David Mensah

London based soul singer David Mensah who trained under Patrick Jean Paul Dean at his academy has got a sound fused with good looks set to propel him very far in the music industry. After i heard his song -food of love- i knew i had to catch up with this fast rising star. what kind of music influenced you growing up?

Wow everything to be honest. Pretty much like anyone else I went through phases though perhaps mine were a little more extreme. It all started off with my Dad who was a DJ playing soul morning noon and night. My mum on the other hand seemed to have the reggae or lovers rock version of all the records that Dad was spinning. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that the first record I bought was Paula Abdul and MC Scat Cat which at the time I thought was the coolest thing in the world. In my teens I listened to everything from Shabba Ranks to Nirvana but my favourites were R.Kelly, Jodeci, Mary J Blige, Faith Evans and of course that man with the voice of an angel Luther Vandross.

What was it like training at the patrick jean paul dean vocal academy?

It was good. It definitely helped to build my confidence. There were some pretty heavy duty singers in the class so it really pushed you to be on top of your game. You got to learn from everyone else. I can still remember when I first started , just singing in front of 30 people was such a huge deal. I sang a song by Usher and lets just say I didn't do it justice (laughs)

Your sound has been described as silky,sexy and soulful, in your own words how would you describe it?

I wouldn’t describe it, I always leave that to others. I would hope that people hear that I really feel the songs and mean what I am singing about. To me it is all about being able to get into the moment. And by that I mean becoming totally absorbed with what is happening at that very second, not thinking about what you just sang or what you are about to sing but focusing on what you are singing and meaning it 100%.

Who are the other musicians or producers you'd love to work with someday?

There are so many I don’t know where to start. I feel so lucky already to be working with the producers I am working with. They all work in different ways so it keeps me on my toes. I just like working with talented people.

What's the ultimate for you concerning your career?

The ultimate to me is singing one of my songs on stage and having the audience sing it back. It is a feeling I cant describe.

Who's your style icon?

There are lots of stylish peeps out there. Personally I just go for what I am comfortable in but artists like Pharell have a wicked sense of style.