Then the music fades and she begins another poem, this time without accompaniment. But the mood has been set and the rhythm and the passion of the words still carry us along. She’s a powerful figure with shaven forehead and dreadlocks piled high on her head she resembles an Aztec Princess. Her solid work boots and slightly shabby black pants show she’s prepared to work hard to get our attention and her big strong arms look ready to either hug or crush you with the same passion that she’s pouring into her words.
It comes as no surprise to learn that Candy’s roots lie in the middle east. It gives the poem ‘Brother’ even more significance when she asks the subject of her song to consider her “not as some after thought of God”. And her style, although it’s totally modern is reminiscent of the way persian and Arabic poetry is performed, where the whole body is involved in projecting the emotion of the words.
Go see Candy’s performance then buy one of her CD’s – you’ll want to hear these words again and again and the clarity of the recording will give a new dimension to the work.
By Katie Adelaide Art Beat | Sunday, March 4th, 2012
Candy Royalle a funky rapping beat poet (who, coincidentally has an amazing head of dreadlocks) is a funky rapping crooning beat poet. Stories by Startlight sees Candy teeming up with Sloppy Joe, a jazz funk band consisting of keyboard, drums and bass. The sound that these guys make cruises through the musical genres of funk, blues and acid jazz with the occasional foray into chaos and disharmony, which will stir you up and challenge your ears, reminding us that not everything in life is about smooth tunes and comfortable armchairs.
Is Candy a singer, a poet, a beat poet or a rapper? She’s all three. Reminiscent of Jamiroqui and Skunkhour, Candy’s lyrics and poetry hit home with me. Favourite songs would have to be “Sexual Revolution” – “Sexual revolution will not be lead by Beyonce…Our sexual revolution begins with a book……And seduction, an art form that appears to be dead. We need intimacy….” and “She is free”
By Taryn Pollock ArtsHub | Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Describing herself as a poet and a story-teller, Candy Royalle possesses a uniquely-fashioned talent, married with an ability to oh-so-subtly captivate all of your senses, confuse you, challenge you, and win over your heart. Featuring song, poetry and story-telling, this hour long, one-woman show contains a rollercoaster of emotion that will leave you mentally and emotionally exhausted, mesmerized and lusting for more.
Delivered through the rhythmic chants of Candy Royalle’s deep, husky and soothing voice, Love Spectacular is, from start to finish, a flooding feast of prose that’s unleashed upon its audience in the production’s first seconds, with Candy herself scarcely seeming to draw breath.
It is this immediacy of intensity that initially leaves one confused and wondering what exactly it is that you are a part of. Your face stares back at Candy with a look of stunned bewilderment. It’s only at the conclusion of the first poem that you realise your face, once twisted with confusion is – without your knowing – now bearing a broad smile, your head tilted in contemplation, your eyes staring at the stage with wonderment, your breath held in anticipation for what may follow and the air around you, electric.
Any form of presentation that bombards its audience with prose and lyrical verse from start to finish may be hard to follow, and may thus be considered a self-imposed challenge by the artist to maintain the audience’s attention. By way of light-hearted interaction between poems and songs, as well as the adoption of a varied selection of creative delivery techniques, Royalle maintains audience engagement with apparent ease.
The creative techniques adopted throughout Love Spectacular are varied, but in conjunction with Royalle’s words enhance the effect they have on her audience. Rhythmic chants allow emphasis and inflection of emotion in her verse; the inclusion of a guitar loop manipulates her voice and her sound, introducing an echo to the air and lending a soundtrack that complements the melody of her voice. Her gaze is as fixed upon each and every individual in her audience as theirs is on her; her hands are constantly in use, talkative and expressive; her facial expressions convey her intensity and her passion.
Marry these techniques with the prose that make Love Spectacular the sexually charged and emotionally confronting piece of work that it is and Royalle’s mastery of her talent is exposed. Raw, and born of her own experiences and emotions, her artistic language makes repeated mention of romance and fervour, anger and fear, courage and adoration, and lulls you into a trance, leaving you hanging on her every word. Each piece of work climaxes repeatedly; the final climax however, the summation of the piece, renders her intention apparent.
The degree to which her pieces vary is immense, from all-consuming lust in her poem ‘Wanting,’ to an explicit depiction of an unbridled sexual tryst with a lover in ‘Violence’,in which she speaks of “willing rape…of something which has assaulted our senses but is essentially senseless where the savagery has exhausted us.”
Nominated for the ‘showstopping individual performance award’ at the Sydney Fringe Festival, Candy Royalle: Love Spectacular is more than worthy of the praise it has already garnered, and is deserving of the success it will continue to gain. It is truly is an assault on your senses, a feast for your ears and your heart. Allow Candy’s genius to overwhelm and consume you, lure and guide you through a whirlwind of emotion that will leave your flustered and in awe.
By Jenny Smith Rip It Up | Saturday, February 26, 2011
This show is mesmerising. Upon reading the title Love Spectacular, my sinking heart conjured up such terribly sugary songs that I’d be forced to floss upon leaving, but this was not to be. Instead, the dark Candy entranced her audience with stormy poems of near-tribal love, seduction, animalistic desire, tamed sexuality and suppressed longing.
She has a warm humanity which she was happy to reveal between each dark performance; however her happy ease did seem a little disjointed when matched with the heaviness of the worlds we’d just glimpsed.
Anyone who has been in love will recognise, nay, relive, themes including the pain of break-ups and the startling realisation of humanity’s mutual connectedness. They may find themselves leaving with her sometimes-disturbing tales looping like her sound effects, perhaps just a little longer than they’d choose for them to. Herein lies Candy’s confrontational cleverness.
If you were planning on taking your beloved to Candy Royalle’s show “Love Spectacular” as a late Valentine’s Day present, beware. This is not red roses and a box of chocolates. This is not a teddy bear holding an “I wuv you” balloon. Jason and Kylie are not singing a duet in the background.
Candy Royalle’s love is complex. She understands that love can be desperate, aching and suffocating. She is prepared to take risks by looking into dark and uncertain emotional places: isolation, sexual aggression, dependency, weakness and violence. There is great compassion in her gaze; she is neither judgemental nor preachy.
“Love Spectacular” is a collection of poems and songs, performed in a declamatory “beat” style. In the confines of the small Cuckoo Bar, this is an arresting and intimate experience. Candy Royalle is confident and engaging. She adds vocal loops, giving her poetry more gusto and theatrical depth.
But this show is not for everyone. The rapid delivery and sexual brutality are confronting. It is rewarding but uncomfortable theatre. Those not prepared for, or inclined towards, this type of production should head for safer territory…
CANDY Royalle is a striking performer with her massive dollop of dreadlocks piled high on her head and an energy that overflows in the intimate venue. The candid poet’s lyrics in song, storytelling and poetry detail the sexualisation of moments in life, being in love and out of love.It’s a love spectacular but not as you would expect. There’s no lovey-dovey here. It’s a strong corporeal and visceral love in her poetry, without any fluffy emotions.In between the chapters of her performance she became the chatty Candy, sharing experiences of performing at other festivals and interacting with the audience.