Madu

Dublin Tropical! and Groovalizacion Dj’s continue to surprise and delight the crowd of Shebeen Chic with their fortnightly adventures in global urban sounds. Last Friday’s treat was Dublin-based band Madu. Fronted by Irish / Malaysian brother and sister team - dub and beats controller Salim and vocalist Aminah – with Sarah Jade on bass and Rodrigo Cabrera (venezuela) on keyboard, Madu plays a laidback yet infectious combination of dub, soul and reggae. From opening cover Sweet Sixteen (a nod to their Irish roots) to closing track Sunshine (which the crowd demanded they reprise), Madu utterly charmed the Shebeen audience with their upbeat but down to earth performance, a style which seems to have been formed or at least honed by several years spent absorbing the unique reggae and dub sounds of the Pacific and South East Asia.

Madu bowed out after a short and sweet set of eight songs, a combination of a still-growing repertoire and a relaxed interpretation of the start-time. The crowd was kept going however by an impromptu reggae mini-set by Congolese singer-songwriter Eric Kokotanjah, who had clearly been swept up in the night’s good vibes. Incidentally, Kokotanjah headlines tomorrow night’s Dublin Tropical! Urban Africa special this Friday and is well worth catching for a full set. Temporarily nudged aside, Groovalizacion’s DJ iZem regained the stage a little later with a giddy dub/reggae/dubstep set to continue the party. And Dublin Tropical! does feel like a party – jam-packed, friendly and fun, one of those parties you always imagined you’d throw if it weren’t for flaky friends and grumpy neighbours. Here’s a tip for the summer: ditch the cheese and pineapple sticks and head to Shebeen Chic instead.

Jessica Smyth - Groovalizacion Radio