CultureMix celebrates the life of Bill Withers on the first anniversary of his passing with a medley of his famous songs performed by RASPO Steel Orchestra, The Reading Reggae Collective and guest artistes.
With the music arrangement by Grammy award winning producer and bass player Don Chandler the film captures the joy of Bill Withers’s music and the energy CultureMix Arts exudes through its work.
The American singer songwriter was well known for hits such as ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ and ‘Grandma’s Hands’.
In this video ‘Lean on Me’, Just the Two of Us’ and ‘Lovely Day’ sum up the spirit of the current times as we emerge from the 2021 global pandemic lockdown and look forward to a future of freedom, good health and mental wellbeing.
Mostly recorded on mobile phones at home, the twenty-one artistes include reggae singer songwriter Jnr Watson, Jajii and Jamah from pop band L2R, vocalist Daniel, and guitarist Derick Andrews.
Further vocal contributions come from Reading Reggae Collective singers Kisha and Yvonne with a debut introduction to Lea as a solo vocalist, along with rising young talent Augusto singing on Lovely Day.
As one of the UK’s top steel bands Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra showcases pan players Abi, Anisha, Annie (with Reuben), Aynsley, Dudrey, Emma, Jamah, Kisha, Lauren, Lea, Mary, Nathifa, Paul, and Tim.
Distant Mix is a project set up at the start of the pandemic in April 2020 to maintain connections between CultureMix Arts musicians and artistes.
The Bill Withers tribute is the fourth video in the Distant Mix series and the first for 2021. It is available on YouTube channel CultureMix Arts TV.
Release date 30 March 2021.
