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Long before reality television became a global phenomenon, there was Seven Up! The groundbreaking documentary first aired in 1964, introducing viewers to a group of seven-year-old British children from different social backgrounds. Every seven years, cameras returned to discover where life had taken them. Among those original children was Liverpool’s Peter Davies.

More than six decades later, the story has finally reached its conclusion with 70 Up. The final instalment aired on ITV in September 2026, bringing to an end an extraordinary television project that evolved from an examination of Britain’s class system into something much bigger: a study of what it means to live a human life. For Peter, however, this wasn’t simply television. This was his life.

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And behind the remarkable television story is another, perhaps less familiar one — about a man who has increasingly found purpose through creativity. Peter’s relationship with Up has been complicated. Having cameras periodically return to examine your relationships, career, successes, disappointments and personal life is an experience very few people can understand.

“My involvement in the series goes back to the age of 6 – it’s been part of my whole life, so it’s difficult to imagine it not being there,” Peter said. “When I was younger, especially a young adult, the downside of it was the degree of intrusion into my life. I’m not an extrovert, so that was difficult to deal with at times.”

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That relationship became particularly difficult after Peter criticised Margaret Thatcher’s government and subsequently found himself facing fierce criticism from sections of the tabloid press. “I was quite shocked at how vitriolic these papers could be, and I decided that I didn’t want that again, and withdrew from the series for a few years.”

Eventually, Peter returned — but this time on his own terms. Instead of simply being someone whose life was being documented, Peter could use the extraordinary platform to showcase the things he was creating. “When I returned, it was on condition that ITV focus on my creative projects, and that was when …Up began to have a better impact on my life.”

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The conclusion of 70 Up has understandably left Peter with conflicting emotions. “Mixed feelings,” he said. “I won’t miss that intrusion, or the worry about how I’m going to come across to so many viewers, but of course I do recognise the significance of the series – it’s often been called the greatest documentary series of all time – and the private screening of it was for all of us quite an emotional occasion.”

The final programme proved emotional for viewers too, with the conclusion prompting widespread reflection on a series that allowed audiences to watch real people grow, change, love, lose and age across more than six decades. For Peter, the ending is still sinking in. “The last half hour of the final episode was very moving, and I’m still processing how I feel about that,” he said. “I will also miss members of the film crew, who have become friends over the years.”

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But while one enormous chapter has closed, Peter’s creative story is very much continuing. For much of his adult life, creativity had to coexist with the realities of earning a living. Peter has written, recorded and performed music throughout adulthood, while also pursuing a professional career that included teaching and working as a Crown Prosecutor. Like countless musicians, however, he discovered that passion doesn’t necessarily pay the mortgage.

“As many people who’ve done the same will agree, unless you’re one of a tiny handful, it’s almost impossible to make enough money from that to pay your bills and bring up kids,” he explained. “So I always had ‘day jobs’, which meant less time for the music.”

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Peter doesn’t speak bitterly about those years. Far from it. “I don’t resent that, it’s just how it is, and the jobs I did were OK, and I made some great friends. But reaching a stage of life where those day jobs could finally disappear created something precious: Time. The reality now is that I’ve been able to give up the day jobs and focus on various projects. Basically, I’ve been able to do more!”

And he certainly has. Alongside continuing to make music, Peter has written his debut novel and co-written a stage musical. Interestingly, he doesn’t claim creativity provides some magical route to permanent happiness. Instead, he makes a more meaningful distinction. “That hasn’t necessarily made me happier all the time, but it has made me feel more fulfilled, which in turn has a positive impact on my mental health,” he says.

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Perhaps the most fascinating connection between Peter’s creative work and his extraordinary television experience can be found in his debut novel, Valediction Records. His recent debut novel, the book centres on former members of a late-70s band whose lives remain haunted decades later by the collapse of the group. Former bandmates Stephen, Philip and Martin carry guilt, resentment, addiction and illness into later life, until events force them to confront the unfinished business of their past.

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On the surface, it’s a story about musicians. Underneath, it’s about something universal: Time. And that’s where an unexpected connection with 7 Up emerges. Peter hadn’t deliberately set out to replicate anything about the documentary series when writing his novel. In fact, he hadn’t even recognised the connection himself. “It was never intentionally based on that experience!” he says.

“Only when I was later interviewed by Tania Ruiz of La Vida Liverpool and I was asked that very perceptive question did I realise that 7 Up had without any doubt subconsciously impacted upon my thinking when I was drafting the story,” he explains. Suddenly, the similarities were obvious. Just as viewers of Up encounter the same people at radically different stages of their lives, Valediction Records looks backwards and forwards across decades, examining how the people we once were continue to inhabit the people we eventually become.

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It’s a remarkable case of life quietly finding its way into art. “7 Up started as an examination of social class in Britain but became much more,” Peter explained. “It became a story of what it means to lead a human life. I think that all novelists aspire to write about that. I have heard other writers talking about how their novel/poem/song/play in some mysterious way takes on a life of its own, and goes off in an unexpected direction. I love that idea.”

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Valediction Records has attracted enthusiastic responses since publication, with reviewers praising both its music-filled world and emotional themes. Screenwriter Ray Connolly described it as having a “filmic quality”, while playwright and journalist Zoe Lewis called it a “heart-warming tale of rock and roll, love and hope”. But for Peter, perhaps the greatest reward is simply discovering that his story means something to readers.

“I have had a lot of nice reviews and positive feedback – that vindication is what every writer seeks, the money is a secondary concern. The story of a post-punk band operating in the late seventies/early eighties has understandably struck a chord — apologies for the unintended pun! — with readers who remember that period and with anyone who has ever played in a band. The broader issues within that story — time passing, regret, love, redemption — are the ones we all face,” Peter said. “I would hope that anyone could read Valediction Records and recognise something of themselves in there.”

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Long before Peter became a published novelist, there was music. His musical journey can be traced back to late-1970s London and the explosion of punk. After playing in several bands, Peter began looking for his own musical identity. His admiration for Elvis Costello led him towards Gram Parsons and, gradually, into Americana and alternative country.

That journey eventually produced The Good Intentions, centred around Peter and his wife Gabrielle Monk. The Liverpool Americana outfit has toured in Britain and America, appeared on Bob Harris’s BBC Radio 2 country programme and won Best Americana Band at the British Country Music Awards in 2011. The Good Intentions have now been together for around 20 years, with various musicians joining Peter and Gabi for recordings and live performances.

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Peter’s creativity has also found another outlet — theatre. Together with fellow Merseyside songwriter Jimmy Rae, Peter co-wrote Under The Mersey Moon, a country music stage production telling the story of struggling songwriter Danny Rogers and a journey that takes him from Liverpool towards Nashville — only for him to discover something rather different from the success he originally sought.

It’s another project in which music becomes the vehicle for a bigger story about life, dreams, family and finding your place in the world. Following sell-out productions at New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion, the show is heading to Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre from 11th–13th November 2026, featuring 13 original songs performed by a live five-piece band and local cast.

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There is something wonderfully circular about Peter Davies’ story. At seven years old, somebody else pointed a camera at him and began telling his story. More than 60 years later, Peter is telling stories himself. Through songs. Through theatre. And now through fiction.

Perhaps Valediction Records and 7 Up were always destined to have something in common. Both begin with individual lives but ultimately ask much bigger questions. What happens to our dreams? How much of the person we once were survives inside us? What do we regret? Who do we love? And what do we do with the time we have left? For Peter, the answer increasingly seems to be: create something.

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The cameras that have periodically returned throughout almost his entire life have finally stopped rolling. The landmark television experiment has reached its conclusion. But at 70, Liverpool’s original reality television star isn’t looking backwards. There are songs waiting to be recorded, stories waiting to be written and stages waiting to be filled. After a lifetime spent having his life documented, Peter Davies is now firmly in control of the next chapter.

Peter Davies / 70 UP

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Librettist: Maria Kjos Fonn

Soloists: Susanna Wolff, Sofia Neacsu, Siv Misund, Ivar Magnus Sandve, Johannes Nikolai Aas

Orchestra: Ensemble Oslo, Hans Petter Mæhle (cond.)

Durata/formats: 90min – Digital (lossless) / 2XCD / 2XVinyl

Audio engineer/producer: Trond Kjelsås (LydFest)

Label: Solsnu

Distributor: Diger

Release Date: 16th October 2026

Following acclaimed performances in Romania and Norway, the ambitious 90-minute opera explores addiction, identity, death and the desire for transcendence through a maximalist and emotionally charged sound world.

Norwegian composer Solveig Sørbø’s ambitious opera Heroin Chic will be released worldwide on 16 October 2026 via Solsnu, distributed by Diger, bringing the acclaimed work to audiences in digital, 2CD and 2xVinyl formats.

Based on the novel by Norwegian writer Maria Kjos Fonn, Heroin Chic explores addiction, self-destruction, identity, sexuality, death and the tension between innocence and physicality. Drawing on both contemporary classical music and popular culture, Sørbø creates an intense and highly theatrical sound world that is maximalist, colourful, hypnotic and emotionally uncompromising.

The opera received its concert premiere in Romania in February 2025, where it was met with a standing ovation from an audience of 500. Critics praised its eclectic soundscape, philosophical depth, emotional impact and striking richness of sound. Romanian cultural magazine Revista Migalo wrote that the production “struck the collective psyche”, while Norwegian newspaper Klassekampen described it as a “danse macabre”.

Heroin Chic subsequently received its Norwegian concert premiere at Oslo’s Parkteatret in February 2026 as part of the Klassisk på Park concert series. The sold-out performance featured some of Norway’s leading classical performers, live visuals by Franciska Eliassen and a handful of staged moments, followed by an afterparty with DJ Roland Lifjell.

The performance was enthusiastically received, and Norwegian music publication Ballade subsequently compared Sørbø’s determination in bringing the ambitious project to life to that of Norwegian cross-country skiing champion Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.

Just two days after the Norwegian premiere, the complete opera was recorded live to tape at Jar Church outside Oslo. Capturing 90 minutes of opera in a single day was a considerable undertaking for the performers and recording team, resulting in a recording designed to preserve the immediacy and intensity of the live work.

At the centre of Heroin Chic is Elise, a young woman consumed by an obsessive desire for death and transcendence. Raised by an overprotective mother who sees her as an almost saintly figure, Elise struggles with the growing conflict between innocence, sexuality and her developing sense of identity.

As she searches for a way to express the darkness within her, Elise adopts a heroin-chic aesthetic and runs away from home. She falls in love with rocker Joakim, who introduces her further into a world of drugs, while the emergence of D — a manifestation of her destructive subconscious — pushes her towards increasingly extreme behaviour.

Across two acts, Elise’s journey moves through anorexia, addiction, sexual exploitation, fractured identity and rehabilitation, with the boundaries between reality, fantasy, life and death becoming increasingly blurred. Her search for transcendence ultimately leads her back towards her mother, childhood and the idea of eternal sleep.

The opera’s final moments deliberately leave the audience questioning what they have witnessed: death, resurrection or a drug-induced fantasy.

Musically, Heroin Chic is equally unconventional. The score features a powerful and hypnotic percussion section, one of the largest soprano roles for a child singer in opera literature, and a distinctive reinvention of the cimbalom within a contemporary classical setting. Captivating melodies sit alongside an eclectic orchestral landscape, creating a work that is both challenging and highly engaging for performers and listeners alike.

The recording features soloists Susanna Wolff, Sofia Neacsu, Siv Misund, Ivar Magnus Sandve and Johannes Nikolai Aas, performing alongside Ensemble Oslo under conductor Hans Petter Mæhle. The recording was engineered and produced by Trond Kjelsås of LydFest.

With roots in the avant-garde as well as popular culture, Heroin Chic is a distinctive contribution to contemporary Norwegian music theatre. Its combination of opera, theatrical storytelling, unconventional instrumentation and psychologically intense subject matter creates a work that reaches beyond traditional operatic boundaries.

Following its successful performances in Romania and Norway, the complete 90-minute recording now brings Sørbø’s ambitious work to a wider international audience.

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SCARBOROUGH OPEN AIR THEATRE – JUNE 11

Yorkshire’s very own Kaiser Chiefs are heading home next summer for two stunning live shows.

The Leeds indie heroes will headline Live at The Piece Hall on Friday June 4 before heading to Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Friday June 11.

Tickets go on sale at 9am Friday via ticketmaster.co.uk

Kaiser Chiefs – Wilson (vocals), Simon Rix (bass), Andrew ‘Whitey’ White (guitar), Nick ‘Peanut’ Baines (keyboards) and Vijay Mistry (drums) – are undoubtedly one of the most treasured bands of their generation.

Since forming back in 2000, they have truly made their mark on the British music scene with such anthemic hits as Oh My God, I Predict A Riot, Everyday I Love You Less and Less, Ruby, Never Miss A Beat and Hole In My Soul.

The band have released eight original studio albums which includes their Mercury nominated debut Employment, which sold more than two million copies, its Number 1 follow up Yours Truly, Angry Mob, which went twice-platinum in the UK alone, and Education Education Education and War which entered the UK Album Charts at number 1.

They have achieved top ten singles including the infamous number 1 hit Ruby, three BRIT Awards, an Ivor Novello for Album of the Year, toured with U2, Foo Fighters and Green Day and sold eight million albums.

Julian Murray of promoters Cuffe and Taylor, venue programmers at Scarborough OAT, said: “You can’t not love a night with Kaiser Chiefs. They always bring the party and where better to do that than Scarborough. This will be a truly momentous show next summer and we can’t wait.”

Nicky Chance-Thompson MBE DL FRSA, CEO of The Piece Hall Charitable Trust, said: “I cannot wait to welcome back these true Yorkshire legends and show them just how much Live at The Piece Hall has grown. They last played in 2021 when there weren’t even 10 shows per season – there are now more than 40.

“The stage is bigger, the sound is better, the crowds are larger and louder, combine that with Kaiser Chiefs immense back catalogue of incredible indie bangers and I predict a riotously good time will be had by one and all!”

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ENDS

21 SEPT 2026

Pictures attached: Kaiser Chiefs

LIVE AT THE PIECE HALL 2027

JUN 4                 KAISER CHIEFS

JUN 18              JACK SAVORETTI & JAMES MORRISON

JUL 23               RONAN KEATING + BLUE + GERMEIN SISTERS

JUL 27               ALFIE BOE & GRAVITY

AUG 9                SIMPLY RED + SOUL II SOUL

SCARBOROUGH OPEN AIR THEATRE 2027

JUN 11              KAISER CHIEFS

JUL 9                  JACK SAVORETTI & JAMES MORRISON

JUL 18               RONAN KEATING + BLUE + GERMEIN SISTERS
JUL 25               ALFIE BOE + GRAVITY

AUG 17             SIMPLY RED + SOUL II SOUL

*More dates and artists to be confirmed

Due to incredible demand for pre-sale tickets the British soul and funk icons’ two Halifax shows on Monday August 9 and Tuesday August 10 are now both SOLD OUT.

A third and final show will take place on Wednesday August 11.

Tickets for this third date go on general sale tomorrow (Thursday) at 10am via ticketmaster.co.uk

Members of The Piece Hall’s Club 1779 can access a pre-sale for this extra date now. To become a Club 1779 member sign up via thepiecehall.co.uk/support-us/become-a-member/

This is the first time any artist has played three headline shows in the same summer season at The Piece Hall. Simply Red – led by legendary frontman Mick Hucknall – will be joined at all three nights by special guests Soul II Soul.

Nicky Chance-Thompson MBE DL FRSA, CEO of The Piece Hall Charitable Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce not one, not two, but three nights with the legends Simply Red live at The Piece Hall – the first artist ever to have three headline shows here in the same season.

“Given the reaction to our original announcement we knew demand for tickets was going to be high, but this has been something else! We are really thankful to Mick Hucknall and his incredible band for agreeing to headline a historic third night.

“This means 18,000 fans over three nights can enjoy a truly magical experience under the stars in our stunning courtyard.”

Simply Red have maintained their position as one of the UK’s biggest bands throughout their 40-plus year history.

Summer Funk ‘27’ will be Simply Red’s first tour since their 2025 40^th anniversary celebration. The tour sold-out almost 50 venues across the UK, Europe and Latin America, delighting fans and leading to a critical reappraisal of their talents.

Simply Red have achieved five UK Number One albums, a UK Number One single and another nine UK Top 10 hits, plus three BRIT Awards, two Ivor Novellos, and the MOBO Award for Outstanding Achievement. Over in North America, they secured two Number One smashes on Billboard’s Hot 100 as well as earning multiple Platinum certifications and three Grammy nominations. Their 1991 classic Stars was the best-selling album for two years running in Britain and Europe, and every Simply Red studio album has reached the UK Top Ten.

Simply Red join Kaiser Chiefs, Ronan Keating, Alfie Boe, Jack Savoretti and James Morrison among the first 2027 headliners announced for Live at The Piece Hall 2027.

For more information about please visit thepiecehall.co.uk

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The ‘Summer Funk ‘27’ tour will see Mick Hucknall and the band play a unique high-energy set, bringing good times and a celebratory atmosphere throughout the sun-kissed summer months.

Joined by UK soul and funk legends Soul II Soul, Simply Red head to The Piece Hall, Halifax, on Monday August 9 and Scarborough OAT on Tuesday August 17.

Tickets go on general sale 10am on Thursday September 24 via ticketmaster.co.uk

The 2027 date is a welcome return to the Yorkshire coast for Simply Red who have twice headlined Scarborough OAT before – in 2016 and 2022.

While the all-new show will be full of their mammoth crowd-pleasing moments and biggest hits – the rollercoaster rush of Fairground, the potent funk of Something Got Me Started, the sumptuous soul of Money’s Too Tight (To Mention) – the uplifting nature of the songs will be complemented by the stunning Yorkshire coast location.

Led by Mick Hucknall, whose timeless blue-eyed soul vocal is as remarkable, powerful and passionate as ever, Simply Red also features Ian Kirkham (sax, EWI, brass), Kenji Suzuki (guitar), Kevin Robinson (trumpet, horns, percussion), Roman Roth (drums), Gary Sanctuary (keys) and Orefo Orakwue (bass).

Mick Hucknall said: “We can’t wait to get back out on the road again in summer 2027 to perform at some incredible and historic venues across the UK and Europe. You can expect a set full of Simply Red upbeat hits to get you on your feet having fun in the sun with friends and family.”

Fans can access a pre-sale for tickets for the tour by signing up to the Simply Red mailing list HERE. The pre-sale opens at 10am on Tuesday, September 22.

‘Summer Funk ‘27’ will be Simply Red’s first tour since their 2025 40th anniversary celebration. The tour sold-out almost 50 venues across the UK, Europe and Latin America, delighting fans and leading to a critical reappraisal of their talents. The tour was documented with the live album, film and box set ‘Holding Back the Years: 40 Years of Simply Red, Live in Santiago’, an electrifying mix of rambunctious R&B and tender, emotive balladeering.

Simply Red have maintained their position as one of the UK’s biggest bands throughout their 40+ year history. The stats tell their own story: five #1 albums, a #1 single and another nine Top 10 hits, plus three BRIT Awards, two Ivor Novellos, and the MOBO Award for Outstanding Achievement. Over in North America, they secured two #1 smashes on Billboard’s Hot 100 as well as earning multiple Platinum certifications and three Grammy nominations. Their 1991 classic ‘Stars’ was the best-selling album for two years running in Britain and Europe, and every Simply Red studio album has reached the UK Top Ten. The scale of the ‘Summer Funk ‘27’ tour again underlines their immense appeal.

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Italian DJ and producer Andrea Scopsi makes his mark on Gabry Ponte’s PENTAPHONIA with ‘Puxar’, a high-velocity techno weapon.

Operating somewhere between peak-time techno, hard dance and the increasingly blurred boundaries of contemporary mainstage music, ‘Puxar’ is a difficult record to neatly pigeonhole, and all the better for it. Scopsi builds the track around a relentless, driving rhythmic core, pairing hammering drums and a weighty low end with an insistent Portuguese male vocal that immediately gives the production its own identity.

Its upper reaches provide another defining feature. A vast synth cuts across the track’s breakdown with an atmospheric quality, opening up the production above its muscular foundations and creating a striking contrast between space and physical impact. T

That combination fits naturally with Scopsi’s distinctive production style. The Italian artist has built his name across hard dance and acid techno while retaining a strong melodic sensibility informed by the Italian trance sound of the ’90s. Rather than treating those influences as nostalgia, he folds their scale and immediacy into a tougher, contemporary approach to electronic music.

Scopsi’s profile has continued to rise internationally, with his productions earning DJ support from Maddix, Bassjackers, Hannah Laing, 999999999, Marie Vaunt, Space 92 and T78, among others. In 2026, he added a significant milestone with ‘B.D.A.T.R.’ reaching No. 1 on Beatport’s Techno (Peak Time / Driving) chart.

‘Puxar’ feels like a natural continuation of that momentum. Fast, physical and built with the kind of oversized sonics currently connecting peak-time techno with festival mainstages, it finds Scopsi pushing his sound forward without abandoning the harder-edged character that has brought him this far.

Andrea Scopsi ‘Puxar’ is out now via PENTAPHONIA.

Andrea Scopsi Online

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Album: Love Who Loves You Back

Lead Single: Sen Her Come 

Release Date: 5th October 2026

Suriname-born artist, producer and roots reggae veteran Jah Decko steps forward with forthcoming album release on 5th of October 2026 “Love Who Loves You Back”

With more than two decades of experience in reggae as an artist, producer and creative force, Jah Decko is entering a new chapter with his forthcoming album Love Who Loves You Back — a roots reggae project built around authentic musicianship, consciousness, love, gratitude and positive energy.

Born in Suriname and now based in the Netherlands, Jah Decko brings a distinctive Surinamese-European perspective to roots reggae. His story stretches from professional football to music, from performing to production, and from the Dutch-Surinamese reggae scene to an increasingly international audience.

Importantly, Jah Decko is not a newcomer to reggae. His musical journey began in 2003 when he founded Dreddayouthz, an early project combining roots reggae with lyrics in Sranan Tongo and connecting his Surinamese identity with reggae culture.

He subsequently developed his skills as a producer through Dredda Records, working with artists including Joggo, Ziggi Recado and Miriam Simone. His production work also connected him to Modern Rockers Vol. 1, a project that received international reggae attention and featured Jah Decko alongside Jamaican reggae artist Turbulence on “Strong Like Lion.”

After years of working both behind and in front of the microphone, Jah Decko returned increasingly to his own releases, including the Rastafar-I Way EP and tracks such as “Take It Easy”, “Opposite of Good” and “Irie Vibes”. Now, Love Who Loves You Back represents a significant new turning point: an opportunity to bring everything he has learned as an artist and producer into one defining roots reggae project.

A Journey From Football to Roots Reggae

Jah Decko’s path into music was far from conventional. Before dedicating himself fully to reggae, he spent approximately 14 years as a professional footballer. Music eventually became his true calling, leading him to leave professional sport and pursue a creative career.

That transition is central to his story. Rather than entering the music industry solely as a vocalist, Jah Decko developed experience across the creative process, becoming a producer and helping develop projects for other reggae artists before returning his focus to his own work.

“Coming from professional football into music was a completely different path,” says Jah Decko. “But reggae became my real calling. Being able to create music, produce other artists, work with respected reggae musicians and still be making roots reggae more than twenty years later is something I am proud of.”

Rooted in Culture, Consciousness and Positivity

Rastafari is an important part of Jah Decko’s life and naturally informs his music. His work is not centred on party politics, but on messages of love, unity, equality, consciousness, respect and positivity.

His music also reflects the cultural journey between Suriname and the Netherlands. Rather than attempting to imitate Jamaican artists, Jah Decko draws from his own experience, creating music that respects the foundations of roots reggae while bringing a distinctly personal perspective to the genre.

With Love Who Loves You Back, that philosophy comes together through a project focused on genuine musicianship and positive energy. Jah Decko is particularly interested in the role of live musicianship at a time when increasingly digital production dominates much of the modern music landscape.

For Jah Decko, the purpose of the music remains simple:

“If a song can give someone strength, make them think, remind somebody to give thanks or simply give them positive energy, then the music has done its job.”

An Established Artist Ready for a Wider Audience

Jah Decko has already built a foundation of international reggae recognition, with coverage from platforms including Reggae Tastemaker, World A Reggae, Reggaeville, Reggae Festival Guide, Reggae Agenda and Ovejas Negrax. Dutch national media outlet NPO Soul & Jazz has also featured him through its Sound of Surinam series, while French station La Grosse Radio has supported his music with repeated airplay.

Now, the forthcoming Love Who Loves You Back album aims to build on that history and introduce Jah Decko to a much wider UK and international audience.

From Suriname to the Netherlands, from professional football to reggae, and from production to his own artist career, Jah Decko’s journey is one of reinvention without losing sight of his roots.

Love Who Loves You Back is the next chapter — and a statement from an artist who has been part of the reggae community for years, now stepping forward with his own voice.

Follow Jah Decko

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Album: Recalibrated The Remixes

Lead Single: Space Age Mama Jama Recalibrated

Release Date: 25th September 2026

“RECALIBRATED The Remixes” arrives 25 September 2026, marking the final chapter of an extraordinary journey of self-discovery

Multidisciplinary artist Amana Melome’ is set to release RECALIBRATED THE REMIXES on 25 September 2026, bringing the journey that began with her acclaimed RECALIBRATION album to a powerful and celebratory conclusion.

RECALIBRATED: is about what happens when the searching is over and the lessons have been absorbed. It is a musical celebration of returning to an authentic self, embracing personal strength and stepping into a new chapter with confidence.

“I created this album of remixes because I wanted to rejoice and dance in celebration of the journey of ‘coming home to my authentic self’ through recalibration,” says Amana Melome’. “I wanted to rejoice in the affirmations of strength, embracing every aspect of who I am and my inner magic in these songs.”

The album takes listeners on a genre-spanning journey, bringing together producers from across the world to reinterpret Amana’s music through Dub Reggae, Funk/Disco, Jazz-House and Soulful/Deep House, alongside unexpected jazz influences. 

A Celebration of Becoming

The collection focuses on the songs ‘Con C.ALMA’, ‘Recalibration’ and ‘SO DONE!’, with the latter opening the album as an unapologetic statement of personal liberation.

“Done with playing small, done with playing it safe,” Amana explains, describing the track as a farewell to limiting beliefs and outdated versions of herself.

Featuring Joel Holmes and Cee Elassaad, SO DONE! transforms that declaration into a celebration of strength, freedom and renewed energy. 

The Song That Brings Everything Full Circle

The album’s most powerful moment comes with ‘Space Age Mama Jama RECALIBRATED’, a reimagining of the very first song Amana ever recorded, originally featured on her debut album Indigo Red! more than ten years ago.

For the new version, Amana returned to the same producer who worked on the original, Saverio ‘Sage’ Principini, creating a remarkable musical full circle. Acclaimed pianist Deron Johnson, known for touring with artists including Miles Davis and Stanley Clarke, also contributes to the new arrangement. 

“Same song, totally different ME!” says Amana. “Giving myself permission to shine at full volume!”

The track captures the transformation at the centre of the entire Recalibration story: a woman finally embodying the fierce, playful, powerful character she imagined when she first wrote the song.

“Here I am RECALIBRATED!”

Motherhood, Identity and Finding Her Way Back

Amana’s return to music has been deeply connected to motherhood. After becoming a mother, she stepped back from her musical career to focus on raising her daughter. Now, as her daughter has grown older, Amana has found the freedom to reconnect with her music and creative identity. 

Her creative journey has always been surrounded by music. Her grandfather was jazz musician Jimmy Woode, while her grandmother was a jazz singer and dancer and her parents were musicians. Amana herself works across music, writing, painting, ceramics and dance, creating an artistic world that refuses to fit neatly into one category. 

Her multicultural upbringing – with connections to Italy, the United States, Spain, Sweden and the Caribbean – has further shaped her distinctive approach to music and storytelling.

Her work has already received praise from music publications, with All About Jazz highlighting its “cross-cultural spirit and jazz subtlety”, while Independent Artist Buzz praised her ability to combine soul, folk and cinematic storytelling. 

RECALIBRATED: THE REMIXES – Tracklisting

1. LET’S GLOW [Intro]
2. SO DONE – Cee Elassaad & Joel Holmes Remix
3. CON C.ALMA (DUB REMIX) – Somos Animales
4. RECALIBRATION – Opolopo Remix
5. CON C.ALMA – Eli Anai Remix
6. RECALIBRATION – GodBlessComputers Remix
7. RECALIBRATION – Saverio ‘Sage’ Principini Remix
8. RECALIBRATED [Interlude]
9. SPACE AGE MAMA JAMA RECALIBRATED – Deron Johnson & Saverio ‘Sage’ Principini Remake
10. SPACE AGE MAMA JAMA RECALIBRATED – Saverio ‘Sage’ Principini Fire Remix

Live Dates

3 October 2026 – Teatro Niccolini, Florence, Italy
10 October 2026 – Malaga, Spain

About Amana Melome’

Amana Melome’ is a multicultural and multidisciplinary artist whose music blends soul, jazz, folk, world music and cinematic storytelling. Based in Marbella, Spain, she draws on a life shaped by multiple cultures, creative disciplines and a deep connection to personal expression.

Follow Amana Melome’

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanamelome/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmanaMusic/ 

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/amanamelome

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/amanamelome

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Amana.Melome

Website: www.amanamelome.com

Single: Our Head

Release Date: 18th September 2026

South London artist Valentina introduces herself with a soulful debut shaped by family, resilience and a deep love of music, ahead of its release on 18 September 2026

There are entertainers who want to be famous, and then there are artists who simply cannot imagine doing anything other than making music.

For South London singer-songwriter Valentina, music has never been about chasing attention. It has been the one constant throughout her life — a way of expressing emotions, finding herself again and connecting with other people. Now, after years of performing, studying music and building her confidence on stages in the UK and Italy, Valentina is ready to begin her next chapter with the release of her debut single on 18 September 2026.

“I want to sing and perform because I genuinely love music and I love what it can do.”

It is a philosophy that sits at the heart of The Valentina Story.

Born and raised in South London, Valentina comes from an Italian and Filipino family and grew up surrounded by music, food, family and performance. Italy has been a second home since childhood, with summers spent there and extended family and close connections across the country. That connection has also become an important part of her musical journey, with Valentina already performing to audiences of thousands of people in Italy.

Her musical influences reach well beyond her own generation. Inspired by the likes of Amy Winehouse, Adele and Raye, as well as soul, R&B, jazz and classical music, Valentina has been described as a young artist with an older, soulful voice.

Rather than attempting to recreate the past, she wants to take the music she loves and find a place for those influences within her own generation.

“I’m a young artist, but I’ve always been told that I have an older, soulful voice,” she explains. “I want to take those influences and find where they belong in my own music today.”

Music That Helped Her Find Herself

Valentina’s relationship with music became particularly important during her teenage years.

At around 16, she went through a difficult period marked by bullying, isolation and a desperate desire to fit in. She found herself changing who she was in an attempt to gain acceptance, eventually reaching a point where she no longer recognised herself.

Music became her escape.

Writing lyrics gave Valentina somewhere to put emotions she didn’t yet know how to express, particularly through songs about heartbreak and the experiences she was going through at the time.

Slowly, music helped her find herself again.

That experience continues to influence the way she approaches songwriting today. For Valentina, a song is not simply something to perform. It can be a place where another person recognises themselves.

“I’ve experienced firsthand how a song can meet you at a point in your life when you feel completely lost and make you feel understood,” she says. “That’s also why honesty matters to me when I write.”

It is this human connection that Valentina hopes to carry into her music at a time when technology and social media can sometimes make creativity feel increasingly manufactured.

A Performer From The Very Beginning

In many ways, Valentina has been preparing for a life on stage since childhood.

Her parents apparently realised she could sing before she did, after hearing her harmonising along to Adele in the car. At home, music was part of everyday family life, including a weekly karaoke tradition with her Filipino relatives.

Her grandfather, an opera singer who could rarely be separated from his guitar, was another major influence. Valentina remembers him performing wherever he went and describes him as one of her biggest supporters.

Sadly, he passed away before hearing her original music — something Valentina says still breaks her heart.

His passion for music, however, remains part of her story.

As a child, Valentina was also involved in almost every school production from Year 7 through Year 12 after receiving a drama scholarship. She loved acting, dancing and singing, although her natural R&B style occasionally appeared where a more traditional musical-theatre approach was expected.

And despite being incredibly shy about singing in front of other people, she was regularly encouraged by her father to perform at family events. What she once found embarrassing ultimately helped build the confidence she would need as a professional performer.

From A Shy Girl Hiding In Wardrobes To Thousands -Strong Italian Crowds

Valentina’s transformation as a performer is perhaps best illustrated by one of her childhood habits: hiding around the house so nobody could hear her practising.

Today, she has performed at venues including COYA Mayfair, Bardo St James’s and Ronnie Scott’s, the latter representing a particularly significant milestone.

Influenced heavily by jazz and soul and inspired by Amy Winehouse, performing at Ronnie Scott’s had long been an ambition. But the significance went beyond the venue itself: it was the first time Valentina performed her own original music in front of an audience.

Then came Italy.

At Minturno Musica Estate, Valentina performed in front of thousands of people — her biggest audience to date. Performing in another country was challenging enough, but doing so while addressing thousands of people in a language that isn’t her first made the achievement even more significant.

She spoke to the crowd in Italian, performed her music and embraced the moment.

The journey from the young girl who once hid to sing privately to a performer confidently facing thousands of people has become one of the defining stories of Valentina’s career so far.

Two Hours, One Italian Classic And A Stage With Al Bano

Her connection with Italy has also produced one of the most unexpected moments of her career.

While on holiday, Valentina was due to open a show for legendary Italian singer Al Bano. Approximately two hours before the performance, he asked her to join him on stage to sing “Felicità”, his biggest hit.

There was just one problem: Italian isn’t Valentina’s first language.

With only two hours to prepare, she had to learn the Italian sections of the song as quickly as possible, with some verses adapted into English.

Despite the pressure of performing an iconic Italian song alongside one of the country’s most famous singers, Valentina took the opportunity — and Al Bano ultimately asked her to close the show with him.

It became another unexpected reminder of just how far her musical journey was taking her.

A New Chapter With Cronx Records

Valentina’s debut marks the beginning of a new chapter with Cronx Records, as she takes the next step in developing her career and bringing her music to a wider audience.

At the centre of that journey is a desire to remain authentic. Valentina has experienced what it feels like to change herself for other people’s acceptance, and she is determined not to repeat that experience through her music or image.

Choosing Music

Valentina’s path into music was not always straightforward.

She had grown up surrounded by people who valued education and hard work, and she initially felt pressure to pursue what she describes as a “proper” career. She even experienced a major setback when she was rejected by the BRIT School at 16, an experience that temporarily made her question whether she was good enough to pursue music.

But she refused to let the rejection define her.

While still under 18, she secretly auditioned for the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM), with help from her older sister. She was accepted and eventually told her parents that she wanted to leave sixth form and study music.

They supported her decision.

Years later, after briefly working in estate agency, Valentina made another major decision: in February 2026, she left her job to pursue music full-time.

It was a risk, but one she felt she needed to take.

“I was deciding to fully back myself and give music the time and commitment I’d always known it deserved,” she says.

That decision has already opened doors, including further opportunities in Italy and the forthcoming release of her debut single.

A New Generation With An Old Soul

Valentina enters this new chapter with ambitions that stretch beyond a single release.

A Christmas EP is currently in development, while 2027 will see her perform at a major festival in Tuscany in front of an expected audience of more than 20,000 people.

With connections spanning South London, Italy, Dubai, New York and Los Angeles, her story is increasingly becoming an international one. Yet her focus remains surprisingly simple.

She wants to make music that means something.

In an era dominated by social media, technology and AI, Valentina believes the most powerful part of music remains something that cannot be manufactured: human connection.

A song can make someone feel understood. It can bring people together. It can remind someone of a person, a place or a moment. It can express something that someone has never been able to explain themselves.

That is what Valentina wants her music to do.

Her debut single, released on 18 September 2026, marks the beginning of that story.

Not a manufactured image. Not an attempt to become somebody else’s idea of an artist.

Just Valentina — a South London girl with Italian and Filipino heritage, an old-soul voice, a lifetime of stories and a genuine love of music.

The Valentina Story has begun.

Follow  Valentina

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevalentinastory

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thevalentinastory

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thevalentinastory

Website: https://www.valentinaofficial.co.uk/

The new RPO research reveals that whilst 39% of people under 25 are interested in adding recorded classical music to their streaming playlists – or buying classical recordings on vinyl (18%) – an enormous 86% would like classical concerts to change to be more welcoming, accessible and easy to follow.

The changes that young people would like to see at orchestral concerts:

·      23% of people aged under 25 said they would be interested in experiencing talks on the music and its social and cultural context before the actual concert – a move to help them better understand the music they would be listening to. Added to this, 20% of respondents said they would like to have easy access to information before the concert so they can prepare.

·      Nationally, 17% of young people would like more daytime or matinee concerts so they can take family and friends to a performance during the working day or during a study break. In addition, 13% of respondents favoured shorter concerts of up to an hour.

·      Some younger people assumed a dress code applied at classical concerts, with 14% of those surveyed saying that not having to dress up would make them more likely to attend.

·      More than one in 10 respondents (12%) said they would like the conductor to speak to the audience before a performance.

Reacting to the research findings, Vasily Petrenko, Music Director at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, comments:“Over the last year, our research has consistently shown that the orchestral audience is diversifying and a new generation is engaging with classical music – and this interest from young people is vital for the future of classical concerts. The role of streaming sites, classical radio and the influence of film and computer game music have probably all been positively influential – but any journey of music discovery is incomplete without the concert hall experience.

“We are conscious that, for some people new to the orchestral world, a first trip to a concert hall can be a daunting experience and a lot of this is about perception. To help tackle this, the RPO is launching a brand-new ‘Revealed’ format of concerts for its new 2026-27 season. This season, multi-award-winning writer and historian Leah Broad will join us to unwrap music by Tchaikovsky and Mozart in conversation, followed by a complete performance of each symphony. This informal and engaging programme of concerts aims to encourage people new to classical music to have a welcoming first experience in the concert hall and to help them get under the skin of the music and its cultural context. It will also appeal to aficionados who want to deepen their knowledge. I will be revealing Mozart’s ‘Jupiter’ Symphony this autumn at Cadogan Hall, whilst Adam Hickox’s concert in May 2027 will open the world of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony.”

The RPO’s unique position in the orchestral world is powered by its mission to enrich lives through orchestral experiences that are uncompromising in their excellence, wide-ranging in their appeal and inclusive in their delivery. Performing approximately 200 concerts each season and with a worldwide live and online audience in excess of 60 million people, the RPO acts as a cultural ambassador for the UK on the world stage and enhances the social and cultural fabric of local communities at home through a wide range of community, education, inclusion and wellbeing programme

For more information on the RPO Revealed concerts visit: https://www.rpo.co.uk/stories/rpo-revealed-unlocking-the-stories-behind-the-music-in-our-new-concert-format