Announced by a heavy downpour of Latin and African rhythms, Central and South American harmonies and lively up-tempo tunes played by the Movimiento Djs, the tropical cyclone Wara blew wildly on the Hotel Elephant stage, storming the debut of the 2014 edition of London’s EleFest with no mercy. Despite that...
Articles
Articles
For the final night of the 12th London African Music Festival, we are treated to the high energy sound of the Congo, the Soukous flavours of the legendary Kanda Bongo Man. Performing in the intimate surrounds of London’s Forge, in Camden, Kanda and his band create an electric blend of...
Çigdem Aslan is a rising star in the revival of Rebetiko, the ‘Blues of the Aegean’, originally sung in the cafés and music houses of Athens, Piraeus and Istanbul of the turbulent 1920s. A music culture shared by Greeks and Turks, Rebetiko was famously outlawed in both countries as a...
Many of us in the UK have memories of the iconic images of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 and the end of Apartheid in South Africa. At the same time, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, alongside other black artists, introduced the music of South Africa to our country and it’s...
After the grand finale with the audience dancing to the unrestrained rhythms of the desert, then after the standing ovation I finally decided to ask Bombino’s tour manager for the set-list. “I checked on stage but couldn’t find one” I said. “I know” he answered. “Bombino doesn’t usually write a...
When the time came for Batch Gueye to choose between becoming a singer or a dancer, to carry on with the griot tradition or West African dancing he eventually decided not to choose and proceeded along both paths. Today this indecision is paying off. An accomplished artist he can go...
Gypsy Hill have taken about four years to publish their first LP, but that’s because they like to do things right and properly! And if you were present at Our Routes launch party in one of Dalston’s most vibrant venues you’d understand why. Gypsy Hill are a rising phenomenon of...
