The traditional sound of R&B is something that will forever have a place in the hearts—and on the playlists—of soul music lovers and two of the most extraordinarily talented women in the genre united with a young music mastermind at the 2018 ESSENCE Festival for a performance you had to see to believe.
Taking over the “For the Love of R&B” Superlounge in the Superdome, Kelly Price, Keke Wyatt and Vaughn Willis reminded us all that raw talent and classic R&B sound is definitely here to stay.
In a soulful performance, the charismatic Keke Wyatt opened the show with some of her staple hits, including her remake of Patti LaBelle’s “If Only You Knew” and her duet with Avant, “My First Love.” Needless to say, the powerhouse vocalist is always at her best in front of a live audience and enjoyed feeding off the positive energy from the crowd to take her performance to the next level
After a brief intermission, Kelly Price began her set with a Gospel-inspired medley about how much religion has influenced her up to this point. She then transitioned into a set that included her most beloved album cuts, including “Friend Of Mine” and “I Should Have Cheated. All in all, the pairing of the duo gave Festival-goers a welcomed dose of nostalgia and reminded everyone that they’ve been among the leading voices in soul music for quite some time.
Multi-talented musician and vocalist, Vaughn Willis, also joined the ladies in the Superlounge to churn out some of his original music.
If you weren’t able to catch Kelly Price and Keke Wyatt’s performance at this year’s ESSENCE Music Festival, you can check out Kelly in September at Taste Of Soul Atlanta, and Keke at the Howard Theatre later this month.
For more on everything you missed at the 2018 ESSENCE Festival, visit ESSENCE.com.