Robert in the Sky with Diamond songs

Robert Carvalho is an extremely talented vocalist and multi instrumentalist based in Birmingham. Collaboration is a strong feature of his work, taking his smooth tenor across the range of soul, jazz, hip hop, afro beat, afro Brazilian and reggae, even club territory but always retaining its purity and originality.

Carvalho will be releasing his album “Watermelon Smiles” in May 2017. The promo track ‘I Was Standing’ (tribute to Martin Luther King) has received a fantastic response in the UK and in New York. Carvalho has further collaborated with SA producer Dominque on a track called ‘I Wanna Go Back’
His soul New Promo Traxsource Release Date: 27th December 2016 rest of the stores: 10th Jan 2017.

Tour and Gig details soon

Opencity: You have an interesting link with Nottingham, I hear.

Robert C Yes! When I was developing my sound I used to record at CRS recording studios at Lowdham St, Nottingham NG3 2DP. Trevor Rose and Nick Stez are doing some great things in Notts, I believe they run this studio.

Opencity: You’re not wrong there! I think that the brilliance of music is one reason why Prince Harry is a patron. He paid his fifth visit to the studios on October 26th this year. Trevor and Harry are old mates now!

Prince Harry and Trevor Rose Picture courtesy of The Daily Mail 

Here’s the Nottingham Post:

‘At about 3pm, Prince Harry arrived at his ‘favourite’ Nottingham city spot, the Russell Youth Club in St Ann’s, where members of the Full Effect project – a joint venture between Community Recording Studios and Epic Partners – meet.
The young royal was greeted by Trevor Rose, Head of Community Recording Studios, who has met Prince Harry many times.

Mr Rose, who has been involved with Full Effect since it was launched in 2013, said he was ‘really excited to have the prince visit again’ (and) ‘to show him the progress that had been made’.

opencity: Robert, You’re based in Birmingham. How has the city influenced your musical outlook?

Robert: Being here in Birmingham has influenced me immensely, why? Birmingham has a wealth of sounds and some great musicians. From reggae to bhangra and everything in between. You can hear this on my track Folks my soul influence combined with the amazing tabla player Mendhi

opencity: What/who are your stongest musical influences?

Robert: Reggae: Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, I like the new artists like Chronixx and Jah9 out of JA, Soul n funk wise : Stevie Wonder, Bilal, Omar,  Erykah Badu, Meshell Ndegeocello  -Jazz wise: Miles Davis, Pat Metheny  Kamasi Washington; I’m also partial to a bit of Radiohead.

My tastes are broad: when I’m composing and performing though, I’m working as me!

opencity: What inspired you to write Soul New? This is a great question.

Robert: We’re living in a time where we’re all inundated with issues. I needed to write something uplifting for everyone to hear. If the world needs love it’s right now.

Opencity: Do you think music can be used to bring about social change?

Robert: Yes; it creates awareness. From this it inspires, provokes conversation stimulates personal reflection and change. It’s good for the individual, how we relate to others too. Hopefully it can lead to social change; we need it!

opencity: Music wise what’s next?

Robert: Soul New release date is Dec 27th 2016 via traxsource, then available on digital outlets on Jan 10th 2017 . I’ll be finishing my follow up album Watermelon Smiles for release mid to late 2017. The Plan is to launch the album and then to tour.

opencity: All the things you know to be true? (on iTunes) was released after the success (19,000 downloads  of Nutty Nys’s remix of Loving U in South Africa). The track Dub Plate reached no 6 of the best ever top 20 voted by the public via British Black Music Month (June 2014), charts hosted by Sound Fusion Radio.

http://www.soundfusionradio.net

All The Things You know To Be True is an album of love, rejection and hope with a background of social comment.

Carvalho’s liquid brown sound moves between the deeply soulful and heartfelt Lovesong bringing humour, catchy line, soulful grooves and acerbic comment, (Electric Cotton and Du ET), through rich texture, (Beware and Baby K) building rhythm and crescendo that is finally life affirming and sweet.
On this album Robert has worked with grammy nominated Paul Horton as well as US as well as  DC (Du ET) and Norwegian based producer Henrik Berhane (Feels Good).
His song Sweet Ebony (collaboration with BSC was released 15th August on Grooveland as a part of their compilation 10 years of Soulful House. 
“Soul New” is one of the tracks ready for Digital release via Itunes, Spotify.
Dreamy musical textures, including flute played by the man himself.
An extended mix is available by Producer Promised Heights. Venturing into Club territory but always maintaining the essence of Carvalho’s originality.