Modern soul and rhythm'n'blues have a certain respect for the tradition of quality and groove, putting the genre in good health today. The first album from Curtis Harding, aptly entitled Soul Power, announces his arrival as a flamboyant outsider in a family that includes Aloe Blacc, Mayer Hawthorne, Jamie Lidell, Myron & E, Nicole Willis, Lady, Nick Waterhouse, Raphael Saadiq and Alice Russell, among others. Hailing from Atlanta, Harding has appeared as a vocalist for rapper Cee-Lo Green and is close to Cole Alexander from the Black Lips. He makes his entrance on the scene as a solo artist with swaggering confidence, switching effortlessly between tender love ballads and up-tempo southern soul-funk. Even with his melting pot of influences, Curtis Harding manages to assert his own originality with his unique voice, which harks back to the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Shuggie Otis and Willie Hutch. He never allows his influences to drag him into pastiche, however, as he also draws on rap, country, soul, blue and a thousand other genres; he is well aware of where he came from, and equally aware of where he is heading. Adding a touch of glamour to the album is Heidi Slimane, stylist at Yves Saint Laurent, who photographed Harding for the album's sleeve. Below, we talk to the genre-spanning artist, who is almost certainly here to stay.
Curtis Harding : interview vidéo Qobuz
QobuzOriginal article by MARC ZISMAN Translation by RACHEL HARPOLE