Back in 2009 there was a big music conference like Womex in Bogotà. There I met a guy called Bernard Batzen, who was also Mano Negra and Manu Chao’s manager – an experienced statesman in the world music sphere. He had travelled to Bogotà, participated in the conference, and then...
Interview
Articles
Ahead of their Passing Clouds gig last weekend, we caught up with Ibibio Sound Machine front woman, Eno Williams, to have a chat about the bands origins and the sounds and artists who drive them the most. London born Eno originally hailing from Nigeria, formed Ibibio with fellow bandmates/producers Max Grunhard,...
“Travelling is the strongest lesson of life,” announces Baaba Maal, one of West Africa’s most renowned musical spokesmen. The Senegalese superstar has recorded seventeen albums to date. The most recent, aptly named ‘The Traveller’, has just been released. We were lucky to be granted an interview with the singer just...
Most would agree that stepping into the shoes of one of history’s most celebrated musicians would be just a little intimidating. So it’s difficult to feel anything but respect for Dwayne ‘Danglin’ Anglin of Jamaica, who stepped into the shoes of Bob Marley and joined The Wailers in 2010. Even...
If the Anatolian peninsula had its own bard, it would probably include Olcay Bayir. Of Kurdish origin, the Turkish singer-songwriter epitomises the voices, sounds and stories of her native region. In her music, she gathers together all the influences and references of the Turkish tradition, but also crosses national borders...
Now on their third Brownswood LP, Nyanza, Owiny Sigoma Band are rightfully garnering critical acclaim. This super-group’s insistence on pushing the envelope is infectious. They’re part of a wider scene of DJs and bands who fuse tropical, electronic flavours with, dubby-techno and cerebral pop. The project began in earnest when...
Few bands have influenced the course of a particular music scene as much as Asian Dub Foundation. Even fewer have done it throughout their twenty-year career, with a fan base all over the world. They are arguably the most socially conscious musical innovators, a mouthpiece for their community, transforming local...
On the eve of his first UK tour for some time Rhythm Passport was privileged to interview one of the great ambassadors of Malian guitar, Vieux Farka Touré. Still only in his mid-thirties Vieux Farka Touré has recorded eight albums to date. His second, Fondo, propelled him to fame when...
The Michalis Kouloumis Trio is led by the inspirational Cypriot violinist alongside brothers Nikos and Thodoris Ziarkas from the island of Rhodes. After only few years in the UK the band is already making its mark here with instrumental music inspired by their rich cultural heritage. With the impressive Senate House...
No matter that time is limited, the rain is pouring down or that backstage hustle and bustle is off the scale. When you have the chance to interview the most up-and-coming act of the year – and one of the most charming and stylish- you just have to seize the...
