Cao Zhen

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AFTER two weeks of performances at the Third OCT-LOFT Jazz Festival in Nanshan District, the annual music event reached its climax Wednesday night with a show by famous Dutch pop and jazz singer Wouter Hamel.

Hamel, 36, who shot to stardom after winning the Dutch Jazz Vocal Competition in 2005, was funny and upbeat at Wednesday’s show. He sang a combination of his greatest hits, including “Breezy,” “March, April, May” and “In Between,” and some new songs from his latest EP, “G.I.R.L.S.I.N.T.H.E.C.I.T.Y.!”

The talented singer/songwriter also performed at the festival last year. “I felt last year’s gig in Shenzhen was great because of the nice people and relaxed atmosphere here, so I came back again this year,” Hamel told Shenzhen Daily before Wednesday’s show.

Hamel’s style blurs the line between pop and jazz. He said while studying vocals at the Utrecht School of the Arts in central Netherlands, he was influenced by American jazz legends like Anita O’Day, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. But he also admires rocker Jeff Buckley, so Hamel’s live performances are full of emotion-driven energy. His super-tight band also helps him create a unique musical playing field.

After the success of his self-written albums — “Hamel” (2007), “Nobody’s Tune” (2009) and “Lohengrin” (2011) — in his own country, the buzz around the young singer/songwriter began spreading around the globe. He was invited to the Seoul Jazz Festival in 2009 and in the past two years has performed gigs in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Zhongshan.

Hamel is preparing his not-yet-named fourth album, set to be released early next year. He said he wrote 36 songs and is selecting finalists for the album, which will be less jazzy, more poppy and danceble.

“I’m trying to explore new things because my previous three albums are quite jazzy. I’m a pop guy and I like jazz, of course, but jazz nowadays is difficult to listen to, while pop songs have choruses people can sing or whistle along with melodies that stick in your head,” Hamel said.

http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2013-09/27/content_2637957.htm