millenium plastic pop without being a mere retro rip-off.
From the heavy and determined “Gonna Get You” to vulnerable, gospel-tinged laments such as “Coffee
High”, “This Is Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Mocambos” is just as deeply rooted in the music from the
golden era of soul as it is a modern masterpiece in its own right.
Blazing horns, soulful guitars, driving drums and basslines combined with Gizelle’s gripping and powerful
voice all weave together to create a long player that is varied and coherent at the same time.