Steve Bedi blows Lilongwe away
Steve Bedi lived up to his reputation as one of the finest saxophonists Ghana has ever produced when he pulled off a dazzling performance at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe on Saturday.
Even Vice-President Saulos Chilima and wife Mary could not resist the Bedi magic as they joined the rest of the patrons in the dancing, moments after just arriving from a 280-kilometre drive from Edingeni, Mzimba for the coronation of Inkosi Yamakosi Mbelwa V.
For those that watched him perform at the Sand Festival or at the Lake of Stars Festival last week, the Protect the Goal fundraising concert was a continuation of the fun they had started weeks ago.
The Ghanaian is not only a master of the saxophone, he has incomparable zeal and ability to rearrange songs, even those done in other genres such as R’n’B, soul and reggae into a different form of jazz that is totally different from what people are used to getting from the likes of Earl Klugh and George Benson.
Imagine hits such as Beyonce’s Crazy in Love, Oleku by Ice Prince, Many Rivers to Cross by Jimmy Cliff and I Wanna Know What Love Is by Foreigner rearranged into jazz, but still not losing their original touch. That is how unique Bedi is.
With his four-member band; on keyboard, lead guitar, bass guitar and drums, Bedi unleashed a new feel of contemporary African jazz due to his freestyle approach to all the compositions.
Aside those two key strengths, his vocals are also top notch as his voice is silky and attractive, as was his dancing. Pure entertainment is what Bedi is and so the tall and slender man was all over the stage, blowing the sax with so much proving that his life depends on it, dancing as if it was a contest and then singing his lungs out.
But the night was not less of surprise as Bedi performed the traditional happy birthday song for Inkosi Yamakosi Gomani IV, who turned 19 on Saturday.
And who said kings do not dance?
The young Gomani unleashed his dance side as he swayed to Bedi’s tune. But one can hardly blame him, he is a Ngoni, a tribe that is known for its traditional dances.
While the sizable crowd continued to grow thinner by each passing moment, the more the fun begun for some until Bedi retired. But still, the about 50 patrons remaining wanted more of Bedi magic, who is the Protect the Goal Ghana ambassador.
The show was curtain-raised by Owen Mbilizi of the Jazz Cafe and proceeds from the show will go towards Protect the Goal activities in Malawi.
