#bennyg

It’s a reggaelution! Ben Goldstein was first catapulted to stardom through the smash hit Tv series ‘The Voice’. Ben deserved his place on the show as a great talent and a strong representation of Australiana. Whilst an amazing platform for early exposure those days are far behind him as he prepares for his assault as an indie artist.

“From Bondi to Jamaica we be Jammin and Jammin”

Working with industry legend, Carl Dimataga, Ben has recorded “Beachside Nation” on his own independent label. This week Ben launched the LEP with a ‘Celebration of Music’ at the Jam Gallery in none other than his hometown, Bondi Beach. Inside Vice was there first hand to cover the event first hand. If Ben’s vision for sun, summer & good vibes takes off we will indeed see a reggae revival in Australia.

Ben enters the stage barefoot (a trademark from his first musical outing ‘The Barefoot Band’) which personifies beach attitude and couture. Ben’s presence on stage is not that of a young artist launching his first album. He takes the stage with gravitas and and this hardly feels like a debut at all.. Ben starts the show with a demonstration of both his talent and versatility as a musician. Rythmic jungle beats and mood lightinggradually build the anticipation before launching into the first track. Ben then opens with the instant hit “Stay with me Music’ which is both a philosophy for his life as well a good all round track to convey his unique style and chilled out vibes.

Ben’s musical style from here on in is not easy to define. He blends influences from the various corners of the musical spectrum; pop, funk, folk, reggae influse with big style beats behind a rich layer of globally inspired vocals. The music feels fresh and seems to fill a void on the Australian music landscape. I believe that there are two things which define Australia. Our country is vast however we all live by the coast and celebrate a beach lifestyle. The other is that this country has been built on roots of multiculturalism and will continue to rise or fall on this foundation. Growing up in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world exposed Ben to a broad range of multicultural music styles which would later play an important role in shaping his own unique musical style. With a passion for Reggae and multicultural musical influences Ben could easily carve out a new segment in Australian music just as Hilltop Hoods defined Australian Hip Hop.

Ben’s foreign influences were clear when he invited a local Brazillian musician to jam along with his Berimbau. For those who don’t know The Berimbau is a single-string percussion instrument, a musical bow. The instrument is said to be the soul of Capoeira. Ben’s ability to mesh different styles at such an early part of his career is a true testament to his talent.

The rest of the event continued with a grand finale of his debut single.. ‘Dreaming’ (You can see the live performance below). After a brief departure from the stage he returned for an encore during which he invited his previous ‘Barefoot Band’ members to share the stage. The dancefloor was full throughout the night and for good reason. Ben’s tunes are infectious and speak to the soul no matter who you are and where you are from. Good vibes, good times!