Bringing the carnival to Manchester on a grey, blustery evening, Nubiyan Twist lit up the stage at Band on the Wall, offering a set of sumptuous melodies, moody baselines and irresistible brass that got everybody shaking off any troubles and stress. The 12 piece band are based in Leeds and London, with front woman Nubiya Brandon who smashes standards both vocally and performance wise. In a bright red dress and flower head dress, Brandon’s vocals and MC skills are laced with notes of Lauryn Hill and a strong energy that provided a feast for the ears.
Strong hits such as ‘Workhouse’, ‘Straight L’s’, ‘Fig’ created a space for carnival, dancing and joy. The undercurrent of world music rhythms from Brazil to Nigeria themed with a mix of afro-beat, hip-hop and funk is a great combination. With a short break during the performance, the second half was more percussion centred, with a special Fela Kuti cover that blew everyone away. Teased with a combination of high energy funk tracks and moody, dub rhythms akin with reggae of the 1960s, the band do have a wide repertoire of talent.
Skilled beyond their youthful years, the individual talent of each musician was clear from delivered improvisations that were mature and exciting. The saxophonists were breaking into a new world with their solo section.
Nubiyan Twist shone in Manchester, yet an outdoor, festival location would be ideal to see this great set of musicians do their thing- check out their self-titled new album!
Marina Garvey Birch 