Shakespeare said it all with ‘If music be the food of love, play on’. Music is the blood that runs through the veins of our very best human experiences. Celebration. Expression. Dance. Evolution. Art. Intimacy. Communication.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions we have no longer been able to congregate for performance and the music industry such as our favourite music haunts, festivals, artists, sound engineers, lighting designers and all those involved are at risk. Due to the #letthemusicplay campaign the government has pledged further support to the industry. And we want to continue our appreciation by reminding you of some of the last gigs we went to before lockdown and how amazing and insanely memorable they were.
In February this year, we were astounded at the power of FatoumataDiawara’s truly authentic show in Brighton. Her music is rooted in traditional West African Wassoulou music but is inspired also by soukous, highlife, funk and rock. At a moments notice, she can engulf you with an essence of deep spirituality that brings that blissful sense of peace and presence. – Check out our review.
In November 2019 we were lucky enough to experience the activism and collective voice amplified by the performance of ChicoTrujillo at EartH Hackney. Trujillo had a strong message on the night for the president of Chile and are using their art to fight the injustice in their country. Flags, unity and love lead us into the moonlight that night. The fight goes on. – Check out our review.
And let us not forget smaller festivals and day-long fiestas from last year such as Africa Express – The Circus at The Big Top in London. There are too many to talk about, can you remember your favourites from 2019? – Check out our review
When we can unite to play and dance again, we will be ready. Let’s help to support these groups by sharing our memories until we can fill our hungry bellies once more with new music and love!
In this show, we travel through the sounds of fado, desert blues, afro-Cuban jazz, afro-Cuban, afrobeat, Arabic reggae, and reggae! We kick off the show with the melancholic voice of Mariza, from Portugal, in “Quem me Dera”, a song was written for her by the Angolan singer-songwriter Matias Damásio. We…
With Visions of Sound 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! TweetSharePin0 Shares
Out Of Africa – An in-depth trip throughout world music and global beats from an African perspective!! In this show, we travel through the sounds of desert blues, African blues, jazz, afro jazz, and afro-beat! We kick off the show with a collaboration between Ballaké Cissoko & Camille. In this…
It always feels like a privilege exploring London’s EFG London Jazz Festival hosted by Serious Music. And this year they celebrate their 30th birthday, planning to unravel us with a sizzle and a bang. Held across over 60 venues, you can expect to be submerged in almost ten days of…
A world of music, arts and dance awaits at the world’s festival this year. Charlton Park will once again be visited by artists and performers from round the globe, for an extra special celebration in honour of the festival’s 40th birthday. Six stages will host over 150 acts across the…
The joy and of harmony and collaboration… for her new single ‘Ambè’, Fatoumata Diawara brought together an exceptional all-star all-female group of musicians of African origin or descent for a one-off, non-commercial song available only on YouTube and social media. The tun was composed during the first lockdown when…
There are some performers that we have the pleasure of seeing on stage who bewitch, beguile and bewilder with their exuberance, their talent and their sheer ability to put on a show. Fatoumata Diawara is one such artist. Born in Ivory Coast to Malian parents and now living in France,…
Earth Hackney hosted a vibrant show by Chico Trujillo as part of their 20th anniversary European Tour, Mambo Mundial. But this wasn’t an ordinary gig. It set the stage for a small protest against the current Chilean president for the handling of the riots currently engulfing their home country. At 9pm…
It was another triumphant weekend at Walthamstow Garden Party. Sunbathing in glorious weather and indulging in radiant notes played by brilliant musicians, we enjoyed every minute of it. From its debut, basking in Saturday’s early afternoon heat with London African Gospel Choir and their rendition of Paul Simon’s Graceland, until Sunday…
A one-off performance for a one-off event. It doesn’t happen too often that we get to enjoy a Fatoumata Diawara gig in London, but on the rare occasions when the Malian musician visits the British capital, her shows are always hard-to-forget experiences. That’s how it went on the 26th of…
This year, we only got a glimpse of the music bonanza offered by the Womad UK weekend. Our stay in Malmesbury consisted of a hit-and-run or a ‘toccata-and-fugue’, in-keeping with the musical topic, and saw us pay a visit to Charlton Park on the last day of the event. Still,…
They came, they played, we danced all night to their wild cumbia vibes! That’s, in a few words, the recap of the short, but intense, London visit of Chico Trujillo. Between one gig and another of their Euro tour, the Chilean band found the time and energy to turn Rich…
It happened little more than a year ago. On a quiet April night, London was stormed by a cyclone cumbiero. Camden and the Electric Ballroom were battered by the uptempo rhythms coming from Valparaiso and branded distinctly as Chico Trujillo. The sound of the band from Vila Alemana (a few…
Although the story behind how Aliou Touré, Garba Touré, Oumar Touré and Nathaneal Dembélé became Songhoy Blues is not all roses — they were forced to fled to the capital Bamako after northern Mali was occupied by jihadists — their music is everything but sorrowful. A sold-out Roundhouse could not…
The historical Electric Ballroom in the heart of Camden Town, was indeed a ballroom on April 27th. Few bands are able to make the audience dance from the beginning until the very end, but Chico Trujillo is definitely one of them, with their music making it physically impossible to stay…
As it’s happening since 2001, for ten days in April, London sounds and plays Latino. The responsibility rests on ¡COMO NO! which, 15 years ago, started to organise one of the most chéveres Festivals of the London music scene. La Linea has indeed brought to the British capital some of the finest,…
There are no comments
Add yours