Soulfest was a music festival held in 2014 featuring Australian and international artists . Venues included Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. Soulfest's music was solely jazz, hip hop, RnB and neo-soul.

History

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The idea for the festival came from the promoter John Denison, who is the director at International Entertainment Group.[1] He wanted to create a smaller festival with a different feel which would stand out in Australia, focusing on hip hop and neo-soul.[2] Soulfest was first held in October 2014 at variety of popular venues across Australia and New Zealand to much acclaim from both fans and critics.[3]

On 11 May 2015, Soulfest announced its return for its second year. The first artist announcement included the Mary J Blige, Jill Scott, Jhene Aiko, Charlie Wilson,[ambiguous] De La Soul, Talib Kweli, Floetry, Eric Benét, Dwele, Daniel Merriweather, Kamasi Washington, Remi, Dj Trey and Thandi Phoenix. The 2015 festival was cancelled due to poor ticket sales.[4]

Artist line-ups

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The 2014 line-up ncluded D'Angelo, Common, Maxwell, Angie Stone, Mos Def, Antony Hamilton, Aloe Blacc, Musiq Soulchild, Leela James, Ms. Murphy, Miracle, Thandi Phoenix, Milan Ring, Nathaniel Willemse, Ngaiire, Bec Laughton, Mark Lowndes, Jordan Rakei, Noah Slee, Gang of Brothers, Darryl Beaton and the D1 Cartel, M-Phazes, Sovereign, Inigo, EMRSN.[5]

Venues

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Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Victoria Park Broadway, Western Springs Stadium, Riverstage Amphitheatre.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "John Denison website". John Denison. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014.
  2. ^ Greg, Moskovitch (7 April 2014). "Soulfest's John Denison: "Australia Is A Boutique Festival Country"". Music Feeds. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
    - Duarte, Carlos. "Inside Soulfest: With Promoter John Denison And Ngaiire". The Music Network. Retrieved 6 November 2014. [dead link]
  3. ^ Zuel, Bernard (19 October 2014). "Soulfest review: Near satisfaction with neo soul". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
    - Smolcic, Amy. "We went to SOULFEST on the weekend ! Read our thoughts from the day". Wickedd Childd. [dead link]
  4. ^ "Australia's Soulfest Festival Canceled". CelebrityAccess. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b Moskovitch, Greg (30 March 2014). "Soulfest 2014 Lineup Announced". Music Feeds. Retrieved 27 September 2024.