This summer, Sabrina Starke doesn’t have to travel far because she lives around the corner from the festival in Rotterdam. And yet the Paramaribo-born singer-songwriter and producer has a long journey behind her. In recent years, with her powerful melodious voice, Starke has established herself as a top Dutch soul singer. She has won two Edison Awards, the same number of Radio 6 Soul & Jazz Awards, released her debut album Yellow Brick Road (2008) on the prestigious Blue Note label, and last year she performed a tribute to her idol Nina Simone with the 17-piece Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. That tribute was received so well that it will be repeated at the end of this year. But her influences also come from much further afield. Starke’s interpretations of soul, folk, hip hop, and blues have a contemporary sound that impresses once again on her sixth and latest studio album, Underneath The Surface.
