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Shola Ama: Jazz Café, London

Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 March 2000

THE STORY GOES that west London teenager Shola Ama was singing to herself at Hammersmith tube station one day when, in true pop-legend fashion, a record company scout happened by. Taken by her vampish soul style, he signed her up — and by the age of 18 she'd achieved a platinum-selling album and a Brit award. But this serendipitous good fortune is offset by what some might call a manifest lack of charisma — she's got the voice, the looks and the Rodney Jerkins-produced new LP, In Return, but she hasn't got the presence that might redeem a show that started 90 minutes late.

Total word count of piece: 363

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