S&C Saturday Line-Up – September 18th
Words by Sarah Opokiti (@sarahh_ade)
Saturday 18th September is the first day kicking off Strawberries & Creem 2021 – and we have so much in store for you this year. We’ve got amazing acts from the UK and all across the world, ready to set the S&C stage ablaze.
From global Afrobeats sensation BURNA BOY and Jamaica’s queen of reggae KOFFEE on the Main Stage – to some of the most gifted and celebrated selectors across House, Techno and Drum & Bass in the tents. Get ready for a mad day of music at Childerley Orchard…
Burna Boy
One of this year’s most awarded and celebrated acts, Burna Boy is an African music icon that waves his Nigerian flag high all over the world – taking the globe by storm with his Afrobeats sound. Earlier this year, he won his first ever Grammy award for Best World Album his album Twice As Tall – his second consecutive album to be nominated for this category. He recently also took home Best International Act at the BET Awards for the third time in a row. He’s now getting the plaudits he deserves for the amazing bodies of work he has been bringing out consistently, year after year.
Although the African Giant has undeniably been making his mark in the music scene for nearly a decade – making a name for himself across Africa and with Afrobeats fans around the world – he finally gained global accolades after the release of his music video for Ye – from his third studio album Outside in 2018. This caught the eyes (and the charts) all over the world like a wildfire.
He has made appearances at the Jimmy Fallon show, the Jimmy Kimmel show, and the Grammy awards – and has consistently delivered spectacular love shows. The sensational Afrobeats icon is known for his phenomenal, electrifying performances that encompass great vibes and great music – which you can experience for yourself on Saturday 18th September on the S&C main stage.
Koffee
We’re spoiled with amazing acts on Saturday, as we have another Grammy winner on our Main Stage. Jamaican reggae superstar Koffee made a remarkable name for herself in 2019 when she had the whole world filled with gratitude with her breakout track Toast – from her debut album Rapture. The song became a global summer anthem, embodying positive vibes, gratefulness, and a great time – everything S&C 2021 is about, as a festival brand and the #YearOfTheParty.
In 2020, Koffee won her Grammy award for Best Reggae Album, making her the first woman and the youngest person to ever been given that award – at the tender age of just 20 years old, a remarkable achievement in the genre.
We can’t wait to buss a toast and vibe in the sunshine to the queen of Reggae. Catch her playing the Main Stage on Saturday 18th September.
PA SALIEU
British-Ugandan rapper Pa Salieu, hailing from Coventry, broke out in January 2020 – with his hit single Frontline. Not only was the song a trending sensation on social media – with people wondering who this fresh-faced young talent was – it was also the most played track on BBC Radio 1Xtra last year. It can certainly be said that he made quite an entrance into the music scene.
Pa has since dropped banger after banger that have taken over the charts – including My Family (featuring BackRoad Gee) and B***K, both included in his acclaimed debut album Send Them To Coventry. His recent hit single Glidin’ (feat. Slowthai) is doing numbers too, and we cannot wait to hear his his catalogue of big tunes on Saturday at the main stage.
DIGDAT
South London drill rapper DigDat made his grand debut into the UK chart with his hit single Air Force in 2018 – which now has over 30 million views on YouTube and entered the UK singles chart at number 93 in September 2018. This set him up for continuous success in the charts with bangers such as Guten Tag, Ei8ht Mile (featuring Aitch) – all taken from his debut album of the same name, which came out in January 2020 – and his latest release, How High. Catch him shelling it on the S&C stage on Saturday.
MIRAA MAY
This UK R&B singer is set to bring all the summer feels and vibes to the main stage – with her soulful, chilled, feel-good sounds. The Algerian singer from Tottenham creates music to make you move, feel, and think. Not only does her voice bring you shivers, but her pen work is insane too. It is definitely no wonder that she’s been killing the game with one hit after another – alongside a number of amazing collaborations with names we all know and love, such as Angles (featuring JME), Blessed with Juls and Donae’o, and Squeeze from Ghetts’s latest album. It is safe to say that Mirra May is taking over the UK R&B game. You can catch her on Saturday at the main stage.
KENNY ALLSTAR
The self-proclaimed ‘voice of the streets’ and the man behind Mad About Bars – the king Kenny Allstar will be working the decks at S&C on Saturday 18th. The DJ and presenter has hosted his series on Mixtape Madness’s Youtube channel for three seasons and has raked in over 30 million views – creating a platform for rappers, from rising stars to big names (such as Ghetts, AJ Tracey and Unknown T), to showcase their talent and speak to the world.
Kenny has also been a BBC 1Xtra broadcaster for the past few years, and has gone on to work on even more amazing projects – including the release of his debut album Block Diaries in 2018. This project assembled all the great names in UK rap, further affirming his well-deserved title ‘voice of the streets’. Catch his set at S&C, main stage on Saturday.
HONEY DIJON
Chicago-born DJ and producer Honey Dijon has become a a trailblazer, an icon and a household name in the world of dance, house and electronic music. From entering the DJ scene in the 80s in her home town Chicago, to dominating the industry in the past decade as not only a DJ but also a producer, Honey Dijon is well known for bringing an energy that you don’t want to miss.
Effortlessly crossing the boundaries of genres and blending sounds intuitively; creating versatile music for the clubs in New York, Berlin, Paris and London; fusing the underground with the mainstream music scene; creating the soundtrack for the Louis Vuitton runway – she has done it all.
As a native of the birthplace of house music, Honey has enjoyed the clubbing scene from her teenage years – and started DJing at the tender age of 13, working her way up to the top ever since. Her musical repertoire stems from hearing R&B and Soul at home, whilst being introduced to house music in the Chicago clubs. Blending these influences with, disco, tech house, funk and tribal has given birth to the unique sound she is known for today.
As a producer, Honey has worked with the likes of Lady Gaga, Cakes Da Killa, Hadiya, Derrick Carter, The Martinez Brothers, Danny Tenaglia and Quentin Harris – creating a unique lane of her own, and demand for the biggest names to request her skills in the process.
Honey Dijon is known for electrifying stages around the world, and has worked the decks at impressive venues such as London’s Ministry of Sound, Berghain’s Panorama Bar, and Stereo in Montreal. This September, she will be taking the Studio S&C stage – and it will be an absolute #YearOfTheParty set. We are so here for it.
DENIS SULTA
One of Glasgow’s hottest talents, DJ and producer Denis Sulta has not been in the game for too long but has already made quite a name for himself as house music’s next great sensation. In the past few years of stepping into the scene, he has made tremendous moves – from winning the Best of Britain ‘Best DJ’ award, to securing a residency show on BBC Radio 1, the prodigal DJ has made himself a pathway of success.
For his latest project, he teamed up with Ninja Tune for a thrilling new 8-track EP. He has also appeared on projects with other huge names – such as Disclosure, Jackmaster and Leo Pol. Catch his set at studio S&C where he will bringing his one-of-a-kind style of party-focussed, dancefloor-destroying, back-to-back bangers selecting – it’s going down.
WILKINSON
Producer, DJ, remixer and record label owner Wilkinson has over the past decade become a household name in the drum & bass scene. After his big break into the charts at number 8 with his 2013 hit record Afterglow – taken from his debut album Lasers Not Included – the artist has become a force to reckon with.
Wilkinson’s love for making music started early on in life when his parents bought him a drum kit aged 9. After playing in multiple bands and performing in various places, he later on found his love for dance music at the age of 14 – which led to him starting to produce his own beats in his college studio, and eventually building a studio in his home.
For 2012’s Moonwalker, he won the Best Breakthrough Producer award at the UK’s National DEB Awards. In 2017, Wilkinson released his second studio album Hypnotic – with guest appearances from a host of big artists including Wretch 32, Andreya Triana and Matt Wills to name a few. His latest 2020 album is an epic joint album with producer Sub Focus and has done amazing numbers on the charts since its release.
We can’t wait to see Wilkinson headline the Renegade Roulade stage on September 18th. You don’t want to miss this…
DJ Cuppy
One of Nigeria’s finest DJs, Cuppy is not only an amazing DJ but is also an artist, with a whole album under her belt. For 2020 debut album Original Copy, she assembled some of our favourite names in Afrobeats, Afroswing and beyond – such as Rema, Ms Banks, Darkoo, Wyclef Jean, Teni and Fireboy DML just to name a few.
The prodigious DJ rose to prominence as an artist with her song Gelato featuring Zlatan, which became a sensation in the Afrobeats scene, from clubs to dance videos. As a DJ she is very well credited for her vibrant energy and her intuitive ability to merge all types of genres to set the dance floor and any venue on fire. We know she’s going to bring the roof down and give us an unforgettable #YearOfTheParty moment.