Don’t even know where to start. Having been at this magic festival since the very 1^st edition and this being the last one, in the stunning Adriatic surroundings, it is quite emotional to get my mind back there and put into words something that is quite indescribable.

I knew it was going to be special, but it was it was epic instead, in every single way. 1 week sharing the best quality Music on the planet, with so many friends, who in fact I call Family, beautiful smiles all around, is something I am truly grateful for. Instead of being sad about this being the last one, we were all committed to having the happiest time. And damn, we had it! And this time we were a crew of 12 Portuguese House warriors.

Hard to choose the highlights, there were so many. From the Body & Soul night in Barbarellas to the Chicago Chosen Few DJs Boat Party, many best ever moments occurred. At the stunning Beach Stage taken by the UK’s finest DJs Neil Pierce, The Journey Men. The Djoon crew Sunday all day. The Olive Grove with DJ Spen and Dawn Tallman live. The mighty Chicago’s Chosen Few night with special guest Kenny Dope. The Cabeau Afro Cruise, with Manoo. Osunlade who took us on a music journey ever ascending into Afro-house heaven. Dancing in the moonlight… Sarah Main glamour in Barbarellas, Quentin Harris US sounds. Young Pulse disco heaven in Olive Grove, that closed with Rich Medina and a brilliant live appearance from Children of Zeus. The Beach Stage on Tuesday with our Portuguese Djane M.Dusa and closing with Jovonn and the legendary Tony Humpries…

The usual massive festival line up matches the best dancefloor crowd, creating the perfect connection. The music quality alongside that atmosphere, the energy and passion for the Music is just breathtaking. Plus, the official SUNcéBeat dancers, always moving around each stage, taking that dancefloors vibe to another level.

Whatever comes next, the Magic will surely happen again. In the meantime, the mighty Southport Weekender will take place in March and will bring us all together again under one House. Can’t wait.

*Photos by Colin Williams

+info:
www.suncebeat.com

Patrícia Raimundo | Soulful Chic Radio Public Relations – Portugal

O conteúdo SUNcéBeat 2023 (20th – 26th July) 14th edition | Croatia | by Patricia Raimundo aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

Soul Fusion, the renowned Soulfully Deep and Underground House Music events based in Birmingham (UK), has hosted underground music events to discerning House Heads for 14 years now, was back in Portugal, for its 2^ndedition, which can only be described as an epic success.

Attending from across the world and united as one family, house heads from USA, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Costa Rica, UK and of course, Portugal, experienced those Soul Fusion “VIBES” under our glorious Portuguese sun, with all the splendor and beauty that Algarve has to offer.

THE VIBE

7 days within luxurious venues, stunning surroundings with miles & miles of beautiful scenery, were the perfect combination of partying and relaxation allowing plenty of time to soak up the sunshine, culture, food and cocktails between events.  As well as dancing the time away to top quality house music, delivered by quality DJs to generate BIG VIBES.

THE DJs

Soul Fusion has built an unrivalled reputation for House music that is reaching out across the globe. The vibes generated on the events in Portugal were on a whole different level every single day. Day & Night. Soul Fusion pride themselves on delivering great underground soulfully influenced house music with a personal touch, played on quality sound systems, to a discerning mature crowd, ensuring atmospheric, friendly, party atmosphere for the raving elite.

THE PARTIES

Soul Fusion hosted All night Parties, Cliff Top Parties, Pool Parties, All day Parties, Beach Parties, BBQ’s, Sunset Cruise Boat Parties and Various Club Events and throughout the week the crowd whipped up into a frenzy by quality DJs playing Deep & Soulful House Music.

With a world class lineup, counting with performances from THE RESIDENTS:  MR. KJ, BROTHER JAMES and our Portuguese house king CARLOS VARGAS. THE GREAT BRITISH ENSEMBLE: CJ MACKINTOSH, BOOKER T, ATJAZZ, CRACKAZAT, GROOVE ASSASSIN, SEAN MCCABE, ZIGGY FUNK, BABS PRESENTS, THE JOURNEY MEN, MIKE MILLRAIN, WEZ WHYNT, JUS NEIL, BARNEY B. INTERNATIONAL DJs: FRANKIE FELICIANO, CRAIG SMITH, SEBB JUNIOR, JIHAD MUHAMMAD, RALF GUM. FOUNDATION DJs: GAVIN PETERS, PATRICK SMOOVE, DARYL B, DJ NIBBSY, SHAUN HAZE, CAROLINE DE SYKES, LORD BYRON, THE CHOC-L@T CREW, DJ R.C.A., MS KG, MARTIN BLAIZE, and our Portuguese house queen M.DUSA.

THE FEEDBACK

Soulful Chic was there and we’ve just had a blast! Couldn’t ask for more quality Music and the atmosphere and energy felt around was simply incredible, shared by the friendliest party people and real connoisseurs of the Music we feel for. We absolutely cannot wait to have you back, Soulfusion!

 Anthony Daly – awesome settings 💗 great tunes, wonderful people from all over the world, I would strongly suggest to anyone to add this to their holidays every year. Big thanks to KJ & his crew for a beautiful week in the sun. 🔈🔥

Kevin Grandison – I’ve spoken to & met many people this last week… everybody I’ve spoken to has got high praise for the event. It seems as though you, KJ Johnson, have really struck a chord, an uplifting happy vibe for so many people. Many have said it that no other event compares to it…so congrats on a big achievement 🙌👏 Well organized, with the hard-working team, varied, flexible locations and sets and artists/DJs. You even managed to sort the weather for the WHOLE week… I’m not a ‘House Head’, but I think anybody who hasn’t been to this event yet, should defo put it on their list to consider for next year🙌👌

Shaun Hayes – Finally back in the room after an epic week at Soul Fusion – Deep In The Algarve.
Maximum love and respect to KJ, Dee and the team for a truly amazing week  👏🏻❤👏🏻❤
The energy the Fusioneers created in the room at my set Wednesday night at Nosolo is something ill never forget!! WOW what a dancefloor 👏🏻👏🏻👌🏻👌🏻❤

Peter Ibrahim – Wow! What. A. Week!! I’ve had the most amazing time at Soul Fusion – DEEP IN THE ALGARVE 2023 and don’t think I’ve ever danced so much in my life. It’s by far the best party holiday I’ve been on! The music, venues and weather have been on point from start to finish and can’t wait to do it all over again in 2024! Thank you, KJ Johnson and everyone who has worked tirelessly to put this special event together and to all the DJ’s who played for us. It was great to see old friends again and meet new ones as well as make memories that will last a lifetime! I’m still buzzing! 🔥❤️🇵🇹👊🏽

Ashleigh West – It was ridiculously good ❤️

THE PHOTOS
Beautifully captured by Jansch Greatrix

+info:
https://deepinthealgarve.com

Patrícia Raimundo | Soulful Chic Radio Public Relations – Portugal

O conteúdo SOUL FUSION DEEP IN THE ALGARVE 2023 (28th April – 5th May) | Portugal | by Patricia Raimundo aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

Such a fabulous artist and human being, Nicole as touched us with her radiant and contagious smile. She always embraced us from the first note and made us dance, cry, laugh and sing along every time we had her on the microphone!

We had the pleasure to have her joining us on Soulful Chic Radio 1^st Anniversary here in Portugal. Every single soul in there, who never seen her performing, fell absolutely in love and got hooked to her range of power and that unique sound of her own.

Nicole was recording soul and house music in the U.K., Switzerland, Chicago, Portugal and South Africa and was releasing songs since 2010 what took her to the top 100 on the house music charts 4 times. Her single “Missing You” with our dear Carlos Vargas was voted one of the top 100 songs of 2011 in Portugal.

Today our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
Rest in paradise, Nicole. You will be missed, but never forgotten…

Patricia Raimundo | Soulful Chic Public Relations – Portugal

O conteúdo Rest in paradise, Nicole Mitchell. You will be missed, but never forgotten… aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

Guests: Dave Mayer, Carlos Vargas feat. Danny Live PA, Rui Mimoso, Miro Veiga, Nuno Cunho

O conteúdo 3rd Anniversary event | Blanc (Portugal) aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

The whole point of digital music is the risk-free grazing”

Cory Doctorow, Canadian journalist and co-editor and of the off-beat blog Boing Boing, is an activist in favor of liberalizing copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. Doctorow and others continue to write prolifically about the apocalyptic changes facing Intellectual Property in general and the music industry in specific.

In this article, we will explore the cataclysm facing U.S. industry through the portal example of the music industry, a simple industry in comparison to those of automotive or energy. However, in the simplicity of this example we may uncover some lessons that apply to all industries.

In his web-article, “The Inevitable March of Recorded Music Towards Free,” Michael Arrington tells us that music CD sales continue to plummet alarmingly. “Artists like Prince and Nine Inch Nails are flouting their labels and either giving music away or telling their fans to steal it… Radiohead, which is no longer controlled by their label, Capitol Records, put their new digital album on sale on the Internet for whatever price people want to pay for it.” As many others have iterated in recent years, Arrington reminds us that unless effective legal, technical, or other artificial impediments to production can be created, “simple economic theory dictates that the price of music [must] fall to zero as more ‘competitors’ (in this case, listeners who copy) enter the market.”

Unless sovereign governments that subscribe to the Universal Copyright Convention take drastic measures, such as the proposed mandatory music tax to prop up the industry, there virtually exist no economic or legal barriers to keep the price of recorded music from falling toward zero. In response, artists and labels will probably return to focusing on other revenue streams that can, and will, be exploited. Specifically, these include live music, merchandise, and limited edition physical copies of their music.

According to author Stephen J. Dubner, “The smartest thing about the Rolling Stones under Jagger’s leadership is the band’s workmanlike, corporate approach to touring. The economics of pop music include two main revenue streams: record sales and touring profits. Record sales are a) unpredictable; and b) divided up among many parties. If you learn how to tour efficiently, meanwhile, the profits–including not only ticket sales but also corporate sponsorship, t-shirt sales, etc.,–can be staggering. You can essentially control how much you earn by adding more dates, whereas it’s hard to control how many records you sell.” (“Mick Jagger, Profit Maximizer,” Freakonomics Blog, 26 July 2007).

In order to get a handle on the problems brought about by digital media in the music industry, we turn to the data most relied upon by the industry. This data comes through Neilsen SoundScan which operates a system for collecting information and tracking sales. Most relevant to the topic of this column, SoundScan provides the official method for tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. The company collects data on a weekly basis and makes it available every Wednesday to subscribers from all facets of the music industry. These include executives of record companies, publishing firms, music retailers, independent promoters, film entertainment producers and distributors, and artist management companies. Because SoundScan provides the sales data used by Billboard, the leading trade magazine, for the creation of its music charts, this role effectively makes SoundScan the official source of sales records in the music industry.

Quo vadis? According to Neilsen Soundscan, “In a fragmented media world where technology is reshaping consumer habits, music continues to be the soundtrack of our daily lives. According to Music 360 2014, Nielsen’s third annual in-depth study of the tastes, habits and preferences of U.S. music listeners, 93% of the country’s population listens to music, spending more than 25 hours each week tuning into their favorite tunes.”

For most Americans, music is the top form of entertainment. In a 2014 survey, 75% of respondents stated that they actively chose to listen to music over other media entertainment. Music is part of our lives throughout all times of the day. One fourth of music listening takes place while driving or riding in vehicles. Another 15% of our weekly music time takes place at work or while doing household chores.

It has become no surprise over the past five years that CD sales have diminished while download listening and sales have increased. Bob Runett of Poynter Online comments, “Start waving the cigarette lighters and swaying side to side–the love affair between music fans and their cell phones is getting more intense. Phones with music capabilities will account for 54 percent of handset sales globally in five years, according to a report consulting firm Strategy Analytics Inc. The report suggests that we keep watching the growth of cellular music decks (CMDs), devices that deliver excellent sound quality and focus on music more than images.” (“A Few Notes About Music and Convergence,” 25 November 2014)

Stephen J. Dubner summed up the mess quite well almost a decade ago. “It strikes me as ironic that a new technology (digital music) may have accidentally forced record labels to abandon the status quo (releasing albums) and return to the past (selling singles). I sometimes think that the biggest mistake the record industry ever made was abandoning the pop single in the first place. Customers were forced to buy albums to get the one or two songs they loved; how many albums can you say that you truly love, or love even 50% of the songs–10? 20? But now the people have spoken: they want one song at a time, digitally please, maybe even free.” (“What’s the Future of the Music Industry? A Freakonomics Quorum,” 20 September 2007).

Like many of us, I (Dr. Sase) also have worked as a musician/producer/engineer/indie label owner releasing esoterica since the 1960s. While occasionally made an adequate living off my music, I also developed my talents as an economist, earning a doctorate in that field. Therefore, I comment from this dual perspective of an economist/musician.

The post-future, as many music pundits call it, does not really differ that much from the past. How and why folks obtain their music continues to reflect at least three related decision drivers. We can summarize the three most relevant as 1) Content, 2) Durability, and 3) Time-Cost. Let us explain further.

1) Content

When I started to record music in the early 1960s, the market was filled with “one-hit wonders.” It was the age of AM (amplitude modulation), DJ radio. It was also the age of the 45 RPM record with the hit on the A Side and usually some filler cut on the B Side. It was not uncommon for anyone with a 2-track reel-to-reel to “download” the one hit desired from their favorite radio station. There were few groups that offered entire twelve-inch LPs with mostly great songs. The first such LP that I purchased was Meet the Beatles by those four lads from Liverpool.

During the late 1960s, the industry turned more to “Greatest Hit” collections by groups that had previously turned out a string of AM hits and to “concept” albums. During this golden age of LP sales, the Beatles, the Stones, the Grateful Dead, Yes, King Crimson, and numerous other groups released albums filled with solid content. Bottom line: consumers don’t mind paying for product if they feel that they are receiving value.

2) Durability

Why would someone buy a twelve-inch LP when they could borrow a copy and tape record the songs to a reel-to-reel or, later on, to a compact cassette? The answers at that time were simple. First, it was “cool” to have a great album collection, especially one that a member of the opposite gender could thumb through in one’s dorm room. Let us simply say that one’s album collection could inform another party about one’s tastes and possible sub-culture and personality. Therefore, an attractive collection provided a certain degree of social currency. Might this account for the resurgence of
vinyl in recent years?

The second part of the equation came in the form of actual product durability. Like current downloads, self-recorded reel-to-reel and cassette tapes generally suffered from some loss of fidelity in the transition. More importantly, the integrity and permanence of the media also left something to be desired. Thirty to forty years ago, tape would flake, break, and tangle around the capston. Unless one backed up their collection to a second-generation tape, many of one’s favorite tunes could be lost.

Today, computer hard drives crash. Without the expense of an additional hard drive and the time involved to make the transfer, the same durability issues ensue. What about CDs? As most of us who use CD-Rs for multiple purposes know, the technology that instantly burns an image leaves a product that remains more delicate and subject to damage in comparison to a commercially fabricated CD, stamped from a metal master. Will the Internet clouds provide the same level of comfort for music producers and listeners? We will just have to wait and see.

3) Time-Cost

This third element basically reflects the old “tape is running/time-is-money” economic argument and may explain why younger music-listeners prefer to download songs either legally or illegally. It echoes the same economics that led listeners in the 1960s to record their favorite hits off of the radio. The substance of the argument has to do with how an individual values his/her time. If music-lovers works for a low hourly wage (or often no income at all), they will value the time spent downloading, backing up, and transferring cuts in terms of what they could be earning during the same time.

Let us consider the following example. Assuming that twelve downloads or a comparable CD costs $12.00, a baby-sitter earning $6 per hour could afford to spend as much as two hours of time ripping music to achieve the same value. However, someone with a skilled trade or a college degree may be earning $24.00 or more per hour. Spending more than one half hour at ripping would exceed the value derived. The counter-argument of the time-cost of travelling to a brick-and-mortar music store gets offset by a person’s ability to log-on to Amazon or elsewhere in less than a minute and possibly receive free shipping. The market will always change as the primary market demographic ages. It happened with the Baby-Boomers of the 1960s and 1970s and it will happen with Generation X, Y and Z in the current century.

The bottom line of all of this debate rests in the fact that a consumer will choose the mode of deliverable that optimizes his/her bundle of values. This bundle includes quality and quantity of content, durability, and time-cost effectiveness. These remain the lessons that music makers and music deliverers must understand to survive. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

“When I’m drivin’ in my car, And that man comes on the radio, He’s tellin’ me more and more, About some useless information, Supposed to fire my imagination, I can’t get no, oh no, no, no.” -Michael Philip Jagger, British Economist, London School of Economics

In conclusion, we recognize that certain values motivate consumers as well as businesses. These values include content, durability, and time cost. It does not matter whether the good or service under consideration exists in the form of real, personal, or intellectual property. The premise remains the same for making music, building automobiles, teaching economics, and providing legal services.

The British economist Adam Smith summarized this phenomenon 229 years ago in his concept of an invisible hand at work in the marketplace. In effect, markets work because all market participants seek to optimize their own self interests. As long as both parties involved in a transaction perceive that they will emerge better off after consummating the transaction, they will participate. If one (or both parties) does not share this perception, no music, automobile, education, nor legal services will change hands. In effect, the market fails to produce a satisfactory outcome.

Meanwhile, this week, Leon Bridges and John Mayer have released an intriguing, addictive one-off duet. “Inside Friend,” the result of an impromptu jam session between the two musicians, is a reminder of how versatile both of these guys are. Instrumentally, it’s an easygoing retro soul ballad pierced through with digital bass bombs and trap drum programming, topped off with some spicy lead guitar from Mayer. There are vocal moments that remind me of both Anderson .Paak and D’Angelo. I’ve already gone back and played it several times and it’s not getting old.

“Inside Friend,” as you might have guessed, is about domestic romance. The song is peppered with lyrics about yoga pants, sliding across the kitchen floor, and the unglamorous intimacy that can only come from hanging out at home. Bridges and Mayer recorded it a while back but only decided to finish it recently, given the circumstances that have kept most people stuck at in their domiciles lately. Here’s how Bridges explains it:

The concept for “Inside Friend” came about from Mayer and I joking around in the studio about what an ideal date for an introvert or homebody like myself would be. I tour most of the year, so I’d rather invite a gal over to lounge comfortably in the crib as opposed to go out somewhere crowded. “Inside Friend” stayed on the back burner for a while because it didn’t fit within the context of my third project, but the current state we’re in globally compelled us to dig this back up and finish it. I hope people find it soothing and uplifting while we hole up indoors and get through this.

Listen below.

O conteúdo Leon Bridges joins forces with John Mayer to raise money for MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

Live Performances: Nicole Mitchell

Guest Deejays: Steven Stone, Carlos Vargas, Ivu, Miro Veiga, Defsoul, Pedro Neves.

Main Sponsors: Roberto Cavalli Vodka, Caves da Montanha, Carlsberg, Lipton, Sumos B!

Partners: ICONES, Liquid Consulting, Bomcar, mvm Tv, Hotel Infante Sagres, Gabba Performance, Mundo dos Fatos, Cutty Sark, Red Bull, Soc. Com. C. Santos, Óptica Boavista, Rotas do Mundo, Momentos & Emoções.

O conteúdo 1rst Anniversary Event by Roberto Cavalli | Rivoli (Portugal) aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

FOR THE PROMOTERS
IPM is the perfect place to meet, exchange experiences and case histories of success, and discuss how to detect the weak signals of the future.

FOR THE COMPANIES
IPM means having the opportunity to do business and showcases while enjoying the beauty of the Roman summer, filled up with lots of workshops.

FOR THE ARTISTS
A market where the artists can show off their talents in front of some of the best international promoters and music lovers in the world.

FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC
IPM is an occasion to have fun in unique locations where artists and promoters bring state of the art music innovations, which are some of the results of the conference’s rich program.”

Indeed for me, as a promoter, my 1st IPM experience was the perfect place to meet, exchange experiences and case histories of success and also to spend a great time with so many good friends of mine, listening at the same time such Quality House Music. I feel blessed!

I arrived in Rome on Thursday but, unfortunately, I missed the Conference and some events because I also wanted to visit the city. My 1st time in Rome. Wow, what a beautiful city!

IPM kick off for me was @ The Radio Londra party. Where I met my UDM Show family, my friends from London… Martin Lodge who played such a beautiful soulful set (as usual), my friends Luis Radio and Alessio Fabrizi – the IPM headman himself – and Mr. Aaron Ross, in person, finally.
Here we had the pleasure to listen our sweet Kenny Bobien aka The king of Gospel, who just blew my mind, once again, with some of his amazing songs.

Then, Saturday afternoon – let’s check the program and the lineup and here we go to … IPM The Beach Session @ La Rambla. And what a sunshiny happy day it was! 30 something degrees, dancing with your feet on the sand, so many good friends and smiley faces. On the decks, Aaron Ross, Souldynamic, Mr. V, Tony Humphries… dropping beautiful tunes, classics and new ones, with vocals, instrumental, Soulful, Deep and Old school ones… until the sun goes down. What else can I ask for?

… Ok, let’s go now and have some typical Italian dinner. With a proper expresso in the end, because next step is IPM Promoters Festival!!
What an amazing venue. With Room 26 inside!! Great sets from Mark Stone, Lil Stevie, Mr. Terry Hunter… Barbara Tucker, Natasha Watts Live. Fabulous night! Big fun!

Next day was the big day! Now I know why they call it The Legendary Rome Pool Party!
I woke up listening the music from the pool and obviously I jumped off the bed, bikini on and knock at my friends rooms!!! Good morning sunshine!
Risk Sound System was playing. 1st time I listened to them live and became a big fan! I missed your set in SUNcéBeat (Southport Weekender) but I will definitely see you guys in October @ ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event)!
Sy Sez, Neil Pearce, Luis Radio, Kenny Bobien (again) and Spen in the end just Killed It. “People were dancing… there was a feeling!” Joyful moment when he dropped “Off the Wall” – Michael Jackson and many more beautiful tunes…

Great memories now, captured by lovely photos and videos. Good times to remember.
IPM 2014 bring it on!!

Love and Respect to Alessio Fabrizi, to Luis Radio, to my brother Claudio Verzola, Veronica and Dyana and to all my friends who made me dance and smile over this amazing weekend!

Patricia Raimundo | Soulful Chic Public Relations – Portugal

+info:

www.ipmrome.com

IPM – International Promoters Meeting “Diary” by Patricia Raimundo – Rome, July 2013

O conteúdo IPM – International Promoters Meeting Rome “Diary” by Patricia Raimundo aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

SUNcéBEAT 4 (Southport Weekender) “Review” by Patricia Raimundo – Croatia July 2013

O conteúdo SUNcéBEAT 4 Croatia (Southport Weekender) “Review” by Patricia Raimundo aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

Have you ever imagined yourself dancing alongside one of the friendliest festival crowds around, immersed in 3 days of the best soulful music money can buy you?

An intimate crowd of dedicated dancers and discerning music lovers will be your companions at the event, which features four purpose built arenas featuring state of the art production and sound, each covering a different strand of music.

From the R&B, Soul and Hip Hop of The Funkbase and the main room dance sounds of The Powerhouse, to the soul aficionados Connossieurs’ Corner and the eclectic styles of The Beat Bar, Southport Weekender will treat you to a feast of the world’s leading DJ talent, accompanied by party starting live acts and guest PAs.

Unlike many three day events Southport Weekender provides warm, comfortable accomodation for Friday and Saturday night, in the form of self catering apartments, for each of their attendees. As this is included in the ticket price it’s a strong argument for The Weekender being the best value for money weekend event around.

Of all the attributes Southport Weekender has, The Vibe is perhaps the most special. If you took all the lighting, sound, DJs and live acts to another site, you couldn’t reproduce the vibe of the Southport Weekender. And for all that the UpNorth team does for each event, it is always the Southport family that steals the show. Musically discerning, dance floor dedicated, party mad and passionate. These are the qualities that the family has always brought to the event. Whether you are a veteran Southport visitor or one of our newest recruits, the Weekender is for you. But be prepared – if you come once, you may never miss another!”

Southport Weekender 49 was for me an amazing and unforgettable experience. As it is every year, since my very first time, 4 years ago! I feel blessed to be a part of such an incredible event of the best Soulful Music on the planet. Same way I feel blessed to belong to such a beautiful family.

So let’s go back a little in time to 10th May 2013.
We arrive in Butlins on Friday afternoon. Just checked in, left the bags in our chalet and went straight to the Sun & Moon pub.
My friends Souldynamic from Italy were playing. And what a great start, I have to say! Joyful moment when they dropped their new re-work of “Shame” – Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King. So many smiley faces. Familiar faces. Meeting again so many sweet friends from all over the world, once again, most of them, one year after…

Next to Souldynamic, our boy Mark Stone – UDM Show started to play. And what a Soulful House session it was. Best Dj set on Friday, I have to say! While dancing with my UDM family was when I’ve just realized Southport Weekender 49 – the time is now! Finally! Let’s do it!

After that we had a break for dinner and we went to The Powerhouse – The House Arena, where we stayed till midnight. The very talented Sean McCabe, one of my favorite Djs, was playing when we arrived. Then Black Coffee, for his very first time in Southport Weekender. He made us dance his Deep South African Soulful beats, followed by Stee Downes Live PA, the voice of “Want you in my Soul” from Lovebirds, one of the tunes of Southport Weekender 48.

We left the Power House and moved to Suncé Beat Dome to see Martin Lodge and then Andy Ward. Special moment, when he dropped one of my favorite tracks of the moment:”Bring me joy” – The Layabouts feat. Portia Monique. The vibe in the Dome was unbelievable. And it was supposed to be a place to chill, meet your friends and a little dance, but it turned out to be where we had the best parties.

It was then time to go to sleep. One of my Southport Weekender rules is try not to overdo myself on Friday (and I did it, this time) and save some energies for the big Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday we started the day with my friend Luis Radio set at The Sun & Moon pub. One of my favorite Dj’s since I listened to him for the first time in Southport Weekender 48. The highlight for me was when he dropped “Heaven” from Kem. Every time I listen to this song my mind goes straight back to Southport!

At 5 pm we went back to the Dome to listen my friend Lil Stevie playing. And my God, what a set! It was crowded and Stevie just blew the roof of the Suncé Beat Dome, while dropping so many powerful tunes!

We had then a break for dinner and rest a little bit and headed to the Connoisseurs Corner where we met some friends and listened to Terry Jones and one of my favorite Divas Live PA – Natasha Watts. What a beautiful Saturday night kick off. She sang stunning new songs. And I even won a CD! Yeahhh…

Then I had a look to my timetable, which I had studied for the entire week before to make sure I miss as less as possible and manage the painful clashes, and I realized it was time to go to the Power House for Adeva Live PA, Spen & Karizma and Kerri Chandler. Definitely one of the highlights of the whole weekend! Spen & Karizma one more time astounded me with their technical prowess. And it was nothing but dance, dance and dance. In the end Spen came to the stage and started singing: “we do it for the Love of House, we do it for the Love of Beats, we do it for the Love of Dance…” proving, one more time (like he did in Suncé Beat 2) that House Music is still very much alive!

I had a plan and it was to go to Connoisseurs Corner and listen a little bit of Dimitri from Paris set and his disco classic tunes (my favorite Dj set at Barbarellas in the last Suncé Beat) but I was stuck in the Power House with my friends. We were all together in there, having so much fun.
And it’s not over yet… Kerri Chandler’s set was even better. OMG! So talented he is!

OK, let’s go home now, get some sleep and… bring on the Sunday! Body&Soul, baby! “The legendary NYC Sunday afternoon party touches down at Southport for the very first time”. I was so looking forward for this. From 2 pm to 8 pm I was taken to an overwhelming musical journey. 3000 people in The Powerhouse, dancing, singing, screaming. The perfect finale. Joe Claussell, Danny Krivit & Francois Kevorkian, together in that booth just looked like a mirage… But it was real!

As if this wasn’t enough, I was one the lucky persons staying for the after parties on Sunday night and I chose The Sunday House Session in the Funkbase. Ralf Gum and Monique Bingham Live PA, who brought tears of joy to my eyes when she dropped “We had a thing”.

The end was close now and I couldn’t have asked for a better one: THE mix master himself, Mr. Grant Nelson on the decks. I’ve got no words to describe what happened in there. A massive set with classics and outstanding tunes perfectly mixed, and so much fun I had watching him playing, singing and dancing! I’m smiling right now! “Southport never fails” wrote me Grant Nelson, a few days after.

…What else can I say… I’ve just had a BLAST. As well as my Portuguese friends from our Soulful Chic Radio Station, who I took with me and I can say that, like all Southport virgins, they are hooked forever!

Southport family, I’m missing our special vibe that only we can bring. Our love, our spirit and our music devotion. I’m sad it’s gone but I’m so happy we did it.
I’m keeping that secret smile to myself and I keep remembering the moments we shared, those I don’t even try to explain to most people because they just won’t understand.

Now it’s time to think of SUNcé Beat 4, in Croatia, where the magic will live again… in the Sunshine! And after that, bring on The Big Southport Weekender 50th edition! History is being made!

A special thanks to my sweet Alex Lowes and to Dave Gardner for making our beloved Southport Weekender happens, to Gavin Kendrick, to Nick Connolly, to Kev Beadle and to all the Southport crew, to Colin Williams for making this last forever with his brilliant pictures, to my friend Valentino Legio, who showed me Southport a few years ago. Also to my UDM Show family from Switzerland, to my Italian family and to all my friends, the old and the new ones, you know who you are. I’ve got nothing but Love for you and I am missing you guys!

Artists thoughts about Southport Weekender:

Natasha Watts:
“Southport to me is the essence of house music… To perform there is a lifelong dream… and being part of the Southport family is a privilege!!!”

Luis Radio:
“Southport Weekender is something magic. UK crowd is amazing. And if you like Southport Weekender, don’t forget to check SuncéBeat in Croatia.”

“Andy Ward:
For me, Southport is one of the best musical events you could wish to experience if you love all forms of Black Music. The fact that it is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year proves there is no one better. It inspires us all. I will always be grateful for all they have helped me to achieve in my career and personal event promotions.”

Sam Divine:
“Good music, good vibe, good TIMES.”

Souldynamic:
“One of the most exciting place to perform for us, we can breathe a magical atmosphere when we get on the dj booth, people smiling and looking at you, waiting for your first record, ready to dance.
Unforgettable edition, Southport Weekender 49.”

Dave Mayer:
“A place full exceptional vibes, a gathering of music enthusiasts.”

Black Coffee:
“It was my first time at Southport Weekender and I had such an amazing time. Too bad my time there was short… Definitely wanna go back for their 50th edition”

Patricia Raimundo | Soulful Chic Public Relations – Portugal

+info:

www.southportweekenderfestival.com | www.facebook.com/groups/southportweekend

O conteúdo SOUTHPORT WEEKENDER 49 “Diary” by Patricia Raimundo aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.

Live Performances: Nicole Mitchell, Danny Live PA

Guest Deejays: Steven Stone, Carlos Vargas, Urban Soul Djs, Soulful Joao, The Deep Lover, Rui Tomé.

Main Sponsors: Roberto Cavalli Vodka, Caves da Montanha, Heineken, Lipton, Sumos B!

Partners: ICONES, Liquid Consulting, Bomcar, Tien21, Rotas do Mundo, Momentos & Emoções.

O conteúdo 1rst Anniversary Event by Roberto Cavalli | Casino Figueira (Portugal) aparece primeiro em Soulful Chic Radio | The best Deep & Soulful House Music! Keep it locked!.