From The Soul Of Dublin

By Joe Kavanagh

As we all know, there are very few guarantees in life outside death and taxes, and some of us even manage to avoid the latter, so when a business as notoriously fickle as the music industry begins to talk about a "sure thing", most people tend to pass it off as just another incidence of hype. There is perhaps no more overly used term in music than "next big thing", a phrase loved by labels and usually dreaded by the very artists it is bestowed upon, but every once in a while there is that rare artist that contains the compelling confluence of talent, charisma and panache that truly warrants such a description. For a small country like Ireland, such an artist or group may come along once in a generation if we are lucky, and, whilst we have produced our fair share of stars, names like Phil Lynott, U2 and Van Morrison are probably the only genuine musical superstars of global proportions that we have spawned over the past 50 years. Like them or loathe them, the three aforementioned names have secured their place in the music pantheon and had an effect that ensures they are present in the DNA of virtually every act that has traveled in their wake. Although she is only 20-years-old, it appears that we will soon have another name deserving of inclusion on this prestigious list, and a bone fide soul superstar in the making.

Laura Izibor was born in Dublin, the daughter of a Trinidadian father and an Irish mother, and, remarkably given the talent she now exudes, she was not particularly interested in music at all until she began taking piano lessons at 13-years-old. It was only then that the world of music opened up to her like a flower coming into full bloom, as she repeatedly asked those around her the names of the artists behind the songs she heard on the radio only to be told, "that's James Brown" or "that track was by Stevie Wonder". Almost comically, she would then go out and enthusiastically tell her more musically oriented friends: "I've heard this amazing singer called Stevie Wonder, have you ever heard of him?", only to be faced with puzzled looks or giggles. Smitten, she then immersed herself in music, absorbing every influence around her, with a particular affection for soul music and Carole King in particular, and she still cites King's seminal album, Tapestry, as being instrumental in her development as an artist. One other crucial component in her songwriting was the influence of her older sister's love of alternative music, which she passed on to her younger sibling, adding an edge to the music she would write in later years. As a person of mixed race growing up in Dublin, she almost inevitably developed a deep and abiding affinity with the music and life story of Phil Lynott, who she cites as a central influence on both her music and personality. She has even hinted in interviews that her distinctive afro hairstyle was at least in part inspired by the legendary Thin Lizzy front man.

The Irish public became aware of this precocious talent in a rather dramatic fashion, when she won radio station, 2FM's national song contest as a 15-year-old in 2003, with a composition entitled Compatible. In fact, the station was so taken with her live performance on-air that they continued to play the track in heavy rotation for months afterwards. National television station RTE even commissioned a documentary chronicling her life to this point and within days she was signed up with a manager and began gigging relentlessly throughout the island, sharpening her skills and gradually shaking off her natural shyness. The following year she made history when she became the first unreleased artist to ever be nominated for two Meteor Music Awards (Ireland's Grammys) and although she failed to win, her disappointment was washed away when she was asked to perform in several US showcases, in front of a throng of industry people intrigued by this undeniable Irish talent who was already drawing comparisons to the likes of Alicia Keys, Roberta Flack and even a young Aretha Franklin. After intense jostling between labels, she signed a US deal with Jive Records but the relationship failed and she eventually found a home with Atlantic Records, who were only too glad to take over the reigns of her career.

Throughout last year, she worked assiduously on her album, honing her songwriting and recording in such far flung places as Dublin, Philadelphia, New York and Atlanta, creating a work that insiders say is all but assured of catapulting her to international stardom. To date, the only substantial recording of her work is a five track live EP that she recorded in Dublin's intimate Crawdaddy venue, in order to, in her own words, reveal "the energy and who I'm about - I thought it was a good idea to put out to people before the gloss of the big album, a 'this is who I am right now' kind of thing." She has also, however, been in huge demand of late in Hollywoood, and her songs have been featured on movies like The Nanny Diaries and PS, I Love You, as well as featuring on TV show, Grey's Anatomy. It is a mark of her skill as a songwriter that she can actually write tracks on demand in some cases without ever sounding forced or contrived.

Although a date has yet to be fixed, music lovers will get their chance to meet this outstanding wunderkind when her self-written album, Let The Truth Be Told, emerges later this year, led off by the single, Don't Stay. Laura Izibor has all the talent in the world, and most observers say that she will eventually have that world at her feet.