Nottingham Contemporary

MELONYX

Friends first, singing duo second, soul sisters always.

Georgia Copeland and Nadia Latoya met in Nottingham as teenagers while both performing at a local community arts centre where Georgia practiced dance and Nadia focused on music. Bonding as individual artists in their own right, over time they formed a firm friendship built on encouragement and support for one another. Through providing backing vocals and arranging joint covers they joined forces to gig the Nottingham music scene; inevitably cultivating a longstanding desire to produce original music together.

United in music, the two songstresses formed MELONYX. Coming together as a multifaceted harmonic force, the pair embody contrast and compliment, ebb and flow, balance. MELONYX have performed at Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here Festival, toured with Acoustickle, received praise from Wordplay Magazine and supported events organised by soul legend Terri Walker. Harking back to their community roots, they have also given workshops aimed at getting young people involved with music and events and organised free online yoga for African and Caribbean women during lockdown.

Written and recorded with renowned UK Hip Hop producer Joe Buhdha, the forthcoming “Black Elixir” EP is the embodiment of a series of recurring conversations had between MELONYX throughout their friendship and time working together. Drawing on influences from the worlds of Hip Hop, Neo Soul and Lovers Rock, the release sheds light on the high value, power and energy of Black women.

KAT KYRRIS

Kat Kyrris is a vocalist from Notts. Like many musicians hailing from Nottingham, she studied popular music at what was then Clarendon College where her musical journey began. She started out doing backing vocals for artists such as Natalie Duncan, Indiana and more recently, Harleighblu. Alongside this, KaBen was born, an acoustic duo with Benjamin James. Together, they take songs people know and love and translate them into their own sweet and soulful style with jazz/soul/blues tones. Her Greek Cypriot background influenced her singing style early on along with her love for any music that moved her ... in her own words, “Anything done with soul, not restrictive to a particular genre.”

Since lockdown she started to learn to play the guitar and now also performs solo. Playing the guitar allowed her to start creating original material and more recently, she has been working on a project with up and coming producer, Bakes (cantstopwontstop) adding vocals to tracks that fuse hip hop with soul and jazz.

THE PAQ

THE PAQ is a Hip Hop collective starring two of the UK's most sharp and innovative rappers, Vandal Savage and Jimmy Rocket. Produced by the anticipated duo Bakes & Franky Bones, the project was inspired by some of the greatest artists known to our generation, such as A Tribe Called Quest, Thelonious Monk, J Dilla, The Alchemist and Roy Ayers. Their goal was to create a new fusion between Hip Hop, soul and live jazz, without losing the true feel of the Hip Hop we love.

JOE BUHDHA

Music Lover, Father and Liverpool fanatic. Joe Buhdha has produced for some of the biggest names in hip hop, not forgetting remixes and credits on classics still referenced today. He has produced for hip hop soul, funk, and electronic dance acts (discovering Ronika), and even Jamaican superstars like Elephant Man, Sean Paul and Luciano. His back catalogue cites collaborations with Estelle, John Legend, Talib Kweli, Masta Ace, Jurassic 5, Cut Chemist, Rodney P, Professor Green, Ian Brown, Melonyx, Harleighblu, Klashnekoff Skinnyman, Wretch 32, and the record breaking MC Supernatural.
Joe Buhdha is a versatile producer and mentor, helping the careers of Harleighblu securing her first record deal and producing her debut album Forget Me Not (Tru Thoughts); Joe has been very much involved in the recent carer of UK soul legend Terri Walker.
At time of writing Joe has an E.P with Sleaford Mods has had 3 artists (Melonyx, Shy Guy and Marita) signed to Brighton based label Tru Thoughts
Buhdha continued to craft hip hop that carried his name around the world, all the while hosting live events with acts like Rakim and even inviting young people to his studio where he would provide training and mentors.
In February 2013, Joe Buhdha launched Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, a live music event bringing the prestige of UK Takeover back into Nottingham. With long-time partner Mistajam with whom he founded SureShot Entertainment, and together they put on the hugely successful Hip Hop festivals that led to Mista Jam becoming presenter on Radio 1xtra. Artists at Can’t Stop Won’t Stop include Rakim, Mista Jam, Ghostface, KRS One, DJ Premier, Big Daddy Kane, Roy Ayers, Omar, Lonnie Liston Smith, Statik Selektah, V Rocket, Earl Gateshead of Trojan Sound, Tall Black Guy, Klashnekoff, Rob Luis (Tru Thoughts), Grandmaster Flash, Mr Thing, Hot 8 Brass Band, Jeru The Damaja and V Rocket Sound System.
Joe Buhdha also has two monthly radio shows on Soho Radio London and Mimm Radio Nottingham
Joe is also a part-time lecturer at Confetti Institute of Music (Nottingham)