Don-e

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Last Show: Sunday 12 th March 2023

PizzaExpress Live (Holborn)

UK soul man, who first hit the charts with his debut album 'Unbreakable' featuring the Top 20 hit 'Love Makes The World Go Round'. Several albums followed including 'Try This' and 'Natural' showcasing his maturing singer/songwriting skills and featuring guests D’Angelo, Mutya Buena and Omar. Now a UK soul institution in his own right, Don-e has written, produced and played for legends such as Beverly Knight, Mica Paris, Junior Giscombe, Omar, Lauren Hill, Paulo Nuttini and Brian Eno, whilst more recently touring with Grace Jones. Don’t miss his return to PizzaExpress Live.

From the time Don-E landed on the 4th & Broadway recording platform in 1992, a “Little Star” was born and destined to become engulfed in the musical arena, where he still is relevant with his own unique brand of “Ragga Funk”. Like many other gifted individuals coming from a stringent gospel background with his father being a pastor, Don-E was secretly  absorbing plenty of the secular music which would shape his musical inner-vision and mind. These influences included Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Dennis Brown ,Sugar Minot and a local sound system Dread Diamonds. Like another one man band musical genius Prince, Don-E is a multi instrumentalist as showcased, on his debut album “Unbreakable” practically playing every instrument. “Love Makes The World Go Round” was a top 20 hit and inspired Prince Markie Dee’s “Typical Reasons(Swing My Way)”, with “Unbreakable” and “Mystery” causing plenty of ripples and waves in the world music aquarium . His diversity has linked him with producer Ron Tom and pop female groups All Saint’s and The Sugar Babes he’s also collaborated with Don Black and Brian Eno, Don-E has supported R Kelly and James Brown, co written a track with D’Angelo ,had a top 5 uk hit with Blonde “I’m all cried out” as a writer and is also part of Grace Jones’s regular touring band. He is the catalyst for the new resurgence created in the recognition for the UK soul ambassadors The British Collective alongside, Omar, Leee John, Noel McKoy and Junior Giscombe. His last album for Dome, Little Star, in 2013 was a long awaited and well received one with lots of grown and sex-e smooth grooves with ooze. Don-E loves being creative in the studio and the preludes to this album “Future Rare Grooves 1 and 2 and The Lost Tapes ” with no plugging machine behind it ,sold very well independently, with it’s lovers rock, street jazz soul edge for those who love the “Big people tingz”. with a Marvin Gaye “Lets Get It On” flavour as Don-E breaths his zephyr like falsetto and varied goal octaves. His latest release, the EP 'Unbreakable 2' came out on Valentine's Day in 2021.

www.don-e.co.uk