Ma Bessie & Her Blues Troupe On Tour In Northern Ireland

Ma Bessie & Her Blues Troupe On Tour In Northern Ireland.

Ma Bessie is taking her show – about the life of Bessie Smith – to Northern Ireland.

Forthcoming dates & venues:
Thursday 31st March 2022 ~ Theatre at The Mill, Newtownabbey
Friday 1st April 2022 ~ The Waterside Theatre, Londonderry
Saturday 2nd April 2022 ~ The Ardhowen, Enniskillen

Building on her passion for the empress of the blues, Julia Titus (Ma Bessie) formed the band to share the music of Bessie Smith with a new generation of listeners; mixing Julia’s rich, warm vocal sound with a dynamic band – that look as well as sound the part.

This narrated show, featuring music from the era and showcasing many of Bessie’s songs, chronicles Bessie’s life – from a one-room shack in Blue Goose Hollow, to becoming the highest-paid black entertainer of the time, to the tragic accident on Route 61 in September 1937 – that ended her young life, aged 43 years.

Bessie Smith (15th April 1894 – 26th September 1937) was nicknamed the “Empress of the Blues”, and was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and was a major influence on a myriad of jazz and blues singers.

“… there are not many singers around with Bessie’s style and certainly few in this country. An exception is the larger than life and hugely talented Julia Titus” Michael Eagleton, Marlow Jazz Club
“Musical highlight” Paddy Maguire, Festival Director, Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival
“She’s awesome” Rob Da Bank, Festival Owner and Curator, Camp Bestival

Tickets and more info via Ma Bessie Tours Northern Ireland