The arrival of Soul Mama, on the ground floor of Stratford’s imposing Gantry Hotel, is all kinds of exciting. It’s London’s newest live music venue, debuting at a time when the nation’s grassroots network of basement dives and iconic backroom stages suffers unprecedented rates of closures in the face of multiple economic challenges.
Thoroughly bucking the trend, Soul Mama’s founders – the indefatigable musician, broadcaster, author and OBE YolanDa Brown, and her equally creative hubby Adetokunbo ‘T’ Oyelola – entered the Guinness Book of Records for smashing their Kickstarter and securing record-breaking funds to help turn this particular dream into reality.
On equal billing to the already impressive regular line-up of live jazz, gospel and soul performers, the restaurant is an upfront fusion of foods and flavours hailing from across the Caribbean, South America and Africa. Tables are arranged up close to the stage, meaning diners truly feel like they are enjoying an intimate audience with the world class artists the well-connected music entrepreneurs in charge can pull in, right from the off.
On our weeknight visit, globetrotting boogie pianist Ben Waters is the main attraction, although his son Tom, on sax, takes a fairly decent and good natured stab at upstaging him. The band take to the stage just as our house signature Tingaling cocktails, zippy with rum ‘n juice, start to take hold. As Waters charges up and down seemingly boundless octaves of the piano, a sizable platter of plump, 24-hour marinated jerk chicken wings gets things underway in the food department. They’re drenched in a rich and fruity glaze that sets out the menu’s unswervable intent on delivering bold flavours at every turn. Our accompanying mushroom arepa, with a Trini-influenced doubles twist, takes on the role of a refreshing alternative bite, with its salsa bringing some citrus lightness.
Later, as the band get deeper into rock ‘n’ roll classics and tales from the road, received with rapture by the superfans who’ve got tables at the front, a main of one pot braised lamb neck with butter beans is also deeply, darkly flavoursome, while the coconut curry chicken brings a simpler, creamier kind of richness.
The room is a slightly challenging space in which to emersed yourself fully in live music, with the hotel in evidence all around, (including the need to head into reception to use the loos), but as Ben and the band rightly say more than once, it’s fantastic to have such a venue land here in Stratford. These are early days, as evidenced by occasional inconsistencies and staff confusions, but those are sure to iron out as the full music programme – and non-gig dining-only nights – have all now begun. What Soul Mama does effortless well already is deliver something totally different, and culturally dynamic, right into the heart of this still rather shiny and new part of East London.
Check out @theisthewick on Insta for our video of father and son Ben and Tom Waters freestyling on the piano together during our recent visit!
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