This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk celebrates the undeniable legacy of BET. Like the network that put Black artistry first, these sets reflect the essence of Black music.
Floetry made its way "from London's SE5 to Philly's west side just to bring the vibe" to the Tiny Desk. And with the poetic flows of Natalie Stewart (aka The Floacist) and a rich, floating soprano from Marsha Ambrosius (aka The Songstress), the vibe in our space was immaculate.
This duo has known and made music with each other since youth — it's a sisterhood that doesn't diminish through the ebbs and flows of life. They began their musical journey together in London and found themselves embedded in Philadelphia's rich music scene, building a catalog of soulful R&B projects that charmed audiences.
Floetry took a moment from its first tour in a decade to stop by the Tiny Desk. The duo starts their set with "Big Ben," a callback to their U.K. origins. "Butterflies," co-written by Ambrosius and Andre Harris — and famously performed by Michael Jackson — is mesmerizing as Ambrosius' voice flutters. Situated in the middle of the set are the sensual "Say Yes" and "Getting Late," songs that steam up any environment, causing the pair to joke it might be too early in the day for them. There's a palpable joy and playfulness in the little moments between songs; that joy spills over to the audience, who excitedly sing along. Floetry closes with its debut single, "Floetic," taking the audience back to the 20-somethings who announced their arrival onto the R&B landscape.
SET LIST
- "Big Ben"
- "SupaStar"
- "Butterflies"
- "Say Yes"
- "Getting Late"
- "Floetic"
MUSICIANS
- Marsha Ambrosius: vocals:
- Natalie Stewart: vocals
- E. Will: keys, music director
- Steven Johnson: keys
- Shago Elizondo: guitar
- Mykal Curtis: bass
- Nigel Lawrence: percussion
- Darryl Staves Jr.: drums
- DJ Aktive: DJ
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Mitra I. Arthur
- Director: Kara Frame
- Audio Engineer/Mix: Josephine Nyounai
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Video Editor: Maia Stern
- Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern
- Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro
- Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Michael Zamora
- Tiny Desk Team: Josh Newell, Felix Contreras
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
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