Last December a Christmas miracle happened for Floetry fans. After parting ways in 2007, the soul duo – singer Marsha Ambrosius and spoken word artist Natalie Stewart – shared the stage for the first time in nearly eight years. Video of the performance at Clapham Grand in their native London went viral almost as quickly as the hearts of Floetry fans filled with hopes that more would grow from the impromptu performance.
Prayers were answered this spring – and St. Louis is one of the lucky cities to once again experience Floetry in the flesh when they bring their reunion tour to The Pageant next Friday, June 19.
In just two studio albums, Floetry left a lasting impression on R&B in the early part of the new millennium.
An especially well received performance by Stewart that fused her prose with Ambrosius’ signature vibrato gave birth to the group, and they became a featured attraction of the London spoken-word community.
Floetry made their debut on the American music scene in 2002. They came in on the tail end of the “neo soul” movement that birthed the likes of Erykah Badu, D’ Angelou and Maxwell. The two honed their craft in Philadelphia’s rich soul music scene, which in recent years has produced Bilal, Musiq Soulchild, The Roots and Jill Scott.
It was apparent early on that Floetry had something special – well before their music made it to the masses.
Michael Jackson heard their demo “Butterflies” and fell in love with the song. He recorded it for his 2001 “Invincible” album.
“It was incredible,” Stewart told Yahoo Music. “He continually asked, ‘Marsh, what’s the next harmony? Girls, does this sound right? What do you think? Is this what you were looking for?’ He was so open.”
The next year Floetry released their debut LP “Floetic,” with the title track as their debut single. The single as moderately received, but it was their follow-up ballad “Say Yes” that caught Urban Adult Contemporary listeners’ attention. “Getting Late” locked in official fans for their smooth soul and poetry hybrid.
2005’s “Flo’ology” saw continued success with the ballad “Lay Down” and the up-tempo “SupaStar,” featuring Common.
But at the height of their success, it was suddenly over for Floetry. For reasons that are still not entirely clear – some sources cite creative differences, while others say it was the desire to establish solo careers – Ambrosius and Stewart split in 2007.
“I’m not sure why,” Stewart said about the group’s breakup. “In hindsight, I just know that everything went the way that it was supposed to go. We had to take time as solo artists to do what we do.”
They released five solo albums between them (two from Ambrosius, three from Stewart), but the music never seemed to strike the same chord with listeners as when they were together – proven by the response to their performance back in December.
In February, Stewart announced that based on fan feedback, she and Ambrosius would return to the stage as a duo. In May The Reunion Tour kicked off in Atlanta and will make its way to St. Louis next weekend.
“Like always, it’s been kind of organic,” Stewart told DJ Smallz Eyez. “Ultimately, it’s all for the fans. And it’s only right that they get to enjoy – and we get to enjoy – those songs again.”
Floetry’s The Reunion Tour will hit The Pageant on Friday, June 19. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com or call (314) 726-6161.
