The document provides a music review of south London-based artist Stavia's new album "The Way You Are". It summarizes that she draws from her folk roots in Kenya but also mixes in soft rock tones. While her vocals are likened to Tori Amos and Kate Bush, the review finds that her voice may not have enough power to compete with other female artists today. It also includes a short interview with Stavia where she discusses her musical influences, the music scene in south London, and experiences as a band.

1. Sutton Guardian Newspaper, Scene Leisure Pages<br />Music Review – Stavia<br />With her distinctive voice and style, south London-based Stavia manages to fill your head with catchy tunes and rhythmic beats in her new album The Way You Are, writes Samantha Hunter.<br />The first track, Over Now, leaps into the air and poses a good beginning to this composition of musical blends.<br />Brought up in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley and introduced to music by Franciscan nuns, Stavia has transferred her folk roots to her music but has also managed to mix soft rock tones into most of the songs, creating a cocktail of melodic rock tracks.<br />It’s easy to hear the African force behind her upbringing manifest itself in her style. This is particularly evident with the tribal, slightly exotic sounds that unfold in Missing You.<br />The backing music for All I Want could easily be mistaken for a Bob Marley song, but Stavia makes this reggae background her own by adding twists and unique turns.<br />Right Now, by far the album’s best track, emphasises her strong piano playing, while her lyrics display emotion and tenderness, which perfectly compliment her band – Grant Jamieson and Tim Hamill on guitars, Rob Fergus-Smith on drums, Andy Coughlan on bass and Nigel Hopkins on keyboard.<br />Stavia’s well-pronounced vocals are a mixture of Tori Amos and Kate Bush but, despite managing to grasp a musical and lyrical blend in her songs, her voice is not powerful enough to contend with the competition already out there. Although you can see her heartfelt passion, Stavia’s downfall lies in her voice not possessing that certain edge to compete with today’s female vocalists.<br />Short interview with Stavia<br />What are your positive and negative musical influences?<br />Positive: Nina Simone, Paul Simon, Crash Test Dummies, Prefab Sprout (especially liked by our guitarist) and, dare I admit it, early Bee Gees. Plus Chopin and Bach, Taarab music from the east African coast – fantastic rhythms and interesting scale structures.<br />Negative: Any form of TV spoon-fed pop, reality groups and boy/girl bands, etc. Ugh!<br />Describe the current music scene in south London and how easy or difficult is it for a new band to succeed?<br />A few reasonable places for gigging bands to play are King’s Head in Fulham, Halfmoon in Putney, and the Putney Arts Centre for the slightly more organised evening. Unfortunately, a lot of the live music venues are suffering because of the pressures to be karaoke bars or cover band venues. Any new, original band also suffers the problem of ‘door split’ entry systems – they are expected to play for nothing unless they can attract a sufficient crowd, a bit of a catch-22 sometimes.<br />Waterman’s Art Centre used to operate a lunchtime live band programme for new and established artists but has recently turned to almost exclusively Asian music. The Bull’s Head in Barnes is great for live jazz groups. Despite the limitations, the pop-rock venues we do have in south London tend to have a great atmosphere and good sound.<br />What are your worst and best experiences as a band?<br />Best experience so far was realising that our music is appreciated by people other than our close friends and relatives. Worst experience was at a gig – forgetting how to start the piano introduction to a song called, ironically, ‘I won’t Forget’.<br />When you become super rich and globally famous, how would you like your band to end – in a blaze of glory or a rock n roll scandal?<br />My own wish would be to end in a blaze of glory, to be remembered as a band of good friends producing great songs, great musicianship and great live performances. In reality, I think we’ll probably end up in a severe rock n roll scandal if the rest of the band has its way, basking in all excesses!<br />If your signed copy of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland and a little puppy were trapped inside a burning building, which would you save first?<br />The puppy of course!<br />