Who Put the “Neo” in Neo-Soul?
” In the music video for Remy Shand’s “Send a Message,” viewers observe a young white bohemian musician (he wears a beret and carries an electric guitar in a soft case) arriving at a nicely appointed urban nightclub during daylight hours. The club’s sign reads “Neo-Soul Caf.” Hoping to audition for a slot on stage, Remy is given a skeptical look over by the club manager, a bearish and intimidating black man. Shand will need to prove his credibility as a singer within a thoroughly black genre. When he later performs “Send a Message” before a crowded club, gorgeous models of assorted skin shades sway in time to the song’s lilting mid-tempo groove and the singer’s soft high voice (reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield). Won over by the soul singer, the bearish manager flashes a smile and a thumbs-up. Remy’s message has been sent. Actually, several messages have been sent. The neosoul genre designation serves to link together the work of some younger MTV-ready singer-songwriters who affectionatel
