Christmas Soul Night

At KOKO this Christmas we present another fantastic evening of legendary soul music that is guaranteed to get the everyone dancing!

The evening features champions of disco and soul, Odyssey, who will be performing their classic hits such as “Native New Yorker”, “Use It Up and Wear It Out”, “Looking For A Way Out”, “Inside Out” and “Going Back To My Roots”.

We are also in for a treat with the superb vocal talents of former Incognito lead singers, Tony Momrelle and Imaani performing some of their smash hits and classic soul numbers. Also supporting we have the amazing front woman of Jules Holland and his Orchestra, Louise Marshall and the 80 strong power house London Soul Choir. The evening will also be backed by the pro Christmas Soul Night 12 piece house band.

The evening is a fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support and Teenage Cancer Trust and we will be taking donations and having a silent raffle on the night. We are grateful for the sponsorship of the event by Borough Engineering Services, allowing all ticket sales and proceeds on the night to go to the charities.

If you like soul music, 10th December at KOKO promises to be the best party you will have for a good cause this Christmas!

KOKO Entrance Policies - Please note the following -

KOKO will not accept anyone under the age of 14. General age restriction is 14+ (Anyone under the age of 16 to be accompanied by an adult).

KOKO has limited space for accessibility. Accessibility tickets are only purchasable through the KOKO website and once these tickets have been sold, we cannot accept any further accessibility requests. If you require Accessibility tickets and these are no longer available, please do not purchase a GA ticket and expect to be accommodated as these will be refused. This is a strict policy to make sure the venue is safe for all customers.

For further information please see https://www.koko.co.uk/faqs and if you have any questions regarding accessibility contact [email protected]

ARTISTS

Odyssey

THE GLORY DAYS of top vocal group Odyssey, one of the most successful soul/disco acts of the 70’s and 80’s had them scoring several Top Ten hits in Britain and throughout the world. From their debut album emerged their first smash single – “Native New Yorker”, an international hit late in 1977. A couple of years later, the group cut their “Hang Together” album. It contained the massive hit “Use It Up and Wear It Out”, while the flipside, “Don’t Tell Me, Tell Her” received major airplay on US Black Radio. In the UK, “Use It Up” shot to the top ten, followed by “If You’re Looking for a Way Out”, “Inside Out”, and the Lamont Dozier classic “Going Back To My Roots”, among others.

The group actually started out being billed as The Lopez Sisters when there were three of them: Lillian, Louise, and Carmen. An agent spotted them at a concert and booked them for a five month European tour. When they returned to the States, Carmen left the trio to marry, but Lillian and Louise resolved to continue, and so recruited Tony Reynolds as a replacement. Additionally, Lillian’s eldest son, Steven Collazo had become part of Odyssey behind the scenes - recording as a background vocalist, journeyman session musician and musical director for their live performances and tours.

Performing around the UK, Europe and the Middle East through the 80s and into the 90s, the journey continued. In 1994, Steven moved up to co-front the group while appearing with Lillian on television, touring the arenas, and festivals throughout the UK and Europe. Steven now continues his mother's legacy, taking the “odyssey” forward alongside the superb vocals of Romina Johnson (known for her own success with producer Artful Dodger on the hit single "Movin Too Fast") and Jerdene Wilson.

With their potent blend of infectious melodies and immaculate grooves that helped define the era disco and soul around the world, Odyssey still never fail to have concert halls and dancefloors jumping with energy and singing along, wherever they perform.

Tony Momrelle

Dubbed - 'The 21st century Stevie Wonder' by Paul Morley of The Guardian and with a music career spanning 20+ years, Tony Momrelle has played with some of the greatest artists in the world: Incognito, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Janet, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Sade, Gary Barlow, Andrea Bocelli, Gwen Stefani, Robert Palmer, Gospel music group Seven and many more.

Tony was lead male vocalist of the famous British Acid-jazz band Incognito for more than sixteen years before launching his solo career in 2015 with his acclaimed debut album 'Keep Pushing', an authentic and thoroughly contemporary interpretation of what British soul music means today. His later studio album ‘Best Is Yet To Come’ released in 2019 is arguably Tony’s finest album to date, truly demonstrating his exceptional prowess as a songwriter, as well as showcasing the outstanding vocal ability for which he is widely known.

Tony has toured world-wide, playing to sold-out audiences at venues and festivals in the UK, Australia, Italy, Germany, Russia, France, Indonesia and many more. On home soil, he has dazzled audiences on the BBC One show ‘Later with Jools Holland’, with the Guy Barker Orchestra and Big Band for BBC Radio 2 and at the EFG London Jazz Festival and Cheltenham Jazz Festival for several years running.

Imaani

A terrific singer in the Soul/R&B tradition, Imaani first came to prominence as the UK’s 1998 entrant to the Eurovision Song contest where her track "Where Are You" was a runaway winner with the British public. A powerful and charismatic vocalist, she has since performed around the world in numerous prestigious venues such as: Tokyo’s famous Blue Note club, Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival and New York’s The Filmore with artists including: Chaka Khan, Nile Rodgers, Maceo Parker, Philip Bailey, Jimmy Cliff, UB40, Gloria Gaynor, Incognito, Betty Wright, Mica Paris, Anastasia, Stephen Marley, Julian Marley, Carleen Anderson and Leon Ware and Aswad.

Imaani is well known for featuring with the celebrated Jazz funk band, Incognito with whom she has toured with prolifically for many years. As a recording artist, Imaani’s success spans across genre’s featuring on no less than twelve of Incognito’s albums and on albums from Urban Species, Reel People and Down to the Bone making her a long-standing favourite with the fans. Her debut solo album 'Standing Tall' has been met with critical acclaim and she also has a stellar House Music catalogue under her belt with several Traxsource number 1s including the self-penned ‘Live without love’ and the glowing ‘Found my light’, not to mention a long-standing collaboration with the DJ/producer outfit Copyright.

As well as enjoying an extensive and varied career, Imaani maintains her first love, performing live and through vocal performances described as 'effortless', she is able to take the audience on a journey with her. Dubbed “One of the most wonderful and memorable voices...” by the legendary Bluey, Imaani promises beautiful soulful melodies, and a distinctly British sound.

Louise Marshall

Louise Clare Marshall has been a musical ingénue since her childhood. Having studied piano at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, her sonic skills span across many genres: Jazz, Pop, R&B, Electronic, Classical and Gospel music. She is currently well known as featured singer with BBC’s Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, and also on the massive hit summer single of 2022 ‘Afraid to Feel’ by LF System.

An accomplished artist, Louise has worked with: Beverley Knight, David Gilmour, Michael Ball, Marti Pellow, Chris Difford, Robbie Williams, Bryan Ferry, Ronnie Wood, Van Morrison, Eric Stewart, Madeline Bell, Sheila Ferguson, Sam Brown, Russell Watson, Steve Winwood, Paul Young, Don Blackman, Solomon Burke, Karl Jenkins and John Rutter, to name but a few.

A fabulous pianist, songwriter and choral director, Louise is in high demand for her masterclasses in singing and performance. However, whether performing on the BBC’s massive Hootnanny new year celebration with Jools, with Roxy Music playing piano or with The BBC Big Band singing Ella Fitzgerald or Aretha Franklin’s American Songbook, Louise’s musical talents and sublime vocals always touch her audiences and leave them wanting more.

London Soul Choir

Launched back in 2010 with just 4 people, and now with over 130 members, London Soul Choir is a combination of London’s best soul choir groups who come together to perform the best in classic and modern soul music. A powerhouse of sound, the choir have now performed at some famous venues and events including: Underbelly and Blackheath festivals and the Royal Festival Hall. The choir is professionally led and never fails to engage and impress their audiences everywhere with their infectious grooves and wall of joyous sound, performing great numbers from original RnB artists of the 60s right through to modern Soul and pop classics.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

KOKO, 1a Camden High Street, London, United Kingdom