WIARD FM

When WIARD FM heard that Donaeo was in the area we jumped at the opportunity to interview the talented UKG artist. As we hit the streets of the Nottingham and asked people what they thought about the singer behind “Devil in a blue dress”, and his other music, many people were unfamiliar with him. So. Who is Donaeo?

To many, London based singer/song writer Donaeo (real name *Steven Bredren) may not be well known, and may even appear to be new to the music scene. However his smooth vocals; with a raw edge of sexy huskiness, have been around for many years producing music for the underground scene. UK Garage fans may recognise Donaeo from an earlier hit “my philosophy (Bounce)”, but apart from a few production credits not much has been seen or heard from the one time MC. Donaeo has reinvented himself by dropping the MC, and laying his own R&B vocals over dance (funky house) music. Donaeo’s recent hits include club bangers such as “Devil in a blue dress” and “African Warrior”; songs for both men and women to enjoy. And “Could It Be” a more slow and seductive track guaranteed to have any lady weak at the knees.

If the Londoner’s R&B vocals had to be compared to anyone, in my opinion it would have to be the raspy tones of John Legend. However by laying R&B vocals over UKG, a lethal combination sure to get people dancing, Donaeo has once again tapped into the conscience of the UK music scene. Since Donaeo oozes so much talent, it remains a mystery as to why he has only released songs on vinyl, instead breaking into the charts with his infectious melodies.

The meaning behind the name Donaeo is “Gift from God”, so you would think with a chosen alter-ego as this, he would be arrogant and egotistic. However when I got the chance to meet Donaeo after his live performance at the Coco Lounge in Nottingham (hosted by Urban Promotions), he was quite the opposite. He was laid back and humble, yet had an air of mystery about him. It could be said that his name reflects his talent as he has this in abundance; producing, writing and singing his own material. If you have not heard of Donaeo already, you are missing out on good, all round UK talent.

On the night, this opportunistic WIARD FM journalist arranged an interview with the singer after his live performance at the I Luv Funky event in Nottingham’s Coco Lounge. When we spotted Donaeo he was on the dance floor by the DJ booth. Wearing a blue t-shirt and hoody under a black leather jacket with jeans, he was being approached by the club revellers, and humbly taking pictures with them. Donaeo was more than willing to give an interview and when asked, his exact words were “Why not?” As we walked down the street outside the club, our old school method of interviewing (via a mobile phone recorder!) did not faze Donaeo. The ice was broken by saying that I expected a lot more ladies in the club wearing a blue dress: “I guess no-one wanted to be the devil in Donaeo’s life” where my exact words. This made Donaeo chuckle, leading us on to the rest of the interview:

Interview

What’s the song “Devil in a Blue Dress about?

The song is about, basically meeting a girl in a club. You kinda know she’s trouble and your trying to stay away from her, the problem is you find her attractive and she finds you attractive and even more you try and get away from here, the more she comes at you type of thing. So that’s why she’s a devil in a blue dress.

Is the song drawn from a personal experience, an actual girl in a blue dress?

Yeh, a couple, I don’t know where the blue dress came from, the song just came, it wasn’t like an autobiographical song. But I have had cases, where a situation like that has occurred, you know.

Do you write your own material or…?

Nah. I produce, and write, sing all my stuff, myself.

Is Donaeo single or has a lady in his life? For all the single ladies out there…

Do you know what, when it comes to those things like that, I kinda keep myself to myself.. You know and don’t really kinda expose what’s going on in my private life. I just kinda keep it music.

How long have you been singing and who are your inspirations?

I’ve been singing since I’ve been six and my inspirations has come from as far as like Kool Moe Dee, to Dem Two, to  Kriss Kross (remember them?), to Jay-Z, D’Angelo, to Neptunes, it kinda goes that far.

What genre do you class yourself as? With your RnB vocals over dance and bassline beats?

Well at the moment I’m really heavily influenced by dance music. So I make Drum and Bass, or House, or Electro, or Garage, or Grime, Whatever kinda hits my fancy. I find that I’m very, very, into the Dance type of thing, but I would do Hip-Hop and RnB, and Bashment and other things, coz I love those music as well. But at this current moment in my life, I’ve been doing Dance music for about ten years.

What do you think of the UK music scene?

I think it’s excellent, especially now more than ever, like there’s so many different types of genres. Like if someone doesn’t like Garage, they don’t have to do Garage, they can blow and do Hip-Hop and RnB. Or if someone don’t like doing that, they can blow in doing House, or so many different things to choose from, you can, you don’t have to be forced to do something you don’t wanna do. You can choose where you wanna sit at and roll with it.

What artist do you think we should look out for in the future from the,U.K scene, or any favourites?

Well there’s a producer out there called BANTON, made a track called “Sirens”. Like him, he’s, one of my favourite producers. And Crazy Cousins they’re like really heavy. And then there’s this female artist called ABENOWA. She an excellent singer like and the tunes that she makes are just banging, Banging, BANGING!!

Has she released anything?

Nah, she’s like an underground soul singer, you know what I mean, but she’s gonna be coming through BIG, so watch out for that.

What’s in store for Donaeo in 2009?

Boy, I’m, gonna be releasing my Album, “Devil in a blue dress” next year. And gonna do a video for “African Warrior”. And then we’re just gonna try and move on and up. You know.

What’s the concept behind “African Warrior”?

Yeh, see in the song for “African Warrior”, its more like urm, watcha call it, an empowerment tune, innit. It’s like you gotta get up and do what you need. If you’re an African warrior, you can get up and move and you know follow your dreams and work hard and through whatever obstacles you can come through to follow your dreams.

Have you drawn on your personal experience when writing African Warrior?

Yeh, I don’t stop really, I always… I think in life, once you learn that, you know, there’s no such thing as failure, there’s only such things as success. And, as long as you can learn from your mistakes that you make, you’ll eventually succeed. So you always gotta, when you fall down, pick yourself up, brush yourself off and move forward, innit?

At the end of the interview I thought Donaeo was so impressive, so cool and level headed. Not only can the boy sing but he’s got manners of a gentleman. I’m truly a bigger fan after meeting him. So watch out for Donaeo in 2009 because he’s going to blow everyone away.

Kizzie Amor

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