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Nope, this isn’t the Fantasia you watched as a kid with Mickey Mouse in the wizard’s hat. This is Fantasia Barrino, the diva with the unique soulful voice who performed for the first time in the UK last week.
Fantasia came from a much bigger stage than the one she was performing on for 2,500 people that night; she was the winner of the third season of American Idol, inspiring millions as a single mother who grew up in poverty in the Carolinas. True to her religious background, her gospel roots shone through, along with a firm grasp of modern R’n’B and a passion for classics. Since winning she has performed in concerts honouring greats such as Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle, and has been nominated for eight Grammys.
So what was her British debut like? For starters, I thought I was the only ‘Tasia fan in the UK – not so. The venue was packed with passionate fans, desperate to catch a glimpse of her after two strained hours of warm-up acts (to be fair, the MC was a joker). When she finally graced the stage, she looked every bit the superstar; hair sleeked back, sky-high stilettos, wearing a figure-hugging dress and several bulky necklaces. But my love for her is due to her performance philosophy: ‘get ugly’. It’s not about appearances, but about the soul you invest. This became clear within minutes as she stripped off her heels and necklaces, throwing them carelessly to the floor and letting the music envelope her. Before long, she was dripping in sweat and tears and her dress was barely clinging to her. We were all in for something special.
Her set list was a fusion of everything from rock (she opened with ‘We Are the Champions’) to blues (‘Tell Me Something Good’) to funk (paying homage to Prince via ‘Kiss’ and ‘Purple Rain’). If anything, she may have not given her own material enough credit, not singing two of her most recognisable singles ‘I Believe’ and ‘Bore Me (Yawn)’, whose absence was noted by the yelled requests of her fans. However, she wisely sung ‘Summertime’, the song from Idol which arguably won her the show.
A slightly anarchic moment occurred when she stepped off the stage to sing in the middle of the audience, meaning half the public (including me) couldn’t see her. What ensued was a shouting match which ruined the spirited atmosphere that had been built up. Still, her energy came from being close to her fans, and when she found out we weren’t 100% satisfied at the end of her set, she stepped right back on the stage to dedicate a few songs just to us.
If anything, seeing her live was like a religious experience; people were on their feet all night praising this phenomenal artist. The aside she took for a few minutes to sing ‘Thank the Lord’ just for being there was so moving that it would have had the harshest non-believer in tears. And her freestyling dedication to London (‘nothing can be sweeter than to be right here in London’) was the perfect way to communicate her tremendous appreciation to her British fans and the opportunity she had to be there.
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