Lemar: Live & Soul

The MOBO Awards are coming…

The MOBO Awards 2006 are coming. It is set to be one of the most exciting shows in its 11-year history. For the first time ever the event will be broadcast live from the Royal Albert Hall on BBC 3. The show, hosted by comedian Gina Yashere for the second year running, will take place on the 20th September. This year Lemar will be giving an exclusive performance along with some of the UK’s hottest talents Jamelia and Sway.

The big news this year is that the force of UK talent is snapping at the heels of established US artists with our megastars in the making Corrine Bailey Rae and Kano leading the field with three nominations each. This year also sees the addition of four new categories. Best UK Female and Best UK Male which have been created to highlight and focus on the wealth of talent coming out of Britain.

Aside from the music, there is also the creation of a new award titled BEMOBO. This award will go to an individual or organisation who exemplifies the MOBO social ideals of being courageous, forward thinking and active within the community. Premier global money transfer company Western Union have also signed a three-year partnership deal, which will commence with the sponsorship of this years show.

Lemar is nominated this year for Best UK Male. However, the soul singer already has a couple of MOBO’s under his belt. Last year he received the highly acclaimed MOBO award for UK Act of The Year 2005.  This years best UK Male nominations has a hip-hop dominance and the soul boy will be competing against last year’s Best Newcomer winner - Sway, Kano and newcomer Plan B along with soul singer Nate James. However, with two albums under his belt – ‘Time To Grow’ and ‘Dedicated’ – plus two Brits and over 1.5 million album sales Lemar can be reassured that his talent has earned him his place as the UK’s premiere soul singer.

Not bad for a Tottenham boy born and bred and reality TV reject. It just goes to show that talent will always shine through. His musical world is steeped in the traditions of the finest soul and R&B. But while the territory is familiar, everyone agrees that Lemar’s classic take on it sounds totally fresh. It is this classic fresh sound which means that Lemar can be enjoyed by people of all ages. "It was my tour that really brought home to me just how wide my audience is," says Lemar. "I'd look out and there'd be really young kids at the front, twenty-somethings in the middle and older people at the back waiting for me to perform 'Let's Stay Together'. It showed me it is possible to reach a wide demographic and get everyone involved."

With the MOBO performance and nomination coming up. Lemar is set to have a busy month. His third album “The Truth About Love” will be released on September 11th with a lead off single “It’s Not That Easy” released on September 4th. This time Lemar has made his album with one producer, one band, one orchestra, one horn section and one mix engineer, to create a more holistic sound. Amongst tracks on the album includes collaboration with Joss Stone ‘Anniversary’ which has the vibe of a classic ‘Atlantic’ duet. ‘Can’t You See’ a funky jam that features Styles P and Mica Paris on backing vocals;  the soulful rock undertones of ‘Beauty Queen’;  ‘Tick Tock’ – with its nod to Sam Cooke;  ‘Someone Should Tell You’ which is an emotional journey of painful angst and the heartfelt ballad ‘Can’t Live Without Each Other Love’.

Now an established artist Lemar has felt he has had more time to work on creating something he is truly happy with. “I‘ve taken my time on making this album and I think it truly represents where I am in my life.  I have put my heart and soul down into every song, and have had a great time making this record with so many talented people.”

So, if you fancy seeing Lemars' exclusive performance plus a number of other high profile international and UK artists then why not join the party at the MOBO Awards 2006 – this year is set to be bigger than ever!

MOBO Awards 2006
Royal Albert Hall
Friday 22nd September.
Ticket Information: www.mobo.com

The truth about Lemar
Full name: Lemar Obika
Date and place of birth: 04.04.78, London
First record: SWV 'Right Here', album was R Kelly 12 Play
Posters on wall as a kid: I didn't have any - it was my brother's room
First performance: My brothers and me pretending to be the Jacksons, we just made up the song and performed to my mother and my father
First professional performance: Was with Usher Raymond, at Junior Jam, at the Temple in Tottenham
Musical heroes: Marvin Gaye because 'Sexual Healing' is amazing; Michael Jackson, as an artist he's impeccable - wow!
Other influences: R Kelly as a songwriter, he's continually getting songs in the club and collaborating with different people; Jodeci because K-Ci and Jo-Jo's voices are amazing; Stevie Wonder because he's an amazing writer, ridiculously prolific; Al Green - just an amazing voice and because he came up with 'Let's Stay Together'.
Ideal duet: Alicia Keys, I've seen her perform and she was absolutely amazing.
Ultimate party tracks: Andre 3000 from Outkast. It's mad, it's funny.
Ultimate chillout tracks: I like Coldplay tracks: 'Clocks'.
Other interests: My favourite book is One Flew Over The Cuckoo Nest; I love Scarface and I used to watch EastEnders, though it's been a while since I've caught up.
Motto: Try, try and try again.