07 Mar 11

"...our lives are not in vain..." - Euhoria by Emilio Basa

Hey, blogspot readers, get ready for more rockin' adventures with SouthSide! This roving reviewer kicked off a busy week of local shows happening around town at Lakeview's popular venue. Tonight, Elbo Room took a brief break from the rock scene for a more intimate acoustic scene. The upstairs lounge featured singer/songwriter Emilio Basa's soulful Motown sound while the downstairs lounge was captivated by the lovely Abbi Rajsekhar's dynamic vocal performance.

Currently on tour in support of new EP, The Living Room, SouthSide highly recommends attending Abbi's next scheduled performance near you ...and she wholeheartedly assures your ears won't be disappointed. This singer/songwriter not only impressed this reviewer but also the staff and management of Elbo Room. Dimitri (sound guy) said how this artist has "...natural talent..." commenting that her second song of the set could be heard on the radio. Fans will adore the raspy heartfelt vocal tone which can wow the ears with dynamic emotions felt from the lyrics. This singer/songwriter literally made the few attending her show feel what she was singing while hearing the lively acoustic music. There was passion found in the tempo as well as melodic rhythms that were delightfully pleasing. SouthSide suggests listening to the tender words behind the calming melody heard within Abbi's song My Heart My Hand (featured on her new EP with a video coming out soon). For more information, visit Abbi Rajsekhar at http://www.myspace.com/abbirajsekhar.

Opening with Obsession (track 6 off his first album - Sweet Memories), SouthSide was immediately hooked by the vibrant yet soulfully dynamic vocal power of Emilio Basa (MI). Whew, this singer/songwriter filled the upstairs lounge with sweet R&B falsettos in which had this reviewer definitely feeling the emotion dripping profusely from his voice. To say she was blown away by Emilio's performance would be a gross understatement, blogspot readers. SouthSide was deeply captivated not only by his vocal talent but also by his songwriting skills. This artist captured his own personal experiences with such realistic symbolism (as heard in Poor Boy, track 2 off current album To The End) that his words could be a positive message (Euhoria, track 10) for his audience. SouthSide found comfort from his gentle words especially when dynamically immersing himself into the lyrics which immediately opened a flood of emotions within his voice.

And watch out, blogspot readers, when Emilio does that ...his acoustic sound will definitely match the fierce passion of his voice. For example during Tomorrow Always Dies (track 5), this artist had the command of everyone's attention by vividly emphasizing the emotions heard within his falsettos but also within the guitar riffs. Even while performing Broken Arrow (the highlight of his performance), he truly wowed the ears with a full range of vocal power and fierce riffs that nearly brought tears to SouthSide's eyes. Yet when Emilio performed under a livelier rhythms but not as dynamic or powerful within the melody, the soulful R&B voice came into the spotlight found in songs like Keep the Light and Top of the World (track 5 off his Sweet Memories CD) in which SouthSide was moved by the ballads' downtempo pace and emotional pain.

SouthSide highly recommends checking out singer/songwriter Emilio Basa at his next scheduled appearance ...he will not only amaze the ears but also fill the heart with raw vocal emotions under a vibrant yet soulful sound. Also she recommends adding his CDs Sweet Memories and To The End to your collection. For more information about this artist, visit http://www.emiliobasa.com.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide