Qawwali is a rich and sacred musical tradition from South Asia, notably parts of Pakistan and India. It includes musicians sitting on the floor, often for hours and hours, whilst one sings devotional songs with rhythmic hand claps, accompanied by traditional instruments, such as the table drums. Undoubtedly, the most...
All posts by Sophie Darling
Kokoko! are a completely thrilling band, born like a phoenix from the flames in make-shift jams and studios, playing together for the first time at a multi-arts block party in the Ngwaka neighbourhood in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DMC. The result: a fiery fusion of electro sounds, African...
The blues music of the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa has slowly emerged as a popular music genre globally; bands like Terakaft hold the flagpole for the guitar-led cyclical trance style. Having branched off the original Tinariwen collective, Terakaft have released seven albums of Tuareg rebel rock. The Tuaregs live...
Brixton is very much a stand-out home of the musical Caribbean diaspora in London, the home of much reggae, dub and ska… and on the 29th, Brixton shall play host to perhaps the most prevalent contemporary African-American poets – The Last Poets. Hootananny, which hosts all things weird and wonderful,...
Here’s a brand new podcast for your weekend! This time we’ve chosen to focus on who provide us with the precious “raw material” for our listenings and features: quality new music! We are talking about those heroes who decided to launch, nurture and cultivate a record label (better if with an ‘independent’...
There are some bands in music that become established after they have been on the scene for a number of years, say one decade. Then there are other bands that become established through sheer genius and ingenuity. This was the case from the beginning with British funk band Cymande, who...
Yasiin Bey, better known by his former performer name Mos Def, is a fundamental pillar of classic hip-hop. Yasiin has been featured on countless records and has produced four studio albums, the latest of these is his 2009 album The Ecstatic, which he will give a full live rendition during...
The Jazz Cafe frequently provides a space for dialogue, community and music. It is also relevant in the popularisation of minority music and thus its rise in appreciation from the larger music industry. Saturday 2nd March promises to be no exception, together with Arabic culture promoters Marsm, they will shine their lights...
There’s no denying that jazz and jazz fusion is a more popular genre right now than perhaps it was five or 10 years ago. This rise in popularity, I believe, can be attributed to the wave of jazz fusion bands in London, such as Kokoroko and Yazz Ahmed. A name...
Here’s a brand new podcast for your weekend! This time we’ve chosen to focus on who provide us with the precious “raw material” for our listenings and features: quality new music! We are talking about those heroes who decided to launch, nurture and cultivate a record label (better if with an ‘independent’...
