AMPLIFI Nov 2022

The Queen's Hall presents Season 2 of our gig series showcasing the sounds of modern Scotland.

With artists hand-picked by guest curators Arusa Qureshi and Halina Rifai of We Are Here Scotland - staged in our intimate performance space - AMPLIFI presents an exciting opportunity to see new and rising artists in a setting designed to amplify their voices and put them centre stage.

PERFORMERS:

Danny Cliff Born in Nigeria and raised in Austria, singer-songwriter Danny Cliff now calls Edinburgh home. The young musician has a range of influences and from these has seamlessly injected a blend of R&B, Soul, Pop, Afro, Gospel, Dance and Hip-hop into his music. He is inspired by lived experience which injects further passion into his powerful lyrics. Danny's notable achievements include airplay on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC 1Xtra, a Scottish Alternative Music Awards Best Newcomer Award nomination, and a performance at last year’s Celtic Connections at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.

Rosé Chrissy Born and raised in Glasgow, Rosé Chrissy is a fierce new voice on the rap scene. Fuelled and inspired by female empowerment, her music is a means for her to not only entertain but also to encourage women to believe in themselves and refuse to bow down to anyone. Her lyrics explore important subjects including abusive relationships and aim to inspire women to be independent bosses. Rosé released her debut ‘Confidence’ in 2021 and has been supported by brands such as Urban Outfitters.

Eyve Originally from Zimbabwe and now based in Scotland, Eyve realised that music and singing was her calling thanks to her church choir. As a queer person, Eyve felt her faith being challenged due to rejection based on her identity and this helped shape her musical path. Rap was a strong means of expression and in 2019, she felt empowered to sing and rap about subjects such as feminism, self-love, confidence, and politics. Hip Hop, pop R&B, reggae, her African roots and jazz continue to influence and inspire the young artist.

CURATORS:

Arusa Qureshi is an award-winning writer, editor and speaker with a passion for music, diversity and accessibility within arts and culture. Her book about women in UK hip hop, ‘Flip the Script’, is out now via 404 Ink. She has bylines in The Guardian, NME, Clash, Time Out, The Forty-Five and The Scotsman.

Halina Rifai is a podcast producer, music writer, PR & digital marketer. She founded music site Podcart in 2009 and went on to become a podcast producer, working with the likes of BBC Scotland, The Big Light, Mental Health Foundation, Fringe of Colour and more. She works in PR & Marketing with Scottish Women Inventing Music and Dardishi: a creative platform for Arab & North African women and gender monitories.

Supported by Creative Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council.

Shortlisted for the Creative Edinburgh 'Inclusion' Award.