I must have been the only person in the UK who didn’t know that there was a Walk of Fame in Camden, where have I been?! David Bowie, Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin have all been acknowledged on those North London pavements.
This year‘s inductees included Ali Campbell from UB40, Gordon Mac, Founder of the original KISS FM and now CEO of MiSoul Radio and amongst others Eddy Grant of the Equals and Caribbean Music Producer.
Another group to be honoured were Shalamar: Carolyn Griffey, Jeffrey Daniel, and Howard Hewett. What a day, what a ceremony. The sun was beaming, the streets of Camden were thriving and you could slice the love in the air with a knife – it was awesome.
Carolyn Griffey replaced Jody Watley in Shalamar which seems apt because she is the daughter of the legendary Dick Griffey, founder of Solar Records who the group were signed to. Dick also worked with Don Cornelius, creator of TV show Soul Train which is where Jeffrey Daniel and Jodie Watley were dancers. There are just some things that are meant to be, they’re aligned, it’s a full circle experience.
Shalamar so deserve this honour, they are still filling venues, headlining festivals and are more than welcome every year in the UK, in fact if they didn’t come there would be mayhem. As well as performing as a collective, Howard Hewett has his annual London Jazz Cafe intimate evening, Jeffrey Daniel hosts his annual Shake Down, and Carolyn…well we just go to the theatre and get our nails done!
Their energy is addictive, their music is timeless and they carry an essence of love through their music. Take That To The Bank, Make That Move, Friends, Second Time Around, A Night To Remember, and my personal favourite Sweeter As The Days Go By.
Shalamar are unique in that they have become a boundless musical experience, feeding mature fans, and opening up their music to new fans. It always amazes me that Night To Remember on Top Of The Pops was talked about continuously and it wasn’t even at a time when VCRs were at their height, Jeffrey Daniel didn’t say a word he just danced, body popped and moonwalked.
CONGRATULATIONS Shalamar. Embrace your star on the Camden Music Walk of Fame. You deserve it…. and more
