Wah Wah 45s returns to Grow for another freestyle, forward thinking soulful session with new signings to BBE Records, Anushka playing live, with support from rising star Pollena with DJ Des Frutas and resident, label boss and host Dom Servini.
Anushka is the collaborative name for Victoria Port and Max Wheeler. The duo first met in the vibrant club, music and arts scenes in that creativity incubating south coast town that is Brighton. With their first single, Yes Guess, gaining support from major broadcast influencers such as Gilles Peterson they released their debut album, Broken Circuit, in 2014. With major airplay support from Mary Anne Hobbs, Annie Mac, the aforementioned Gilles Peterson and others the second album Yemaya was released in 2021 - on this second record they experimented with their sound, exploring darker and more complex songs and palettes. Both albums forged Anushka's sound and production values, combining a deep respect for the UK's electronic club culture mixed with Jazz and Soul.
Now, with the upcoming release of Ancestry on BBE Music, the duo has created an album that furthers their sound, their songwriting, their arrangements and their production. Victoria's songwriting for Ancestry is influenced by her love of Ella Fitzgerald, Sampha, Jimmy Cliff and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Max's approach to the production on Ancestry is driven by his own ancestral back catalogue of music from Moodyman and Theo Parrish and further back to Larry Heard, Wu Tang Clan and the 90's electronica of Tricky, Portishead and David Holmes. It definitely bears repeating that list of influences has resulted in Ancestry being Anushka's best album yet.
Victoria also has a new solo EP coming out on First Word Records this year.
Pollena is an emerging London-based singer-songwriter on the Indie Dance scene. She's gained well over 1 million Spotify streams and 45k monthly listeners since releasing her debut single in 2021 ("The Pool" featured on BBC 6 Music by Lauren Laverne and beyond). Her solo live performances are known for an intimate energetic feel. She's backed with a hybrid DJ set (usually with one or two of her many collaborators) featuring live instrumentation and experimental vocals, and brought to life with original visuals and lighting.
Pollena has collaborated with global artists and released music through labels including Ninja Tune/Foreign Family Collective, Kitsuné Musique and Friends of Friends and her tracks frequently feature on editorial streaming playlists (Fresh Finds, New Music Friday & others) and in-store at H&M, Zara, and Mango. She garnered attention from leading tastemakers including Lauren Laverne, Sian Eleri, Giles Peterson, Jamz Supernova and Nemone. Her recent euphoric chill-house single "Repeat to Fade" with Bad Tuner, gained attention from The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music.
2025 is looking bright for Pollena with releases lined up with Laurence Guy, Gilligan Moss, El Train, and Max Wheeler the Brighton-based producer and one half of Anushka and collaborations in place with Sunflowr, Tell, Louis La Roche, Fabich, Bondax, Boston Bun, Anoraak, Love Tempo, Eric Luttrell, Dougie Stu (Brijean), Très Mortimer, Loverground and more.
With over ten years of mixing under his belt, Streatham-based DJ Des Frutas began his journey as part of the Gold Teeth collective, bringing his musical blend to clubs across the UK. Over that time, he’s supported the likes of Romare, Dam Swindle, Artwork and Horse Meat Disco, with festival sets at Parklife, Tramlines and Beacons Festival.
Each week, Des Frutas brings Worldwide Fruits to the Brixton Radio airwaves, featuring choice cuts from across the globe. Expect feel good sets filled with uplifting sun-drenched house and disco, Latin and African grooves and lesser-known tropical gems.
Dom Servini has been something of an institution in the worldwide eclectic scene for over three decades. As label boss at Wah Wah 45s for over 25 years, music journalist for seminal publications like Straight No Chaser and Echoes, and with a weekly radio show on Jazz FM, a monthly on Soho Radio and regular appearances on BBC 6 Music, Dom continues to be at the forefront of the left-of-centre black music scene. His uplifting DJ sets have taken him across the globe from Japan to Canada , from Montenegro to Australia, and right back here in London town where he was resident at The Jazz Café for over 30 years and is currently starting a new daytime event called Our Time Is Now!
Entry is free before 9 PM, Early Bird tickets are £5 and general admissions is £7. Pre-sale ticket entry is before 10 pm. Tickets on the door are £10 after 9 pm.
Standing Tickets: Our tickets provide access to the standing area, allowing you to immerse yourself in the energy of the event. Reserved Tables: While our tickets do not include a table, we encourage you to book one in advance to secure your preferred spot. 30% of our tables are held back for walk-ins, so there’s still a chance to grab a table on the day of the event. If you’d like a table, please visit OpenTable to make a reservation. Arriving early is recommended to secure your seating.
Experience a world of flavours at Grow! We’re proud to partner with esteemed breweries, St Austell and Signature Brewery, to bring you an exceptional range of Draft Beers. But that’s not all - we also serve vibrant Organic Wines and Prosecco that are sure to delight your palate.
Looking for a twist on the classics? Try our Rum Punch, or our Vegan & Organic Espresso Martini. For those who like a bit of heat, our in-house infused Jalapeño Tequila is perfect for crafting spicy margaritas.
If you’re not drinking, we’ve got you covered. Choose from our selection of live cultured drinks, CBD, raw cacao hot chocolate, and Union Coffee. We also offer a variety of Hackney Herbal Teas. And if you’re in the mood for something special, we mix custom mocktails to order and have non-alcoholic beer on hand.