Concert review: Sasha-Lee Davids Live, online 2021

Concert review: Sasha-Lee Davids Live, February 27 to March 6, 2021

In her first solo online lockdown concert, the fabulous Sasha-Lee David celebrates life, love, friends (some no longer with us), and family. She is accompanied on stage by a dream team of backing vocalists (includes sister Zoey Davids), band; brother Laurenzo Davids and singer/guitarist Amy Tjasink. I loved this concert which went out as a live stream on Saturday February 27 and is available as pay-per-view via Quicket until Sat March 6, 8pm. The concert was live streamed from The Arena, at the V&A Waterfront, with a small socially distanced audience, as per lockdown level 3 amended regulations. You may have missed the live stream but it is still there online for a week and it is must-watch concert. The lighting and sound design is great. The warmth and charisma and voice of Sasha-Lee, makes for a memorable online concert.

The playlist includes original compositions by Sasha-Lee and covers. There is a magical a capella cover of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Sasha-Lee was joint winner of Idols SA, twelve years ago and the winning voice has become richer and layered. There is the upbeat Sway – When marimba rhythms start to play…Dance with me, make me sway…Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore Hold me close, sway me more…” There is the wistful Stand by Me.  Sasha-Lee was 18 when she won Idols [joint winner, whatever, that voting kerfuffle] and at 30, the range has extended. Sasha-Lee gives a nod to her 30^th birthday which occurred late last year [2020] and which she wasn’t able to celebrate because of lockdown. She takes the opportunity to mark that birthday and to acknowledge the time frame; that she wasn’t able to party but here she is now, making music and amongst friends and family. She talks about her baby sister Zoey and brother, Laurenzo. There is no diva to this Idol.  She talks about the hope that she will find her love partner. He is somewhere out there, she muses. Here we have this superstar and she is sharing her yearning to find a significant other with her audience. I loved the cameo performance by Amy Tjasink, singing Free Bird, She relates that she was living in London and it was all so grey and then she returned home to take part in The Voice. She didn’t win but it was meant to be and maybe she will be famous like Sasha. They plan is to record Free Bird, a song that they wrote, together. I look forward to their collaboration.

I watched this concert this afternoon and then tonight, our president announced that the country will go into lockdown level 1, from midnight – Feb 28, 2021. That means an increase in attendance at indoor venues so hopefully, we will see the terrific Sasha-Lee Davids on stage soon – in a theatre – bringing us a ‘live concert’. Having said that, it is extremely challenging for producers to plan live events as Covid has shown us with the variants that popped up, just as we thought we had infection rates under control. For the foreseeable future, we are likely to see a hybrid format for concerts – in-person attendance combined with online streaming. Online streaming has come a long way in terms of presenting high quality concerts on the digital stage.  Sasha-Lee Davids Live holds its own as a beautiful concert on the digital stage. Bravo to this inspirational superstar and to producer.manager Alistair Izobell for pulling it together- gathering in sponsors and supporters. I applaud team Sasha-Lee Davids. You all rock.