Mama Kin is one of the most engaging fascinating performers I've seen in the past couple of years. I've watched her play several times and have left enthralled and enchanted. But until today, I've never been able to work out why it's affected me. I mean, her songs are great, but then so are the songs of thousands of other artists and they don't effect me in the same way. She's also blessed to perform with a stomping rhythm section that play with bravado and sensitivity but it ain't that either.

Finally, it occured to me while watching this video. Her lyrics are deeply, deeply personal. She's telling you in the most painful way how her heart was broken by a former love. You can hear the tears splashing on the manuscript page as she writes out the simple piano lines. "You tore my heart out, what did you do that for?" When she sings this song, she's reliving that pain and as her voice cracks with emotion it's hard not to sympathise, to get drawn into the heartache and determination of the song...

But don't get me wrong. She knows how to have fun too... The aforementioned stomping rhythm section play soul the New Orleans way, with a swing and stru and even in the sad songs, the dry and wry sense of humour is never too far away. 

Besides that, Mama Kin is the queen of stage banter, she's hilarious and engaging, she's likely to spend up to 5 minutes telling a story between songs, but it's just as enthralling as the music. Mama Kin is playing at Woodford, Mullum Music Festival, Blues at Bridgetown, Womad and more over the summer. If you see heron a festival bill near you, go check her out. Do yaself a favour!