Lianne La Havas

If the owner of Le Belmont called the night of the Lianne La Havas concert magical, I can wholeheartedly concur.

Almost two weeks prior to the performance, I went digging for records in Toronto.  Among the albums found, I also grabbed some authentic Toronto flyers and free mixtapes as souvenirs. 

I noticed a photograph and the name of a young female artist called Lianne La Havas on one of the flyers and meant to do my research on her at my earliest convenience.

Now to fast forward to the afternoon of September 13 when I was dining and reading a local Montreal publication’s entertainment listings.To my surprise, it announced Lianne La Havas would be performing at Le Belmont 5 hours later from the time I read the news. Oh boy!

I arrived at Le Belmont after 8pm, thinking Lianne La Havas had already taken the stage. Word circulated on the sidewalk that the show was sold out. I was convinced the photo at the top of this post was the closest I would come to seeing her that night.

Good fortune was presented to me in the form of a sage that ushered me in passed security and into the packed place.

La Havas had truly taken the stage at that point and I got to see and hear the young singer for the first time.

Lianne La Havas claimed she loved Montreal but I can claim Montreal loved Lianne La Havas more.The crowd at Le Belmont was taken in by her voice and poise.All of the songs were new to me but from the sounds around me, I got the impression some were waiting for this performance.I heard people reciting lyrics along with the young lady from many feet away.

Lianne was not going to leave the city that night without giving the city an encore. A Jill Scott cover sent many concert-goers home satisfied.

Speaking or writing as one who learned the lesson, it would be advisable to secure a ticket for any Lianne La Havas performance well in advance because it will be harder to witness the magic without it.