aaamusic | On 13, Aug 2010

Noisettes set a foot-stomping, tongue-clicking, stage-invading tone tonight that brought the warm heart of Africa to Islington in advance of October’s vinspired Lake of Stars festival in Malawi.

In the hallowed surroundings of the Union Chapel, Noisettes frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa shimmered, strutted and swung her way through a spine-tingling set.  She opened by flinging off her shoes and closed it, clad in a gold sequinned catsuit, perched perilously atop the stone pulpit on the rose-strewn stage (Health and Safety Executive of Malawi, beware).

In between, festooned in white feathers and a covetous golden headdress, Shingai invited onstage her 16 year-old (and, you heard it here first, prodigiously talented) brother Kwayedza, to duet, Dave from The Invisibles to guest on guitar, and later, her mother, aunt and every willing audience member to join her in a riotous, African-infused encore.

Shingai revealed a personal reason for wanting to headline this year’s vinspired Lake of Stars – the band’s first ever gig in Africa. “For me, it feels like a homecoming gig because my grandmother is from Malawi, and I went to live there for a while when I was younger,” she said. “I’m really excited to play there. Sometimes it’s nice to send a message out to those kids to say that everyone deserves to hear great live music.”

vinspired Lake of Stars mixes UK and African bands and artists and tonight was no different; one of Zimbabwe’s most popular indie-pop acts – who will also be headlining at the festival – Tinashé, supported Noisettes and garnered a new crop of fans in the process. The feeling was mutual: “It was the best gig I have ever played in my entire life,” Tinashe enthused. “And I can’t wait for Lake of Stars – I’ve always wanted to play it. I sought them out, rather than the other way around, as I wanted to perform there so much.”

Tinashé also brought along some friends, including Pearl, from Pearl and the Puppets, whose acoustic Martha Wainwright-esque vocals on a cover of Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’ sent the first of many shivers down the crowd’s collective spine.

The Noisettes’ infectious, upbeat sound has successfully penetrated the British music scene with dizzying speed in the past two years. The group are fresh from their sell-out UK tour, and are renowned the world over for their explosive live shows and electrifying vocals.

Tonight was an especially inspiring gig for both the Noisettes and Tinashé, who have roots in Malawi and neighbouring Zimbabwe and will join thousands of festival-goers from all over the globe travelling to Africa this October for this year’s vinspired Lake of Stars Festival.

vinspired Lake of Stars will once again take place on the beautiful palm-fringed shores of Lake Malawi at the Sunbird Nkopola Lodge near Mangochi, from 15^th – 17^th October 2010. For more information and announcements see www.lakeofstars.org.