Press Clippings

Oor Magazine (Holland)

The DAUGHTERS OF SOUL caravan is roaming through Europe once again with this time around featuring members Indira Khan (daughter of Chaka), Simone (daughter of Nina Simone), Sandra St. Victor (Family Stand), Nona Hendryx (LaBelle) and latest addition to the group Deniece Williams. Williams saw the group perform in Jakarta, Indonesia, spontaneously asked if she could join and so she did.

It is saying all about the great atmosphere among these top-ladies who are never in each others territory but always complement, inspire and feed off each other! The concept has been brought to life by Sandra St. Victor who’s been living in the Netherlands from quite some time now. She found herself a regular group of excellent Dutch musicians; keyboardplayer and bandleader Wiboud Burkens, the always hyperactive drummer Cyril Directie and the ever relaxed bassbeast Manuel Hugas. They are complemented by the American guitar player Ronny Drayton, three wellknown local background vocalists and also three hornplayers this time! By adding them, the sound has grown so much richer without losing anything in timing. What a huge amount of quality players is found here!

Singers Simone and Indira are constantly growing further into this group. They are progressively consolidating their own space, which makes their contributions ever more powerful and individual. Although Sandra is the great inspirator within this group, she is very modest in her vocal section which is rightly corrected with a loud thank you by Nona at the end. After just a day or so, Deniece already seems to feel completely at ease in this show. How wonderful it is to hear her often covered soulclassic “Free” in its most original version, with the beautiful slow build-up. She also reminds us of “It’s Your Conscience”, a long lost gem of a song. In the deeply emotional slower sections some of the audience members in the back of the room lose their concentration and start yabbering but luckily none of the singers are being visibly distracted.

Nona’s “Transformation” can be taken literal. Offstage always calm and serious, the sixty+ wonderwoman here turns into a fiery performer, screaming and kicking around. And dancing on the drumset, luckily without her 6 inch stiletto heels this time! Next to Simone, who is almost half her age and could easily have been her daughter, she performs “I Sweat”, again one of the energetic highlights of this show. Several audience members are asked to participate but really, none of them shake their booty just as tight as grandma Nona! The show’s encore evolves into one great dancing party around the two unbeatable funkclassics “Once You Get Started” and “Lady Marmalade”.

Now who is finally going to record this amazing concept for a professional DVD release? All that is needed is some equipment and a solid cameracrew. All the great images and breathtaking action will present itself, with this terrific line-up of born-performers.

Gig report by Kees Smallegange for www.oor.nl

Azur Musiques Magazine (France)

“Pure happiness for the ears, the hands and the feet. Because these ladies motivate movement in all directions!
Taking turns on stage, they give to the public a splendid lesson in groove. Alternating between renditions of (‘Street Life’, ‘Higher Ground’) and a few originals, among which a splendid song written for Nelson Mandela, performed by Nona Hendryx, they boosted the Arena! Never in the annals of the Nice Jazz Festival has there been such an entertaining show of over 2 hours & 15 minutes!
Moreover, the brilliant idea to finish their concert with the mythical ‘Lady Marmalade’. The public’s excitement was raised by one man who recognized the first notes and ‘cordial’ invitation: ‘Voulez-vouz couchez avec moi, ce soir?’”

Patrice B.

"London's Hackney Empire recently hosted one of the most interesting soul gigs for a long time. A show stuffed with big names – old and new…"

ElConfidencial.com (Spain)

“Six tigresses scratching from the stage, alternate themselves in wonderful single, pairs and trios. Three of them are star daughters of soul, Simone (Smooth Simone) is daughter of Nina Simone, Lalah Hathaway is daughter of Donny Hathaway and Milini Khan daughter of Chaka Khan. The genetics work.
The other three are: Nona Hendryx, that put her voice in the feminine group Labelle, with that achieved a success with Lady Marmalade; Joyce Kennedy, who is one of the main voices of Mothers Finest, considered at its time, one of the best bands of the world; and Sandra St.Victor, who put her voice & songwriting on recordings of Curtis Mayfield, Chaka Khan, Daryl Hall, Prince and Roy Ayers.

Diariovasco Magazine (Spain)

“Such an accumulation of influences biological & professional turns them a dynamic experience that is unfolded in all type of formats (single, pair, trios, to choir...). A vibrant feminine vocal celebration.”

Online reviews