'For anyone to have the opportunity to perform is a blessing': Dundalk duo Negro Impacto on creativity and community
Since their debut in 2021, Dundalk duo Negro Impacto, comprising vocalist-songwriter Chi-chi and producer/multi-instrumentalist Laurence, have been making waves in the Irish music scene.
Fusing R&B, neo-soul, rock and funk, their sound draws inspiration from a wide range of artists, including Tyler, Stevie Wonder and Solange.
Ahead of their upcoming performance as part of the Prima Volta Weekender, the Irish Mirror caught up with Laurence, who shared insights into their creative process, the sense of community in Dundalk, and their excitement for what’s next.
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“Myself and Chi-chi have a lot of similar and very different inspirations: From the likes of Tyler, Stevie Wonder, and Solange to ones that are quite personal to our experiences,” Laurence told the Star’s Scene ahead of their show.
“Chi-chi growing up in church loves gospel music whereas I have a lot of roots in electronic music since a lot of my friends would have come up through that scene and were the ones who showed me how to do a lot of things production-wise.”
The Irish duo hail from Dundalk in Louth, a small town rich in musical talent and close-knit connections.
“A lot of the musicians in town are mates with each other and have been before the outside started looking in, whether through school or just going out when we were younger so there are genuine friendships there,” the producer shared.
“So far as people we’ve connected with off of just music alone, people are really enthusiastic to help in any way they can.
“People that spring to mind are Jinx Lennon and Peter Baldwin at Black Mountain Studios, there are plenty more but they’re just one of a few people who are just down to Earth and understand the importance of championing and uplifting the ones around you.”
Earlier this month, the duo shared their newest single 1800, dropping a video for the tune at the beginning of this week.
Laurence says the track is about “having those introspective thoughts of ‘Is this life I’m living worth it?’ as well as wanting to do less so you’re able to do more with your summers and life in general.”
“We kind of wanted to have a loose theme that connected the two videos,” Laurence added, chatting about the music videos for 1800 and Fangirl, both of which feature shots of Pimis Food Stores in Dundalk.
“Fangirl was shot and released in the summer whereas 1800 kind of transitions to the end of summer.
“The owner of Pimis was kind enough to let us feature his shop in our videos and has been one of the mainstays so far as African-Irish business owners in town so we figured why not have it appear in the video!”
When it comes to creating music, Laurence describes their songwriting process as anything but predictable.
“It’s different each time, but for the most part, I send Chi-chi something I’m working on or vice versa, whether it is a beat or lyrics, and we kind of build off of that.
“The songs we have released this year had us getting our friends to play on some of the songs which has been a fun addition to our process since our idea of collaboration has mostly just been us two.”
Tonight, Negro Impacto will play the Record Room as part of the Prima Volta Weekender, three days of gigs and workshops across Limerick to celebrate a decade of Prima Volta shows.
Prima Volta began as a three-day music and arts festival as part of Limerick City of Culture 2014 and continues to provide a platform for new and emerging Irish talent with a focus on hip-hop, jazz, and beat-orientated music 10 years on.
“For anyone to have the opportunity to perform is a blessing but even more than that, to have someone like Peter Curtin (co-founder of Prima Volta) who recognises the access he has to allow acts like ourselves, Cela and Hazey to showcase our music and to be heard by folks beyond our circle is something you can’t quantify in any amount of awards or accolades.
“It’s people like Peter and pillars like Prima Volta that ensure artists are being given the chances they deserve in front of an audience who equally understand and respect the point of these efforts.”
Laurence says Negro Impacto have more new music incoming, with plenty of tracks being played live, so Friday’s revellers are in for a “treat”.
“We definitely have more music en route, we’ve been performing a lot of it live so if you do see us Friday night, you’re in for a treat,” he explained.
“We can be a bit too precious with songs but we feel they’re ready to see the light of day and feel they’re a major step beyond our initial release so that’s exciting.”
Negro Impacto will play Limerick’s Record Room on Friday, November 22 as part of the Prima Volta Weekender. Celaviedmai, Hazey Haze, Wastefellow, Cooks But We’re Chefs, Eva Keyes, Brigadier JC, Frankie Downbeat, Macca, Frawley, Jonezy, Bill Baramus and Peter Curtin will also play the festival over three days throughout venues in the city. For tickets and more information, check out here.
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