In performance, playing one good set is difficult enough. Playing five, across five different artists, is another kind of test entirely. That was what Samuel Mbek did at Heritage Aberdeen 2026, where his ability to keep adjusting became one of the more impressive musical performances of the night. Held at Motif Ruin Bar in […]
7 months ago
In performance, playing one good set is difficult enough. Playing five, across five different artists, is another kind of test entirely. That was what Samuel Mbek did at Heritage Aberdeen 2026, where his ability to keep adjusting became one of the more impressive musical performances of the night.
Held at Motif Ruin Bar in Aberdeen on 28 March, the event brought music, fashion and art together, with Samuel performing as pianist and music director of The Pitch Classic. Across the programme, he played with FOFO, Dana King, Nifemi, Ebuu KANARY and Aiitee. Each new artist meant another voice to understand and another musical character for the band to accommodate.
Samuel handled those changes with considerable ease. His keyboard did not perform the same function throughout the night. In some passages, his chords gave the music weight; elsewhere, his playing became more rhythmic, working closely with the bass and drums. He also knew when the rest of the band was already doing enough and resisted filling every available space. That judgement helped keep the performances from collapsing into five versions of the same set.
The difficulty of what Samuel was doing became clearer as the programme continued. Playing behind several artists is not simply a question of knowing the songs. What works with one singer can become intrusive with another. The musician has to listen closely enough to recognise those differences and respond quickly enough that the audience never feels the adjustment taking place. Samuel repeatedly found his way into each performance without making the keyboard feel disconnected from the rest of the band.
His work as music director made the achievement more significant. The Pitch Classic had to move through five performers while remaining convincing as one band. Samuel was therefore responsible not only for his keyboard but for helping maintain a musical direction across an evening that could easily have become disjointed. The group remained assured through those changes, particularly when the keyboard, bass and drums settled into the same rhythmic conversation.
There were moments when Samuel could have taken greater risks. His control at the keyboard occasionally made one wish he would push beyond the arrangement and allow more of his individual voice to emerge. Yet Heritage Aberdeen was not designed as his solo showcase, and judging his performance by the absence of extended virtuosity would miss what made it impressive.
Samuel’s achievement becomes apparent when the entire night is considered. One artist finished, another arrived, and the musical demands changed again. He listened, adjusted and played. Then he did it again.
FOFO, Dana King, Nifemi, Ebuu KANARY and Aiitee brought five different voices to Heritage Aberdeen. Samuel Mbek found a musical place within all five. That versatility, more than any single flourish at the keyboard, was what made his performance stand out.
