Thu 1/21 @ 9PM
Young Cleveland soul singer Durand Bernarr could very well be on a path to success.
As the 27-year-old’s bio puts it, “Music is in his DNA.” His father is a singer and sound engineer who has worked with artists like Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston and Earth Wind and Fire; his mother is a vocal coach and music teacher.
Bernarr himself has been performing onstage at Karamu since he was a child. He’s got the kind of ingratiatingly silky tenor that blends the influences of dozens of singers who preceded him into something original.
He’s been touring as a backup singer for neo-soul queen Erykah Badu while finding time to write, he claims, more than 500 songs. He’s got three independently releases albums to his credit: his 2009 debut Alcoholharmony: The MixT@pe, the 2010 EP 8ight: The Stepson of Erykah Badu, which caught the ear of Badu and landed him the gig in her band, and 2011’s Sometime in December, 1987. He’s got a ton of songs posted on YouTube so he’s not shy about sharing his music with the world.
He’ll be back in town for his first local performance in a year as the featured performer at this month’s Lyrical Rhythms at the Grog Shop, performing with the Empire Band. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.