{"id":31937,"date":"2026-02-17T10:08:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=31937"},"modified":"2026-02-17T10:08:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:08:43","slug":"on-stage-extra-two-intriguing-midweek-shows-come-to-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=31937","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Extra): Two intriguing midweek shows come to area"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff, <\/span><\/strong>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n
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Blessing Offor<\/p><\/div>\n

There are two mid-week concerts in the area this week that will feature artists who are American citizens with international roots \u2013 Blessing Offor, who will perform in Philadelphia on February 17, and Paul Hernandez who will bring Katz\u00f9 Oso to Ardmore on February 18.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Blessing Offor will headline a show at the Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a><\/u>) on February 17.<\/span><\/div>\n
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The \u201cHeart So Real Tour\u201d marks Offor\u2019s first headline tour in support of his critically acclaimed sophomore album, \u201cReal.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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The versatile singer\/guitarist\/keyboardist, who has earned numerous Christian music awards as well as two Grammy Award nominations, has lived a challenging life.<\/span><\/div>\n

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Songs such as \u201cBrighter Days\u201d and \u201cBelieve\u201d are like anthems for Offor, who has shown a tremendous amount of resilience his entire life.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Offer was born in Nigeria and moved to Connecticut when he was still very young.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI was born in Owerri, which is about an hour-and-a-half south of Lagos,\u201d said Offor, during a phone interview last week from his home in Nashville.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Offor was born blind in left eye and with limited vision in the other due to congenital glaucoma. When he was six years old, Offor and his uncle migrated to\u00a0Connecticut in the hope of salvaging the vision in his right eye, which had perfect vision.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cIt did work,\u201d said Offor, referring to the doctors\u2019 efforts to prevent total blindness. \u201cThen, when I was 10, I got shot in my good eye with a water gun \u2013 playing around in the yard with a super soaker.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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The water gun incident detached his retina and eventually left him lacking functional vision in a matter of four years.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cI still have a little vision in my right eye,\u201d said Offor.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Offor began composing music on piano. At the same time, he learned to play songs by his favorites including Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder and other Motown artists.<\/span><\/div>\n
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He embarked on career as a gospel musician and relocated to Nashville to attend Belmont University.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI was studying commercial voice and music composition at Belmont,\u201d said Offor, whose family belongs to Nigeria\u2019s Igbo tribe.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cAfter two years, I gracefully exited and moved back to New York. I used to go to a lot of singer\/songwriter clubs in the West Village. Even though I\u2019m blind, I learned how to ride the subway.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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Offor played at bars in his young adult years before competing on\u00a0The Voice\u00a0during\u00a0its seventh season\u00a0in 2014, where he joined team\u00a0Pharrell Williams\u00a0and later\u00a0Adam Levine, before getting eliminated in the show\u2019s third round.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Offor regularly performs at the Kennedy Center to help spread awareness about artists with disabilities. In 2010, he won the International Young Soloists Award from VSA.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cMy first breakthrough was when I won the Young Soloists Award at the Kennedy Center in 2010,\u201d said Offor. \u201cI started doing auditions for little labels. Then, I did The Voice in 2014.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI moved back to Nashville to write songs. It didn\u2019t go the way I wanted it to at first, but it got me back. I got my first record deal with Universal Records in 2020.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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In 2022 he released the single, \u201cBrighter Days,\u201d accompanied by an album of the same name. The song reached No. 17 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Top 20, No. 25 on the mainstream Adult Contemporary chart and No. 1 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Top TV songs chart.<\/span><\/div>\n
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In 2023, Offor released a single, \u201cMy Tribe,\u201d which peaked at number 2 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Christian AirPlay for seven weeks. \u201cMy Tribe\u201d pays tribute to his sister, Mercy, who died December 29, 2022, and to his home country, Nigeria.<\/span><\/div>\n
Later that year, his song, \u201cBelieve,\u201d reached number 23 on Christian Top 40\u00a0and in November 2023 was nominated for the\u00a0Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance\/Song\u00a0at the\u00a066th Annual Grammy Awards.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Offor also received a nomination for the\u00a0Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album\u00a0with his album,\u00a0\u201cMy Tribe.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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It reached No. 6 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Top Christian Albums chart and No. 20 on the Top Current Digital Album Sales and\u00a0Official Charts\u00a0UK Top Christian\/Gospel charts.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Later that year, his song, \u201cWonderful Christmastime,\u201d a Paul McCartney cover, reached No. 1 on the\u00a0Billboard AC Monitored<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Airplay\u00a0charts.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cGetting the Christian Music Grammy nominations was great,\u201d said Offor. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think of myself as a traditional Christian artist. I think of myself as an artist that is a Christian.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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Offor\u2019s long-awaited sophomore album, \u201cReal,\u201d was released a few months ago. The album features singles, \u201cJordans,\u201d and \u201cSomebody\u2019s Child,\u201d with Dolly Parton.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI recorded most of \u2018Real\u2019 in Nashville,\u201d said Offor. \u201cI also did some recording session in London.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cA lot of the recording got done analog. Every producer works differently. The main producer for the album was Heinrich Michaelson.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI wrote a lot of songs. I had over 100 songs ready, but I only put 16 on the record. The guidepost was authenticity. I wanted it to live up to its name.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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Video link for Blessing Offor — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KUuhNQBumBY<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
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The show at The Foundry on February 17, which has Laura Cheadle as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m.<\/span><\/div>\n
Tickets are $14.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Katz\u00f9 Oso<\/p><\/div>\n

Katz\u00f9 Oso is the stage name of Paul Hernandez. Tonight, he will visit the Main Line for a show at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) <\/span>where he will share a bill with Say She She.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Katz\u00f9 Oso is a Latino artist from Los Angeles known for his dreamy pop sound and multicultural influences.<\/span><\/div>\n
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He was born and raised in Montebello, California, east of Los Angeles. His upbringing in a multicultural environment has significantly influenced his music, blending elements of Latin pop, chillwave, and vintage synth sounds.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cBoth of my parents were into music \u2013 and my uncle,\u201d said Katz\u00f9, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Fort Collins, Colorado.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cMy dad always had a guitar around. He was a big Santana fan \u2013 that and classic rock. He was always listening to English classic rock.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cThe Latino music I got from my mom who listened to acts like Roberto Carlos (a Brazilian singer-songwriter known as \u201cKing of Brazilian Music\u201d). She was also into Norte\u00f1o (a subgenre of\u00a0regional Mexican\u00a0music) and Afro-Cuban music.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cBoth of my parents were Mexican-American. We always spoke Spanglish at home.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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Katz\u00f9 got his start on guitar when he was quite young.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cOne day my dad asked me if I wanted to learn to play guitar,\u201d said Katz\u00f9.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cHe got me started on a bass guitar. He wanted me to get used to strings. He said I had to get my fingers strong before I played the guitar. I was around 11 or 12.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cMy first bass was a fake Hofner \u2013 a mock version of the violin bass that Paul McCartney plays. I played in cover bands when I was in high school. I graduated in 2012 and started writing my own music in 2017.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI listened to a lot of indie rock. Tame Impala was a big influence \u2013 especially when I found out he was by himself.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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After putting out a string of singles starting with \u201cSophie\u201d in 2018, Katz\u00f9 Oso released his debut EP, \u201cPastel,\u201d in 2018.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI did my first EP at my parents\u2019 house on a MIDI keyboard and a laptop,\u201d said Katz\u00f9. \u201cI did all the music on the recording \u2013 starting with the beats and then adding the rest. That EP got a lot of traction.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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Next release for Katz\u00f9 was \u201cColour\u201d in 2020 and followed by his debut album, \u201cTmi,\u201d in 2022.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Now, the focus is on \u201cLa Conexi\u00f3n,\u201d which was released via Cosmica Artists on October 17, 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cLa Conexi\u00f3n\u201d is an immersive, cinematic exploration of human emotion, relationships, and self-discovery. The artist brings his visual storytelling background as a photographer into his music, with every track functioning like a moment suspended in time\u2014capturing the raw beauty, pain, and complexity of life through sound.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Through themes of transformation, love, loss, and introspection, Katz\u00f9 Oso crafts a narrative that is universally relatable yet deeply personal — blending elements of Latin pop, acoustic ballads, and cinematic instrumentation.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI started my own studio in Boyle Heights in 2019 and then later moved it to Pico Rivera,\u201d said Katz\u00f9. \u201cI do my recording with Ableton and have a lot of analog pedals.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI always start with the music before the lyrics. It usually starts with a chord progression. Next is a catchy melody and a catchy hook. At first, I just sing gibberish.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cSongwriting comes pretty naturally for me. I can write a song for you real quick. Songwriting is like a bolt of lightning captured in the moment. The only time it\u2019s challenging is if I get writer\u2019s block from overthinking.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cLa Conexi\u00f3n\u201d is an intertwined collection of 12 songs with diverse music and deep emotion.<\/span><\/div>\n
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According to Katz\u00f9, \u201cThis album is a collection of pivotal moments that have shaped who I am. It\u2019s a project about love, pain, hope, longing, and the quiet resilience that carries you forward.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cLike a roll of film with 36 exposures, each song captures a unique story, a snapshot in time. \u2018La Conexi\u00f3n\u2019 is made up of 12 songs \u2014 12 moments suspended in 35 minutes of music.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI didn\u2019t confine myself to a single genre, because I wasn\u2019t raised in a single sound. I grew up surrounded by a wide spectrum of music, culture, and emotion — and I wanted this album to reflect that, without holding back.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cI come from a diverse city, rich with culture and community, and I wanted \u2018La Conexi\u00f3n\u2019 to feel like that \u2014 a melting pot of influences and sounds that ultimately made me, me.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cLa Conexi\u00f3n\u201d will be delivered live by Katz\u00f9 Oso\u2019s current three-piece lineup.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u2018On tour, I have Gil Simo on guitar and backup vocals,\u201d said Katz\u00f9. \u201cI have Alec Kwo on my right playing keyboards. I\u2019m singing and doing some backing tracks and some synth stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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Video link for Katz\u00f9 Oso \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/g7jczYCYlYU<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
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The show at the Ardmore Music Hall on February 18 will start at 8 p.m.<\/span><\/div>\n
Tickets are $37.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Another attractive mid-week show will take place in West Chester on February 18 when Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) presents Ruben Studdard.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Studdard rose to national fame as the winner of Season Two of\u00a0\u201cAmerican Idol\u201d\u00a0and has since built an acclaimed career as one of contemporary soul\u2019s most recognizable voices.<\/span><\/div>\n
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A Grammy Award nominee, Studdard has released seven studio albums, including his platinum-selling debut, \u00a0\u201cSoulful,\u201d and the chart-topping gospel album\u00a0\u201cI Need an Angel.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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Best known for hits like \u201cFlying Without Wings,\u201d \u201cSorry 2004,\u201d and \u201cChange Me,\u201d Studdard has a rich, unmistakable voice that has captivated audiences for more than two decades.<\/span><\/div>\n
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In addition to his recording success, he has earned praise for his work on stage and screen, including starring as Fats Waller in the national tour of\u00a0\u201cAin\u2019t Misbehavin\u2019,\u201d which produced a Grammy-nominated cast recording.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Video link for Ruben Studdard — https:\/\/youtu.be\/yxTYq_uShII<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
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The show at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center on February 18 will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Tickets are $56, $71 and $86.<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times \u00a0 There are two mid-week concerts in the area this week that will feature artists who are American citizens with international roots \u2013 Blessing Offor, who will perform in Philadelphia on February 17, and Paul Hernandez who will bring Katz\u00f9 Oso to Ardmore on February 18. Blessing Offor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[12267,3162,12268],"class_list":["post-31937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","tag-blessing-offor","tag-featured","tag-katzu-oso"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31937"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31939,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31937\/revisions\/31939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}