Fantastic Negrito-Oxford Art Factory
14 April 2019
Fantastic Negrito lived up to his name when he performed at the OAF to an almost full house this past Sunday. Soul, funk and spiced with some blues, Negrito is a unique talent with a voice that speaks about life and rebirth and hope and fear.
“When you listen to Negrito, you’re invited to hear the story of life after destruction. For anyone who ever felt like it was over yet hoped it wasn’t, this is your music.”
Grizlee Train from the Central Coast of NSW warmed up the stage and crowd before Negrito. Brandon Dodd is a clever and playful guitarist and paired with the beats of Josh Dufficy on drums/harmonica they make enough noise to fill the room. The 2 piece were able to get quite a bit of boogie/interpretative dancing happening within the first two songs. Very well done and straight to the point!
Fantastic Negrito, know to his family as Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, comes from a large (one of 16 kids) Somali Muslim family. Growing up fast in Oakland, he had street issues, music success, near-death experiences and one damn big rebirth as this Negrito character. At 51, this persona appears to be a channel for the true soul and mind of the artist. Read the back story on the internet and you may understand what I am getting at when I talk about who he is today.
Really though, check out his last 2 releases and enjoy the songs. The Last Days Of Oakland (2016) and Please Don’t Be Dead (2018), both released on Black Ball Universe, will get you to the consciousness and soul of Negrito and what he is trying to say.
Fear may be present in his lyrics, darkness may shadow some moments, but you can feel the hope, and the joy that being alive can bring us all. One million dollars may not have brought him all that he wanted, but he seems to be loving his truth now.