The stage was a strange light-grey colouration with circular elevations reminiscent of a television studio. It was only kept alive through the efforts of a pianist who ensured the sound of music remained constant, preventing the room from falling into complete silence. That night, you’d been in and out of the restaurant, trying to escape feelings of exasperation with frequent breaks in the smoking area before being forced inside for the long black dress that clung to your slim physique – completed with a golden set of hooped earrings and a golden necklace – did anything but keep you warm. Returning to the table, his presence only rehashed the unresolved feelings of incompatibility that plagued your increasingly complicated relationship. You could only watch as he drowned his sorrows with glasses of wine – the consequences of which you’d have to deal with later that night.
An unexpected silence fell across the room as the pianist exited the stage, indicating something was about to happen. The room went dark, with the table lamps serving as the only light source. Despite this, the stage remained almost invisible. The sound of footsteps broke the silence, and you were able to isolate three individual men – the band - from the darkness, but besides their figure, they remained largely indistinguishable. One by one they were introduced, each individual given their moment to shine under isolated golden hues which complemented their dark-skin complexions before they were forced into the background as the room’s lighting took on a more wintry, grey tone. Their entrance was met with a small round of applause from the crowd until they asked for quiet. Then came the sound of more cautious footsteps. Immediately, you could tell it was a woman. As she climbed the steps towards the centre of the stage and your eyes adjusted, you could make out a slim female figure standing behind a vintage-style microphone. Your heart quickened with excitement at what was about to come.
She didn’t introduce herself, or the band members leaving the audience confused. However you were staring in complete awe at her outfit. She wore a jet-black dress in a style reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, completed with small hooped earrings and a dazzling arrangement of silver chains. To the rest of the audience, her glistening chains seemed to defy the room’s drab lighting. You thought that too but you also felt like it was a part of the show and could sense she had wanted it this way. But at that moment all you could think about was that dress, the jewellery that accompanied it and the beauty of the person who wore it. Yet at the same time, she didn’t need to be extravagant to make her presence felt. She could simply be her.
Over the next hour, you would be drawn in by her opening scat vocals and mesmerised by her playful hip-hop cadences. Her lyrics on sinful desire, the sweetness of love and the misery of its unexpected blueness would help to lift the heaviness that lay in your heart that night. She would conclude the show with confessional words dedicated to the heart of another soul; and whilst she sang those words you and your husband's eyes would meet for more than an instant for the first time that night. But now, in this moment of silence, all you could do was stare in astonishment as she broke her silence and introduced herself alongside smooth jazz instrumentalism with a melancholic “hmm, hmmm, hmmmm. Hmmm, hmmm, hmmmm….”
Notes
This story was inspired by Amel Larrieux's song “Sweet Misery” and the music video that accompanied it. The song was released as the second single from her debut studio album, Infinite Possibilities, released in February 2000.
I looovvee this album!