Jazz singer Ancil Valley returns to retro in concert

Ancil Valley and his self-titled Ancil the Band will delve deep into the funk and disco vault to pull out the timeless classics of the '70s and '80s, when he returns to the stage at the Achievors Banquet Hall, Duncan Village, San Fernando, on October 8.

The charismatic singer says he plans to create a Las Vegas-type showcase with his Return to Retro concert and promises fans an “ultimate throwback experience,” a media release said.

“It is going to be, as they say, ‘a movie,’ but, one of those old, remastered classics that you want to watch over and over,” Valley said in the release.

The San Fernando-born singer/songwriter said he is eager to show off the enhanced brass power of his musical outfit and promises a few tricks and thrills.

“It’s the best of the funk and disco era, music you haven’t heard and grooved to in a while, jammed live with full brass. And yuh know when that brass hit yuh what does go on, my pores raising just thinking of that crisp sound and the audience’s reaction,” Valley said.

Patrons can expect all the musical bells and whistles from his second live concert performance since the start of the covid19 pandemic in 2020. Ancil the Band played to a sold-out audience at the same venue at the All for Mom concert earlier in May.

The former Digicel Rising Stars winner (2013) says after two years of virtual interactions he is over the moon at the prospect of once again coming face to face with his adoring fanbase.

“They keep telling me on social media how much they have missed me. I want them to know whatever they are feeling to multiply it by 1,000 and that’s how much I’ve missed them. As an entertainer I thrive on that in-person engagement with my followers. It fuels and inspires me and keeps me going. So, operating in a vacuum, limited to social media exchanges, has been tough.”

Valley has carved a unique space in regional entertainment as a musician that promotes and creates space for contemporaries as well as young upcoming talent. The National Youth Action Committee's (NACC) Most Versatile Vocalist awardee created the Eat, Drink, Jazz Music Festival in 2016 to create a space where established stars share the stage with newcomers.

“Create opportunities and bringing people on different legs of the journey together is so fulfilling. It's something I definitely want to continue doing with the support of corporate Trinidad and Tobago and other stakeholders.”

Tickets for Ancil Valley’s Return to Retro concert are available at outlets and online at ticketgateway.com