SAN FRANCISCO, January 03, (THEWILL) – The just-concluded NBC [National Broadcasting Company] New Year’s Eve 2021 event has received rave reviews from viewers as well as critics but the golden moment of the evening was a live performance of “Englishman/African In New York” by Sting and Shirazee.
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Shirazee delivered a personal finesse on Sting’s iconic original song that put viewers in awe. He had composed his own version of the song titled “African in New York” and ultimately received Sting’s blessing to perform the song.
Born Paolo Prudencio, the Beninese singer and songwriter is a relatively new artiste that has been able to take some giant steps as far as reach and collaboration are concerned.
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Shirazee had first connected with Sting via video call in November 2020 in conversation for Spin Magazine. At the time no one would’ve seen this collaboration between the duo coming but fans were pleasantly surprised.
“He loves it,” Shirazee told The World. “He said it made him smile in a time where he felt that’s what we need. He felt like it was a very special version. It’s just very mind-boggling to me to go from discovering it as a kid and now being able to be in a conversation with him [Sting] about it. It’s just incredible and I’m glad people are actually reacting the same to the record.”
Sting’s original version “Englishman in New York” was released in 1987, almost 34 years ago but it still has an amazing effect on listeners which just goes to show that originality will always ensure longevity.
The NBC broadcast also featured performances from across the United States by AJR, Busta Rhymes featuring Anderson.Paak, Chloe x Halle, CNCO, Jason Derulo, Goo Goo Dolls, Kylie Minogue, Pentatonix, Bebe Rexha featuring Doja Cat, Blake Shelton, and Gwen Stefani.
