Soren Siegumfeldt first encountered Meschiya Lake in the documentary ‘True Family’ – a challenging film about a girl who plays traditional jazz with her band on the streets of New Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina strikes and the floods destroy everything, the road back is long and harrowing. It’s a struggle against a natural disaster, against euphoric drugs, and much more. It’s hard not to feel strong emotion when the unbreakable practitioners of the city’s proudest traditions once again stand in the French Quarter, as Meschiya’s voice fills up the streets, while swing dancers give their all and tourists film, clueless as to the drama that has unfolded just before.
Meschiya Lake is one of the best singers in New Orleans. Many years of hard work have resulted in her rise to the top in a city where the competition among musicians is famously tough. Leading up to the recording with String Swing, Meschiya and her small family stayed with Sore