DAYME AROCENA
Spotted in Cuba as part of the Havana Cultura Mix project led by Gilles Peterson, she features on the latest compilation (out now), blowing her blessed ebony pipes all over some lush wonky trap laid down by (another hot tip) Russia’s Raumskaya. Last month she was flown over to London to make a leftfield jazz album with Gilles and Simbad

for Brownswood Recordings (due next year) and it sounds immense. At only 22, her gorgeous voice is decades beyond her. Imagine Angie Stone, Erykah Badu, with a touch of Mahalia Jackson, all combined – and you’re only getting close.

JUCE 
Quench your thirst with this O90s-loving girl band trio from the heart of London. The three larger-than-life babes, Cherish, Georgia and Chalin, live for funky guitar lines, big bursting drums and synchronised dance moves that’ll steal your heart. And, of course, girl power. Peace.

This hugely talented bunch of 19 year olds are really starting to make waves within the industry having already signed with big US management & with a top booking agent behind them. Their indie/alt pop sound mixes melodic & crunchy guitars & along with some divine harmonies they set the perfect platform for lead singer Alex to showcase his truly amazing vocals, this boy can really sing! Their live show is truly something worth catching, & their debut single “Circus Boy” has already received good airplay, including from BBC Introducing, so 2015’s looking rather fine and dandy for these lovely Basingstoke boys!

Joanne Shaw Taylor is currently touring the UK this month in support of her new album “The Dirty Truth”.  Discovered as a guitar prodigy by Dave “Eurythmics” Stewart, she is now 27 and has recently released her fourth studio album to rave reviews.   What’s interesting about her UK tour is the intense following she has attracted on Facebook,

predominantly from male guitar fans.  She’s being hailed as the only female British blues guitarist who can play just as effectively as a bloke. Fans include name

guitarists Joe Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. JST is like the Britain¹s answer to Bonnie Raitt. There’s a massive gap in the UK market for this type of music. This week, Time Out just published the following words about Joanne’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire concert on November 19th: “A thrilling guitarist and powerful vocalist, award-winning JST is a rising star of British blues with echoes of Clapton’s slowhandedness.”