Artists confirmed so far… Alaev Family (Tajikstan/Israel); Ane Brun (Norway); Boubacar Traore (Mali);Buena Vista Social Club (Cuba); Dizraeli and the Small Gods (UK); Grupo Fantasma (USA); Lo’Jo(France/Algeria); Joe Driscoll & Seckou Kouyate (USA/Guinea); Narasirato (Solomon Islands); Peatbog Faeries (UK); Raghu Dixit (India); Sensational Space Shifters (UK/USA/Gambia); Spiro (UK); Terem Quartet (Russia); Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (Japan). Continue reading WOMAD 2012 – Line up announced: Buena Vista Social Club, Robert Plant and Boubacar Traore
Posts tagged rock
To see him live you are in awe. Not just for memories of the first time, a tour de force of modern jazz at Pizza Express. Or the second time, a mesmeric meeting between Glasper and drummer Chris Dave at the Jazz Café. Or even the last time, a melange of nu classical soul and jazz, at Ronnie Scotts. No, Glasper in the flesh is more than the sum of his collective live performances. His tall, broad frame radiates charisma, his easy going charm relays confidence and his Southern (American) roots. Glasper inspires awe in his audience. Continue reading Robert Glasper, XOYO
With remixes of ‘She Fish’ and ‘Right On Up (For Love)’, the Main Stem are big at Lip Service so it’s no surprise that after the Contortion Danse 12″ of a couple of months ago we get an album that finds thier Electric Church is having a post disco nu-house soft rock revival! Continue reading The Main Stem – Electric Church
Following their highly acclaimed national tour and appearances at Glastonbury and on Later with Jools Holland, Jerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA Orchestra return to play a London date at the Barbican. Continue reading Jerry Dammers’ Spatial A.K.A Orchestra – Barbican, 18 November 2011
Check it out live
At five tracks ’5ive’, the second in a set of releases from the West London-based Jazz Re:freshed promoters/label, is woefully short but it is a timely reminder of the sheer talent of Mr Kaidi Tatham. Continue reading 5ive – Kaidi Tatham (Jazz Re:freshed)
The 02 London Mela – Europe’s largest outdoor Asian festival – returns to Gunnersbury Park, Ealing, on Sunday 4 September. Last year’s Mela attracted a record-breaking 92,000 people, and this year the festival is set to be even bigger and better than ever, with nine zones including The Main Stage, Mix Tent, BBC Introducing, The Classical stage, Community & Kids zone, Outdoor arts and ‘In conversation with’, not to mention the food markets and funfair.
Continue reading 02 London Mela – Sunday 4 September 2011
Check it out live
Round up: despite a wobbly moment with the weather on Friday morning, the festival was flawless in every other way. Some great bands, clearly enjoying playing to audiences free to dance and enjoy the non-auditorium experience, strutted the various stages. My favourites were probably Alpha Blondy (I didn’t even know I liked his music that much before), Baaba Maal of course and Faiz Ali Faiz among the bigger names. The dynamo Nomfusi was a refreshing blast of energy and the reflexive Samuel Yirga caught my attention among the newer names.
It was great to see the festival so well organised. Almost no litter at all thanks to enterprising children getting money back on empty plastic glasses, the beautiful arboretum to wander through, great indian food and some damn fine coffee made it a real pleasure to be there.
Continue reading WOMAD 2011
The label that calls itself Year Zero certainly had a bit of a year zero concept when they thought up the musical compilation of a six set history of New York’s musical melting pot; so let’s investigate how high they got on with the first edition covering 1945-59.
Young Tuareg desert blues rockers Tamikrest follow up their critically acclaimed debut album Adagh with Toumastin.
Music always is a borderline experience. Especially when not only stylistically boundaries are shifting, but the centres of musical creativity are moving.
Continue reading Tamikrest on tour and new album Toumastin
Check it out live
What with the “Produced By Manu Chao” sticker on the cover and the Metro’s ‘Album of the Week’, what more do you want from SMOD’s third album?
It may be 30 years since Bob Marley passed away but reggae’s pop flame is still going strong and Hollie Cook is a hot name for the summer.
Sheffield Doc/Fest Trailer 2011 from Sheffield Doc/Fest on Vimeo.
This year’s programme is packed with docs about musicians and subjects ranging from Hole drummer Patty Schemel, to A Tribe Called Quest, to Genesis P-Orridge, to a record shop in Newcastle Upon Tyne, to Roma gypsies and Slovakians, to 2 men who shout a lot at each other (not so much music as a cult phenomenon), to Queen, to Justin Bieber, to Miriam Makeba, to Michael Nyman, to Siddheswari Devi to more
Continue reading Music Documentaries at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2011 – 8-12 June, 2011
Subtitled 24 wedding songs from the golden age of Rhythm & Blues and Rock’n'Roll it is exactly what it say on the tin and is the proverbial two fingers to the current wedding day excess.
