Music / Reviews
Review: Samantha Lindo, Bristol Beacon – ‘Phenomenal’
A magical evening awaited me at the Bristol Beacon as I arrived to listen to a performance by Samantha Lindo, a Bristol-based singer and songwriter.
This was Lindo’s first performance since releasing her debut album Ancestry at the tail-end of 2023.
The album has been described as a celebration of Bristol’s independent music scene, as well as her roots. The evening came with an interesting premise not often done, with Lindo performing the whole of the album in its entirety with a full band and choir.
is needed now More than ever
The performance was backed up by the Murmuration Choir and a band full of a selection of up-and-coming local jazz musicians. And this wasn’t a small choir, this was a 60-person strong Bristol-based project.
But first, Solomon O.B kicked off the evening. He started the evening off with some poetry, mixed with a bit of singing and body percussion.
I thought the lyricism and imagery were evocative, however, some of the poems did tend to run long and get a bit repetitive towards the end. But he brought a lot of personality to the stage which suitably warmed up the crowd.
Next, the Murmuration choir took the stage for their own set, coordinated in warm orange-toned clothing. They started strong with an amazing performance of River by Ibeyi, with their harmonies belting across the Lantern Hall.
Where they lost me slightly was the sort of beatboxing battle that occurred halfway through the set, which I thought didn’t fit the vibe of the performance and felt a bit showboaty. T
he beatboxing worked great as percussion in the other songs, but as a focus of a performance, it did not wow me.
The Murmuration Choir remained on stage as Samantha Lindo’s five-piece band walked on stage, closely followed by Samantha herself.
Clad in a shimmery, ombre shirt dress she launched into a fun performance that combined jazz, gospel, spoken word and a lot of soul.
Each song came with an explanation of its roots, which frequently celebrated her family, heritage and ancestry. This really added to the intimacy of the performance, making the crowd feel like part of her story and letting us feel the true impact of her words as she sings about what it means to celebrate your heritage and think about your legacy.
I think the highlight of the set for me was Lindo’s track Worthy, which combined with the stunning backing vocals of the Murmuration Choir created a transcendent sound as well as the upbeat Feel This Home which she described as an opportunity to live out her musical theatre fantasy.
Lindo herself sounded choked as she took in the applause at the end of the set and I thought she had a strong stage presence and combined with the full choir and band sounded phenomenal.
With a great first album already out, she’ll be one to watch in future.
Main photo: Kyran Wood
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