The Very Best are one of the hottest underground acts on the global pop scene right now.
Riding the wave off the back of their critically acclaimed album MTMTMK, they have just been nominated for a Mobo Award for Best African Act.
After finishing a US tour with Mumford & Sons, they have recently collaborated with Damon Albarn's Africa Express project. They even had two of their tracks played in the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.
An innovative use of technology by Desperados Beer made it possible for The Very Best to perform their first ever London gig with their African lead singer Esau Mwamwaya, who is unable to enter to the UK with his Malawi passport.
Watch the 8 minute film - 'The Very Best' stage innovative 'virtual' gig from Africa:
Desperados flew to Esau's hometown of Lilongwe, Malawi, and used green screen technology to capture footage of the lead singer performing an entire full-length gig, including pre-planned interactions with his fellow band members (who were not at the filming).
They then integrated the footage of Esau into a sensational live performance featuring his bandmates and guest vocalists (including Afrikan Boy and Seye) at this landmark gig in the Shackwell Arms, Dalston, East London hosted by Vice Magazine. The crowd were not expecting Esau to appear on stage, and went crazy when they saw him interacting with the band in between tracks as if he were really there.
The Very Best is Malawi's Esau Mwamwaya and London based producer Johan Hugo (Radioclit, We Don't Belong in Pacha). The band formed over a chance introduction over the purchase of a bicycle in an East London (Hackney) junk shop in 2008. The encounter led production duo Radioclit to invite Esau Mwamwaya into their studio to collaborate on the mixtape that would launch their career.
Containing an infectious cross-pollination of samples and rhythms anchored by Esau's soaring vocals, the mixtape quickly went viral (with approx. 850,000 downloads to date). Pitchfork offered them a slot at their festival for their U.S. debut, and worldwide tour dates for their infamous live shows followed.
2010 saw the release of the trio's full length Warm Heart of Africa - featuring Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig and MIA - which led them to share the stage with Florence & the Machine, The xx, Mumford and Sons, and of course Vampire Weekend across Australia, Europe, and Africa.
That summer Etienne returned to France (disbanding Radioclit), leaving Johan and Esau in a Swedish cottage laying down tracks that would become the Super Mom mixtape. The critically acclaimed MTMTMK, the band's next full-length offering, arrived July 2012 and found the Very Best collaborating with Amadou & Mariam, Baaba Maal, and K'naan.
About Desperados Beer:
Desperados is a beer flavoured with tequila. A unique taste experience that combines the sweetness of tequila flavours with the bitterness of high quality, golden beer. Desperados Beer Official Website
The Very Best Official Website