Sunjay - Willoughby Village Hall, Sat 11th May 2019
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SUNJAY. Singer. Guitarist. Songwriter. Performer. Bluesman. Entertainer.
- BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards Nominee 2012
- Winner of the Wath Festival Young Performers Award 2012
- British Blues Awards Nominee 2014
Sunjay is pretty much the antithesis of your typical denim clad disheveled folk and blues musician. From his perfectly groomed hair to his spotlessly shining winkle picker boots he walks onto the stage every inch the "city slicker". When Sunjay starts to sing and play the guitar however, you are transported to a world where blues and country music meld seamlessly amidst humid mangrove swamps and red neck barbecues. Sunjay is, without doubt, the real deal.
Drawing from a rich, musical and cultural background it is hardly surprising that Sunjay has quickly become recognised as one of the UK's rising stars. His performances have been described as "mature & confident", while his guitar playing has been hailed as "superb, brilliant, experienced, intricate & faultless". Sunjay's style has that natural drift between folk and blues and both camps have recognised his obvious flair. There have been a clutch of award nominations, including winning the Wath Festival Young Performers Award. He also made the final selection for the BBC's Young Folk Award in 2012, had three nominations at the Exposure Music Awards 2014 and was also recognised by the 2014 British Blues Awards.
Sunjay has in every sense, grown up in public, having performed regularly to ever increasing audiences from the age of seven. Now, still only in his mid-twenties, Sunjay has become a master guitarist, who has crafted his show to perfection. He also has an encyclopedic knowledge of his music, and a wicked sense of humour.
An evening with Sunjay is an evening of exquisite blues, country and folk music combined with a master class in guitar playing interspersed with hilarious anecdotes.
2019 sees Sunjay release a brand new album, ‘Devil Came Calling', his first to include original material in four years. The new record showcases Sunjay's trademark blues with a modern day twist. Recorded near his hometown, Stourbridge in the West Midlands, ‘Devil Came Calling' features longtime producer and multi instrumentalist Eddy Morton, drummer Darren Barnes, bassist Ian Jennings (Tom Jones, Van Morrison, Jeff Beck), Pete Bond playing piano and Lee Southall on harmonica. Special guests include fiddler Katriona Gilmore (Gilmore & Roberts, Albion Band), Dan Walsh (Urban Folk Quartet) on banjo and Charlie Barker singing backing vocals.
UPCOMING EVENT
- Saturday 11th May, Willoughby Society, Willoughby Village Hall, Willoughby, Rugby, CV21 8BG.
Doors: 19:00 Tickets: TBC. Contact: 01788 891898
VIDEO LINKS
- Sunjay - GHOST TRAIN (Music Video)
- Sunjay - BBC INTRODUCING SESSION
- Sunjay - SAILING TO PHILADELPHIA (Live at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre)
PRESS QUOTES
Praise for the eponymous album ‘Sunjay'
* * * * - Maverick
* * * * - The Scotsman
* * * - The Telegraph
* * * - R2
- 'Sunjay is very much the man of the moment. Not so much the flavour of the month as the flavour of the year.' - Living Tradition
- 'A very accomplished & dynamic guitarist, with a mature stage presence and echoes of a young Ralph McTell.' - R2
- 'Already creating a stir with talents way beyond his years. A really soothing, natural sound and most definitely destined for bigger things.' - Maverick
- "One of the best young pickers and singers around." - Mike Harding
- 'Maturity beyond his 20 years.' - fRoots
- 'A great voice.' - Blues Matters
- 'Deft finger picking and sonorous vocals.' - Acoustic Magazine
- 'One of the UK's finest young Blues stars.' - Iain Anderson, BBC Radio Scotland