April 2, 2003
"Kein Krieg" - der rote Faden beim Konzert
The Leitmotif of the Concert: NO WAR

American singer Denise Marie opens Blues Week at Steinenhaus

"No War", the two small words expressed by American singer Denise Marie at the opening of the Solingen Blues Week at The Steinenhaus not only caused spontaneous applause but supplied the theme for the two hour concert.

Michael Moore, who politicized the Academy Awards with his speech, could not have articulated it better. Love could never be replaced, and "it's really a shame" the singer said, that this war was fought for money and nothing but money and she underlined this statement with the song "Money". Another song, "Run From the Darkness" was written shortly after President Bush's election and refers to Bush's environmental policies.

But Marie also sang about emotions. Lyrics about the joys and sorrows of love, of loneliness and longing for home as well as hope for a better world showed the whole range of blues. Complemented by her guitar playing this made for a purely beautiful concert. Marie's mixture of strong and soft, smoky and tender voice is unique. A beautiful concert.

-Solingen Tageblatt, April 2, 2003