When you let your eyes wander in Punane Maja, you could see that people were up for it! Up for dancing, a party, good music! Visibly expectant and in a good mood, the young audience waited for Sofia Rubina’s midnight performance.
And they were not disappointed. When Sofia – dressed in a flowered coat and feather hat – finally followed her band onto the brightly lit stage, the whole room was immediately filled with lively energy.
Already in the first song she showed the full range of her exuberant, full and somewhat smoky soul voice, playing with it in many ways while skilfully performing a scat solo. After this grandiose soulful introduction to the evening, the brass players joined the band on stage for the second song in order to get things moving even more with their funky brass kicks.
The now 10-person band turned the concert into one big party, where not only the audience danced and had fun, but also the musicians themselves, who were all in their element performing impressive solos one after the other and were always kept on fire by Sofia Rubina’s infectious cheerful voice.
The audience was animated by her to dance and clap along again and again – which was not necessary because the party mood had already reached everyone.
Sofia Rubina created a varied night with versatile songs from her album Where it Begins, such as the neo-soul ballad Up to You, the more funky Secret Place or the “song for the ladies” Count on Me, in which Rubina even did a rap interlude. She also used the band in different ways, mixing the funk, soul, jazz, hip hop and disco in a skilful, varied and interesting way so that no song resembled any other!
1:30 a.m. – in the middle of the night and people are still on fire, craving more. It was hard for the audience to part with this great singer. With a rousing encore all the musicians gave everything once more and so Sofia Rubina bowed and left the stage, dancing into the night.
SOFIA RUBINA Where It Begins
Saturday 20th April 2019, 23:59
Punane Maja
Sofia Rubina: vocal
Dagmar Oja: backing vocals
Jelena Juzvik: backing vocals
Holger Marjamaa: piano, keyboard
Jason Hunter: trumpet, synths
Aleksander Paal: saxophone
Johannes Kiik: trombone
Jaan Jaanson: guitar
Janno Trump: bass
Dmitri Nikolajevski: drums
Check out photos of the concert here