Born and raised in Camden, Bakar made his way through word of mouth rather than tirelessly self-promoting on social media. He sings with the soulfulness of a classic Motown singer, but with the husk and city smoke of Londoner, over indie pop not a million miles away from Mike Skinner. Considering the quality of the songs and the fact that Bakar has featured on the prestigious Berlin music series ‘Colours’, it’s surprising that he hasn’t got a bigger following. The new single ‘Hell N Back’ is a optimistic pop song, hit with a Motown groove. Whistles and precise guitar stabs introduce the song as Bakar comes in with a catchy, soulful vocal. His voice is husky, and he sings in his London accent, against the back drop of uplifting instruments. The trumpet part is reminiscent of that in ‘Move on Up’ by Curtis Mayfield...giving the song a similar sentiment. There is something very Winehouse about this tune - it encompasses the soul of a modern Londoner, whilst appreciating old school soul, as he sings: “would you be my light, be my yellow, PYT walking down Portabello”. -Ellie Rose Davies