Centuries ago when the first Mandikas held the first examples of the kora and the Gaelic Welsh bards embraced the harp, they had arguably never heard of each other. Today, to meet two heirs of these traditions playing side by side with such harmony and synergy is one of the...
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Articles
47SOUL formed of four inspired Palestinian musicians that span the divides from Amman to Ramallah and Beirut to the Galilee. Defiant of regional borders they travel taking their futuristic Palestinian wedding music on their 2nd UK summer tour. Members El Far3i (Singer, Darbouka/percussion), Z The People (Singer, Keys, Electronics), Walaa...
There are instruments that seem to have been separated at birth. Despite their distant homelands and their different appearances, they speak the same language, and awaken similar feelings. The harp and the kora are one of the best examples of this instrumental kinship, which enables distant cultures to relate without...
When you meet their dark, deep and imperturbable gazes for the first time, you can’t avoid locking your eyes with them; to stare, wordless, at them. Their expressive eyeballs are able to narrate a story which not even an in-depth one hour interview can disclose. They tell a story that...
There is a spiritual bond between the waters of the Mississippi and that of the river Niger. It is a bond which goes upstream and back to centuries ago, until the slave trade and the African diaspora. That is an inseparable connection, which also mirrors the roots and the growth...
Vocalist, Musician and Producer and Compere of the Siam Stage at Womad
More than sure hits, BalkanBeats nights are smash hits. They lure dozen of Balkan rhythms enthusiasts and they never do no wrong. You already know, when you buy your ticket, that you are going to dance all night long, until the daybreak. And if you add to this with such...
Who said that the best brass bands in the world are Balkans? Perhaps someone who had never enjoyed a live performance by the Bollywood Brass Band: one of the most thrilling and enthralling horn ensembles. Their recent gig at the Southbank Centre was no exception: after two hours of funky...
Despite what the announcer said introducing the concert, Samarpanam is not “a tribute”. Samarpanam is a cut above: it is an enlivened representation of a centuries-old tradition which goes side by side with an act of dedication and devotion to one of the most glorious figures of Indian music: Lalgudi...
A queue forming but the music is free…. Must be the canteen! Buzzing! Tonight mankala take to the stage! They look more like a group of good mates when up when taking center stage and that feeling carries on throughout the night and passes through the crowds as you move...
