This is only the third year that Walthamstow Garden Party has lit up the North London borough, but it could have been a decade or more. People are already getting used to the two-day-long festival that brings music, art and delicious food onto the grass of Lloyd Park. And like last year, a crowd of music lovers more than thirty-thousand strong flocked enthusiastically to the park.
For the second year in a row Barbican and CREATE joined forces to present a surprising event that paid homage to the lively cultural community living near Waltham Forest. If the 2014 edition was a triumph of eclecticism and colour, this year’s Walthamstow Garden Party offered quality of all shades. More than fifteen acts played on the two stages and at least four of them would be worthy of being presented as highlights at major events like WOMAD or Glastonbury – and some of those already have.
Saturday snapped out of its sizzling early afternoon siesta with an exciting Balkan brass blast. The Macedonian big band Dzambo Agusevi Orchestra, consisting of nine remarkable elements fired up the audience, thanks to its Gipsy roots and Turkish allusions. Then it was Kasai Allstars and their explosive Congolese musical energy carrying on from where Dzambo Agusevi left off.
The sixteen-piece collective filled the stage with energy in a flash, thanks to their razzmatazz and rhythmic drive. That ensemble then led the way for the South African ‘shangaan electro’ groove of Nozinja. The musician, dj and producer who has become a celebrity back home simultaneously captured and surprised the people around the stage with his ear-catching, flat out tunes. Finally, to wind up the first day of the festival it was the turn of La 33. Directly from the streets of Bogotà, the Colombian dozen left their fans out of breath thanks to their wild salsa dura.
Sunday was a top-notch day. It started off just after midday with the high-life and afrobeat rhythms of Ebo Taylor and went out with a bang six hours later with another African icon, Femi Kuti. The two musicians inevitably revived the memory of afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti with magnetic sets that won the crowd over, triggering even the most passive feet into motion. Their performances were grand tributes to their native regions. The borders of Ghana and Nigeria are just fifty miles apart, and they seem even closer if you listen to their musical heartbeats.
However, the second day of Walthamstow Garden Party wasn’t just a tribute to West Africa. Minutes after Ebo Taylor, the ska roots vibrations of the legendary Skatalites accompanied by the adorable voice and presence of the ‘Queen of Jamaican Ska’ Doreen Shafer, put a smile on everybody’s face thanks to its upbeat tempo. In little more than one hour the musicians recalled all the unforgettable tunes of the band like ‘Guns of Navarone’, ‘Latin Goes Ska’ and ‘My Boy Lollypop’, showing that even if all the original members have unfortunately passed away the legacy of the ensemble is still in good hands.
Before the conclusive performance of Femi Kuti it was Ghostpoet who dramatically broke the lighthearted up-tempo mood inspired by the Skatalites.
Born and bred in London this vocalist and musician changed the mood of the show presenting his urbanized sound built on a dark rock background, hip-hop attitude and impulsive character.
After two days and seventeen acts, Walthamstow Garden Party finally left the stage amidst wholehearted applause, demonstrating for the nth time the all-embracing cultural identity of London and showing that is possible to organize a successful, well-managed free music festival.
This week we fly to the Congo to make sure that Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound. A surrealistic title for the fourth full-length album by the legendary Congolese polyrhythmic trance collective Kasai Allstars, our album of the week out on Crammed Discs. We check more…
Artists: Afro Ina , Kasai Allstars , Kasfelgues , Lee Fry , Mulele Matondo Afrika , Oliver Nayola , The Lagos Thugs , Vito-Lalinga
Check out the 2nd single extracted from Congolese Kasai All-Stars‘ brand new album Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound, out on Belgian label Crammed Discs. “This is the story behind the lyrics: in certain villages of the Basongye people, someone occasionally plays the part of…
Artists: Kasai Allstars
Ten years of making radio and 500 podcasts, that’s what Mukambo is celebrating this week. So we have a special program talking you through the very vest albums of those ten years. Get ready for a trans-Atlantic trip going from Africa over Latin America to Europe, and a pan-African ride…
Artists: Batida , Dele Sosimi , Dizzy Mandjeku , Doña Onete , Ebo Taylor , Gaspar Z'África , Guts , Gyedu-Blay Ambolley , Jungle Fire , Konono N1 , London Afrobeat Collective , Michi Sarmiento , Mulatu Astatke , Newen Afrobeat , Oghene Kologbo , Raúl Monsalve , Raul Monsalve Y Los Forajidos , Rocky Marsiano , Seun Kuti , Son Palenque , The Bongo Hop
Nightshop show May 2021 for Radio Campus Bxl & Rhythm Passport with 3 hours of new global sounds. Four songs of the day from Cape Verdian violins to a Sinti rom cello song, tamashek blues and electronic Latin-Arab bass. Our albums of the month first take us to Africa, with…
Artists: Frente Cumbiero , José Carlos Schwarz , Jupiter , Jupiter & Okwess , Kasai Allstars , Khalab , Kolonel Djafaar , M'berra Ensemble , Semblanzas del Río Guapi , YUNIS
Pancada Motor: Transformação e Cura is the 7th album by DJ Tudo e Sua Gente de Todo Lugar from São Paulo (Brazil), a breed of Brazilian field recordings made between 2007 and 2019 and recordings with traditional and modern musicians during trips around the world. Calling for “Transformation and Cure”: the…
Artists: Addis Black Mamba , Basokin , Bejuco , DJ Tudo e Sua Gente de Todo Lugar , Electric Jalaba , Jumbo System , Kasai Allstars , La Fuerza Mayor , Las Cuatro Monedas , Loopcinico , Los Kings , Montparnasse Musique , Zafîf
This week Radio Mukambo celebrates legacies and honours legends. “Legacy +” is our double LP of the week, by Femi Kuti and Made Kuti, son and grandson of the great Fela Kuti. Both bring their own peculiar blend of afrobeat. We also pay tribute to two legends who left us:…
Artists: Andre Sampaio , Azmari , Dekula Band , Femi Kuti , Grupo Bongar , IKOQWE , Koudede , La Fuerza Mayor , Lee Fry Music , Nomågik , Octa Push , U-Roy , Victor Rice , Zafîf
A full hour of dub on Radio Mukambo, starting with our album of the week Mandinga Dub by André Sampaio meets Victor Rice. Brazilian music inspired by West-Africa getting the dub treatment. The rest of the podcast is full of dub crossovers with ethiojazz, afrobeat, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, Indian sounds & Balkan…
Artists: Andre Sampaio , Azmari , Bixiga 70 , Buguinha Dub , Dub Colossus , Femi Kuti , Fokus King , Gala Zerua , Lee Fly Music , Lil Obeah , Luiz Claudio , Nga Han and The Hi-Flyers , The Anthronauts , Victor Rice , Zé Bigode Orquestra
To end 2020 we make a Rendez-vous with three generations of afrobeat and celebrate a Nigerian musical dynasty. As Fela is honoured with a Black Plaque at his old music conservatoire Trinity Laban in Greenwich, we consider how the musical idiom he created remains more popular than ever. Track list: 1….
Artists: Fela Kuti , Femi Kuti , Made Kuti , Seun Kuti
With so much good music being published and uploaded every month, we constantly find hard to keep up with all the releases. Luckily, “we get by with a little help from our friends”… We are more than thrilled to welcome and introduce you to Chamonix-based online radio, record label, DJs…
Artists: Connie Price & The Keystones , Ebo Taylor , Gaye Su Akyol , Lucibela , Poldoore , Radio Krimi , Sinkane , Sir Jean & the Roots Doctors , The 100 Knights Orchestra , The Heavy , The Inspirators
Guy Garvey’s edition of the legendary Meltdown festival brought Femi Kuti to the Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre for a special one-off show. The evening began with talented Tiggs Da Author, South Londoner and songwriter of Tanzanian origins, who warmed up the stage with a selection of his fresh,…
Artists: Femi Kuti
For the thirteenth year in a row, London becomes the northernmost African city. Twenty-six acts spread over ten days of “glorious music” and ten London vibrant venues will bring to life the 2015 edition of the London African Music Festival. The event, organized by Joyful Noise since 2003, has always…
Artists: Aar Maanta , Daby Touré , Ebo Taylor , Gordon Masiala , Joe Driscoll And Sekou Kouyate , Mose Fan Fan , Oum , Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 , Suzanna Lubrano , Yinka Davies
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