An inaugural festival is always going to be packed with risk and suspense, and after the downpour that Friday night experienced, a breath was held in anticipation of Saturday’s events. However, it is with sheer delight I report that the proceedings seemingly went ahead seamlessly.
Saturday
I have to jump right in here and skip half a day, as the performance I witnessed from South London nu-jazz collective Steam Down has left me simply bewildered and brimming with that new jazz energy and a craving to hear more.
Steam Down © Pretend Online
Peterson’s ideas for his festival stemmed from the collaboration of club music with this vibrant, alive jazz movement blasting from the horns of London’s working-class youths. Birthed from weekly jam sessions, the members of Steam Down introduced their set with a sort of futuristic spoken word that had my mind racing to try and de-code what higher message I was being given. I was immediately enthralled and fell for their flows. The rest of their show proceeded to blow my mind in every way, from the unique flow styles and delicately chosen dialect of the two endearing dudes singing and rapping, to the unimaginable freedom on the saxophone, to the extraordinary female vocals, reminiscent at a moment of the famous vocals on ‘Great Gig in the Sky’. A heartfelt ode to Grenfell was lyrically and cleverly woven into the fabrics of a song: “If the building ain’t safe, shit, escape it” – words that fell on sombre souls, heeding almost as a warning, however, one that I feel we all already knew too well. Lastly, a humorous command for us to shuffle the ‘grandpa dance’ amazingly had a thousands-strong crowd moving in a happily organised, easy fashion: a spectacle in itself! I felt as though I left my mouth open, gawping in awe and intense pleasure for their entire set, and truly haven’t been moved as they moved me in a while… not just in reference to the grandpa dance.
The day was just kicking off, only to be followed by what for me felt like the flag post concert of the festival: Kokoroko, whose album We Out Here surely inspired the name of the festival, as it is a token album in the age of innovation in NuJazz. For me, perhaps a tad overshadowed by the powerful Steam Down performance, the staple band still amazed, sending this wave of relaxed jazzy tones throughout the packed audience. I was sad not to hear the classic ****, as I really thought it might just be the anthem of the festival and what, in my limited knowledge, is perhaps the very song that introduced not just the NuJazz movement to a million-plus new audience, but also maybe brought the joy found in jazz to listeners, perhaps for the first time!
Rob © Nick Clague Photography
Saturday couldn’t go amiss without mentioning the Nigerian legend that is Rob with his recently reissued album Rob. His character and fans certainly made him a stand-out act. With his constant bombardment of “Are you going to lose yourself tonight?” and “Do you want some more?”, it seemed the more and more Rob asked, indeed the more we wanted, to the point that when his allocated slot had passed, he withheld physical removal from the stage and, against the system, played SOME MORE! A brilliant feat, in what would have otherwise been a chest too rock’n’roll.
WOH19 © Heather Shuker
Sunday
The festival weekend closed with a bang on Sunday. With acts like Sons of Kemet, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Dele Sosimi, Children of Zeus and Etuk Ubong performing, the muddy party-goers were treated to an eclectic line-up of acts. The biggest highlights of the day, however, were Gary Bartz and The Comet Is Coming, taking over the main stage.
The Comet Is Coming © Nick Clague Photography
Inviting American jazz master Gary Bartz with singer Dwight Trible and rapper Saul Williams to collaborate with younger British artists felt like a nod of appreciation to the jazz elders. They were joined by London singer Zara McFarlane and the players from the UK band Maisha. Shirley Tetteh opened the set with a beautiful stripped-back guitar solo in a modestly understated manner, as all the players on stage were visibly vibing. This energy was not lost on the audience, who kept growing in numbers and energy throughout the set. The appreciation from the ground sky-rocketed when Dwight Trible did an impressive vocal solo that somehow sounded like a whole orchestra playing at once.
The Comet is Coming then took everyone on a space rave to another dimension as the night turned to dusk. In epic style, with strobe lighting, explosive smoke and keyboardist Dan Leavers dressed as an astronaut, the final act took off. The field was bouncing throughout the set, and with no breaks between songs, it felt like a club night that could go on for hours. Shabaka Hutchings hooked in the revellers with his trademark rhythmic horn lines that looped addictively.
Sons of Kemet © Nick Clague Photography
This was a festival in its infancy, but creator Gilles Peterson is no virgin to curating a stellar line-up. Whilst there were teething problems with food, bar and camping areas, this was superseded by the quality of all the music. Seeing the players walking around the grounds to check out other performances really accelerated the feeling of excitement for upcoming sets and bolstered the feeling of community.
This was a high-speed entry onto the summer scene for a brand-new festival with memorable live performances, alongside buzzing night-time DJ sets. We can’t wait to see who will be joining the jazzy family for We Out Here 2020!
Gilles Peterson © Lisa Wormsley
Every month, we bring you a collection of the best world music-related videos. That’s our way to give value to too often overlooked, rich and diverse artistic expressions. Listen with your eyes! Watch the full playlist:
Artists: Adekunle Gold , Alsarah And Nubatones , Ana Moura , Daniel Haaksman , Dj Dolores , El Remolón , Gary Bartz , ILe , Jaubi , Jupiter & Okwess , Little Simz , Lorenzo BITW , Philippe Cohen Solal , Tony Allen
Breakout is the title of Echoes of Zoo‘s debut album, on which animals literally break out their cages on a soundtrack made of adrenaline fuelled jazz infused with an eclectic range of western, oriental and African influences, made in Brussels. Album of the week on Radio Mukambo. We also listen to…
Artists: Ayuune Sule , Azmari , DJ Tudo , Echoes of Zoo , Èkó Afrobeat , Guedra Guedra , Krak In Dub , Muito Kaballa , Okwei Odili , Radio Mukambo , Rumble , Sons Of Kemet
London-based jazz quartet Sons of Kemet are back with ‘Hustle’, featuring Kojey Radical. The song is the first single extracted from the band’s upcoming album Black To The Future, out May 14 via Impulse Records. “In ‘Hustle’, two dancers represent the duality present within any struggle to transcend internal…
Artists: Kojey Radical , Sons Of Kemet
In the new episode of Rendez-Vous a Bobo, Lucas makes a ‘rendez-vous’ with DJ, broadcaster, and label boss Gilles Peterson. Gilles highlights a few key tunes from West Africa in his record box, talks French radio, and managing a record label in 2021. Tracklist: • Fela Kuti – Roforofo Fight…
Artists: Gilles Peterson , Lucas Keen
This week, Radio Mukambo takes you from Germany to Africa with Zik Zak, cd of the week by the German production duo Ancient Astronauts featuring upcoming vocalists and rappers from across Africa and the diaspora. We listen to plenty of new releases & remixes from Brazil, London, Afro-Colombia, Angola, Brussels &…
Artists: Ancient Astronauts , Azmari , Batida , ChampetaMan , Chouk Bwa and The Ångströmers , Dele Sosimi , DJ KL Jay , Eparapo , Faraon Bantu , Kind and Kinky Zoo , Lakou Mizik , Plu con Pla , Sumohair , The Fontanas , The New Mastersounds , The Soul Rebels
‘Day by Day’ is extracted from the sixth instalment of Jazz is Dead series, dedicated to the influential American saxophonist Gary Bartz. The album is a collaboration between Bartz, hip-hop DJ and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad and composer and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge, who curate the series. “Day By Day” brings…
Artists: Adrian Younge , Ali Shaheed Muhammad , Gary Bartz
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, afrobeat’s rise in global popularity in the past decade has unavoidable. But the genre, with a rich history based on instrumental figures such as Fela Kuti, Tony Allen and Oghene Kologbo dating back to the late 60s, is more than a commercial fad….
Artists: Carapaus Afrobeat , Chief Commander Yabaa , Dele Sosimi , Dj Eric Soul , Duke Amayo , Firmann , Juanita Euka , Kologbo , Macarena Rozic , Monica Avila , Pedro Rajão , Rumshot , Thaïs Diarra
At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…
Artists: 3ma , Afrikan Boy , Ballake Sissoko , Driss El Maloumi , Gaia Mobilij , Hot 8 Brass Band , Irreversible Entanglements , Kallemi , Kampire , Let Drum Beat , Melt Yourself Down , Oum , Princess Nokia , Princess Prada , Rajery , Riobamba , Saronde , Shabaka Hutchings , Simo Lagnawi , Simo Lagnawi & Gnawa London , Sudan Archives , Tarabband , Wara
For three days and nights there will be a wave of eclectic live music, DJ’s and Q&A sessions across Camden. Ranging from spoken word to dancehall, math-rock to afrobeat – all with an experimental and original flare. The main headliners include Michael Kiwanuka, Róisín Murphy, Kate Tempest, and Mike Skinner,…
Artists: Boko! Boko! , Ed O’Brien , Gilles Peterson , Hot 8 Brass Band , Kampire , Kate Tempest , Kojey Radical , Kokoroko , Melt Yourself Down , Michael Kiwanuka , Mike Skinner , Róisín Murphy , Squid
If you’re looking for an unpredictable night-out in music, look no further. When “Afrobeat Ambassador” Dele Sosimi meets electronic DJ and house producer Medlar, you can be sure that you’ll be dancing and listening to quality music. But you never know where the night will lead you… On Friday the 21st…
Artists: Brother’s Testament , Dele Sosimi , Medlar , Nebula Sun
At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…
Artists: Actress , Amon Tobin , Bukky Leo , Dele Sosimi , Diezmo , Domenico Lancellotti , Dwight Trible , Fanfare Ciocarlia , Femi Elias , Gaijin Blues , Gary Bartz , Ivocore , Lokkhi Terra , Luke Vibert , Maisha , Marcos Aganju , Nina Miranda , Nubiyan Twist , Ólafur Arnalds , Pedrolito , Snarky Puppy , Taraf De Impex , The Scorpios , Tinariwen , Toby Kaar![Event Review: Boiler Room Festival @ Peckham [London; Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th October 2019]](https://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/br-festival_jazz_ryan-buchanan_038-620x413.jpg)
Filming performances to be broadcast to viewers at home who can still feel somewhat part of the party is not novel. Boiler Room, the flagship online platform for underground acts to increase their exposure, tapped into a pre-existing appetite amongst the try-before-you-buy internet generation but that doesn’t negate the impact…
Artists: Cykada , D Double E , Greentea Peng , Jammer , Nubya Garcia , Rachael Anson , Reid , Resavoir , Steam Down
At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…
Artists: Abdul And The Gang , Altın Gün , Anthony Joseph , Benjamin Zephaniah , Criolo , Dj Firmeza , Dj Lilocox , Dj Lycox , Kel Assouf , Orchestra Baobab , Sarathy Korwar , Shabaka Hutchings , Shingai , The Heliocentrics , Valia Calda
Womad, the world’s festival, once again sparkled the Wiltshire countryside with an array of international musicians. In what was one of the driest Womads in recent years, highlights came from the headliners to the warm-up acts, creating an inclusive and illuminating festival. The first thing of note was the changes…
Artists: Kokoroko , Les Filles de Illighadad , Macy Gray , Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan , Ta Dhom Project![Event Review: Wilderness Festival 2019 @ Cornbury Park (Oxfordshire; Thursday 1st to Sunday 4th August 2019]](https://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/dsc00010_edited-620x414.jpg)
Situated within close proximity to some of the festival’s increasingly populated hangouts at Wilderness, such as the Atrium, if you happened to stumble upon the Level stage, you were almost guaranteed to be charmed by a constant conveyer belt of talented troubadours within the world music spectrum. There were memorable…
Artists: Colectiva , Dele Sosimi , Incognito , Project Karnak , Ruby Rushton
At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…
Artists: 47SOUL , Chancha Via Circuito , Dead Prez , Imarhan , Jally Kebba Susso , Kampire , Kanda Bongo Man , Kikagaku Moyo , Kokoroko , Madalitso Band , Otim Alpha , Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno , S H I R A N , Sandman Project , Seckou Keita , Songhoy Blues , Steam Down , The Black Seeds , Thundercat
Contrary to the average UK music festival, Wilderness Festival is equally centred on themes of healthy living, nature and the arts. From sacred nipple adorning, to wild swims and tree play, the festival’s main objective is to fortify the soul, restore the senses and enliven the spirit, by allowing its…
Artists: Ata Kak , Caravan Palace , Dele Sosimi , Groove Armada , Incognito
Returning to leafy Lloyd Park for its sixth year, Walthamstow Garden Party served up an eclectic mix of big names and young performers, bringing together an international line-up for an international crowd. A festival ‘made locally’ and produced by Barbican Centre, Create London and the people of Waltham Forest (declared…
Artists: Mbilla Arts , Tássia Reis , Zara Mcfarlane
At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…
Artists: Afrikan Boy , Afriquoi , Amadou & Mariam , Amira Kheir , Amy True , Blue Lab Beats , Bumi Thomas , Carthnage , Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra , Dj Jigüe , Elpeche , Emicida , Ezra Collective , Fatima , Femi And The Inrhythms , Gianni Denitto , Imperio Bamba , Kamaal Williams , Koroleko Moussa Dembele , La-33 , Lua Preta , Marcelo D2 , Mayra Andrade , Merca Bae , Nané , Naphta , Neneh Cherry , Onra , Renegade Brass Band , Sons Of Kemet , Stella Chiweshe , Tássia Reis , The Blind Boy of Alabam , The Bongo Hop , Xylouris White , Zara Mcfarlane
At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…
Artists: Awalé , Brother Culture , Calibro 35 , Gerald Toto , Hailu Mergia , Horseman , K.o.g And The Zongo Brigade , Kokoko! , Koral Society , Krar Collective , Lafawndah , Midori Takada , Oumou Sangare , Prince Fatty , Psychedelia , Que Vola? , Soom T , Steam Down , Terakaft , The Heliocentrics , The West African Blue Project , Yelfris Valdes
There are no comments
Add yours