Love Shared with Mama Kin
Words and Photos: Kate Scantleton
Friday February 12, 2010
It isn’t often that we see bands that truly seem as though the music runs through their veins. Mama Kin and her band proved to be one of these lucky few tonight, allowing us to participate in the cleansing ritual of her set. The hot and steamy Zoo was the best place for this ritual to take place; the modesty and welcoming nature of the venue sincerely complimented the sounds and love that was being shared amongst performers and audience.
Mama Kin and her band are such a modest, courteous and joyous trio – it was abundantly clear that they love what they’re doing and the buzz of making success out of art is really making them happy. And the crowd reflected this, loving every moment of the set. 
If you haven’t heard of Mama Kin yet, her music is soulful; a mixture of slow and fast jazzy-blues, each song with a sweet underlying story and moral. Her voice is heavenly and meaningful – it comes from hard times and experiences that have led her to being the artist she is today. Accompanied by some delightfully precious melodies on keys and funky drum beats, the trio are certainly a force to be reckoned with.
The music itself is complex, yet made for easy listening. Busting out with the well-circulated single Tore My Heart Out and a number of very danceable bluesy tunes, the set was full of ups and downs including sing-a-longs, a Capella tunes and much dancing both on and off-stage, so there was plenty to keep everyone on their toes.
Currently touring, the band have already sold out their Sydney show and are spreading their love all the way down the east coast, stopping off at the Gold Coast and Mullumbimby on their way back north. With mentionable track records of wonderous sets (tonight inclusive!) such as Woodford Folk Festival earlier in the year, Mama Kin is definitely on the way up in the blues, roots and folk scene in Oz. You can check out the band’s tour dates and blog here.