Versatile singer/songwriter Carmen Herbert (aka Carmen Xclusive) is at Jackson Hall this April. Carmen’s popular jazzy outing follows on from a career in modelling as a young girl from Mitchell’s Plain. Later her love of singing took hold and she found her feet onstage.
Rooted in the church
With her singing talents rooted in the church, it was when Carmen was persuaded to enter a singing competition that her love of singing and stage performance emerged. Joining her first band – Mike Kwagga’s Nuff-Zed at 16, it was just a year later that she joined the Wentzel brothers in the popular band N2 that her career took off. She stayed with the group for 10 years, learning to work with a wider variety of styles.
She then decided to become her own brand as Carmen Xclusive and pursue collaborations with the likes of Richard Caesar, Allou April and Robbie Jansen at regular shows on stage within the Pigalle chain of restaurants. Carmen then went on to release her debut album, Xclusive Nites @ Pigalles, with popular tracks the likes of Love that will Last, Get Lucky and Amy Winehouse’s Valerie.
Having surrounded herself with some of the best musicians from around town, including Ernie Smith, Robbie Jansen, and Sammy Webber and Ian Smith from Virtual Jazz Reality, she continues to open herself up to new horizons. Xclusive performs every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night in April between 7pm -10.30pm.
Public Opinion are up on Thursdays
Taking the spotlight every Thursday night between 7pm and 10.30pm is Cape Town based show band, Public Opinion, who play a diverse repertoire of cover songs, ranging from funk, reggae, pop and Latina, to jazz and gospel.
The band comprises Donovan Dean Dyers on bass, keyboards and drums, Marshall Hartogh on drums and vocals, Redewhaan Jeppie as the lead vocalist, Trever Samuels on piano and keyboards, Shawn Franke on guitar and bass, Aleshia ‘Lee’ Solomons on piano and vocals and Kurt ‘Adam’ Adams on guitars. Collectively they have some 50 years’ experience in the music business.
Who: Carmen Xclusive
When: Every Wed, Fri, Sat in April, 2017, 7pm -10.30pm. DJs 6.30pm
Who: Public Opinion
When: Every Thurs, 7pm and 10.30pm
Where: Jackson Hall, GrandWest, Cape Town
Doors open: 6pm
Web: https://www.suninternational.com/grandwest/
Social media: Facebook GrandWestCasinoAndEntertainmentWorld, Twitter @GrandWestSA
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