Sofia Camara review: ‘Continuing to heal hearts with raw ballads’
After opening for Dean Lewis at the O2 Victoria Warehouse back in February, Sofia Camara returned to Manchester on Monday evening to deliver the “most unreal show” she had ever done on the opening night of her first headlining tour.
Camara is an artist that has fine-tuned her craft by gracing the stages at major festivals such as Osheaga and Lollapalooza and opening for the likes of Alex Warren, Dean Lewis and, most recently, Stevie Nicks, who the singer supported in Portland and Sacramento earlier this month, and it’s clear to see that Camara is an immense performer and one that is on the rise.
Following an extended instrumental section from the singer’s backing guitarist/keyboardist and drummer, Camara entered the stage with intent as she launched into the opening notes of ‘Anyways How You Been’ to a rapturous response from the 500-strong capacity crowd before showcasing the strength in her emotionally weighted vocals on a performance of ‘Ingrained (DNA)’, which was littered with acoustic warmth. Basking in the applause of the Mancunian audience, Camara beamed as she declared, “I could have never imagined something like this.” It was evident that there was a genuine excitement in her face and voice before stepping things up with ‘That’s Just How You Feel’ and ‘Shoulda Known Better’.
From openly encouraging her audience to cry when “life gets too much” ahead of a stirring rendition of ‘Parking Lot’ to asking the crowd to close their eyes and think of someone they loved prior to performing ‘Starlight’ to delving into the heartbreak of her parents divorcing ahead of ‘You Can’t Save Me’, Camara’s willingness to “get personal”, as she put it was a constant throughout her performance, as was her genuine excitement to put on a spectacle.
The singer poured her soul into every vocal note, covered every inch of the stage with her infectious energy, and fed off the crowd’s enthusiasm, and that raw vulnerability she conveys in her lyricism and anecdotes has helped create a bubble with her live performances – a bubble that offers a chance of healing from the outside world. In addition, Camara’s interaction with the crowd was on point throughout the evening, nabbing mobile phones of fans to record herself performing up close, jokingly asking the front row to “stop peeking at the setlist” and boldly declaring “never” when asked by a fan if she was okay.
As Camara closed out the evening, a performance of ‘Girls Like You’ showcased how the singer is broadening her sonic horizons and saw the audience hang off every drum fill, every chord sequence and every vocal line before ‘Who Do I Call Now (Hellbent)’ saw the singer empty her soul out as she launched roses into the crowd, ending the performance on a euphoric high.
With a passion for storytelling and a fondness for heartbreak-infused anthems, Sofia Camara is an artist continuing to heal hearts with raw ballads and one who’ll leave a mark on your soul. Her first headlining tour sold out instantly, venues were upgraded due to demand, and it’s without question that the best is yet to come. With an ever-changing landscape in the pop scene, Camara might just well be the next big thing.