Avani
Avani first began singing in her teens with a local South London band, but after a couple of years the band broke up.
But during the band’s short career one of the people who had seen them and been impressed by her vocal ability and stage presence was UK manager Tony Hall.
Tony’s track record in introducing new UK black music stars is second to none – in the Seventies he guided the career of the Real Thing, in the Eighties he managed Loose Ends, and in the Nineties he handled the career of Lynden David Hall
When Avani walked back into Tony’s office and played him some of her newly written solo material, he was convinced he had found one more extraordinary new artist to add to the UK urban roll of honour.
Her voice is unlike any other vocalist around, whether from the UK or US. She has the sheer vocal power to attack a song like “Don’t U Worry” – the opening track of her debut Dome album – then conjures up a totally different, subtle mood on the intimate soulful ballad “Best Friend’s Lover”, with its tale of a love triangle.
When Tony, together with co-manager Paul Johnson – once a Sony-signed soul singer himself, and more recently the manager of Shaun Escoffery - took Avani’s music to Dome, it took barely one play of the demo versions of these two songs for label head Peter Robinson to agree to sign her.
Dome has its own track record of introducing notable female vocalists, and Avani follows in the footsteps of the likes of Beverley Knight and Hil St Soul.
She has co-written all but one of the songs on her album “The Real Thing”. The album’s producer, Shaun Stanley of Tek Dis Productions, co-wrote 10 of them, one was co-written and produced by Don E, and one is a cover of a Loose Ends song “Watching You” – a US No 1 R&B hit in the Eighties - with guest vocals from fellow Dome artist Rahsaan Patterson and Carl McIntosh of Loose Ends.
As a break from working in the studio on her own album, Avani has appeared several times on stage with Carl at Loose Ends revival shows, singing the songs made famous by original vocalist Jane Eugene. Says Avani: “I love all those songs anyway – and it’s been a real thrill working on stage with Carl. And now, to have him singing on my album, it’s incredible.”
Rahsaan became an instant admirer of Avani’s when he heard her sing, and since he has always been a huge Loose Ends fan, he could not resist duetting on the track.
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