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Having been
exposed to a
range of music
genres as a
child, ranging
from 60s and 70s
Motown and Stax
records, to
Chicago Blues,
and being
encouraged by
her father to
start gigging
the local pub
circuit whilst
still in her
early teens, it
was clear to see
that Dani Wilde
was already well
on her way to
becoming
somewhat of a
special talent.
When asked what
made Dani decide
to become a
blues singer she
replied “Well,
when I was 14, I
went to
Bishopstock
Blues Festival
in the UK and
that was where I
saw the likes of
contemporary
blues singers
Sue Foley,
Shemekia
Copeland and
Susan Tedeschi
perform. Before
then I had only
heard the old
Chicago players
like John Lee
and Muddy
Waters, but to
see young female
artists playing
the blues like
that really blew
me away and so I
made it my
mission to
follow in Susan
Tedeschi’s
footsteps. Her
performance was
inspirational
and had a life
changing effect
on me in regards
to my music
career.”
Dani's first
break came when
she was asked to
sing backing
vocals for
famous 1960s
British folk
singer Maddie
Prior. Maddie
was so impressed
by Dani’s
soulful voice
that she asked
Dani to support
her at a British
theatre date.
The concert sold
out and the
audience was
more than
impressed by
Dani's
passionate vocal
delivery and
finger picking
blues guitar
style.
2003 saw Dani
arrive in
Brighton, UK,
where she spent
four years
establishing
herself in the
South of England
and work towards
a BA degree with
honors. Within
her first year
there, Dani
played larger
venues including
The Komedia and
Concorde 2 and
by 2004, Dani's
success had
further
increased,
headlining at
the Brighton
Live Festival,
giving regular
live performance
and interviews
on BBC Radio
Stations and
rave reviews
from national
press.
While Dani was
studying for her
Music Degree,
she established
a charity
project raising
money for County
Primary School
in Embu, Kenya.
By hosting
regular concerts
in the South of
England, Dani
raised enough
money to provide
the
underprivileged
school with
music education
facilities
(treble, descant
and tenor
recorders to
form a large
recorder group,
other musical
instruments and
music books) and
also to renovate
two dilapidated
classrooms. This
fundraising
project is
ongoing and Dani
hopes to visit
Kenya again to
teach at the
school and
perform a
community
concert. For
more information
on the project
please take a
look at
www.myspace.com/embuprimaryschool
2006 saw Dani
along with her
younger brother
Will “Harmonica”
Wilde and the
band playing
some great
concerts
including The
Royal Albert
Hall, supporting
Jools Holland
and Vibes in The
Vines Festival
with Gary Moore.
In September
2007, Dani’s
dream came true
when she signed
a record deal
with Ruf
Records. The
following year,
she toured
Europe on The
Blues Caravan
Tour with fellow
Ruf artists
Candye Kane and
Deborah Coleman,
which resulted
in a live album
released late
that year on Ruf
titled
Blues Caravan:
Guitars &
Feathers.
Her debut solo
album,
Heal My Blues,
was
produced by Mike
Griot and Thomas
Ruf and recorded
in Germany. Dani
wrote 8 of the
11 songs on
Heal My Blues,
adding her
unique stamp on
three cover
tunes: Motown
songwriter
Norman
Whitfield’s’
“I’m Going
Down,” the
Junior Wells
romp, “Little by
Little” and the
John Lee Hooker
classic, “In the
Mood.”
"She releases a
sort of diesel
roar from her
throat, pierced
with little
darts of high
falsetto. It is
like two voices.
She sings the
old twelve bar
blues "I'm In
The Mood",
whooping and
slurring like an
old boy from the
Delta. The place
goes mad, as if
it can't quite
believe what
it's heard."
ALAN FRANKS,
The Times
Magazine.
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