An evening of early jazz and bebop, traditional manouche and Romani Gypsy music and Django classics are in store for us at the hands of the fantastic Kamao Quartet (Jean de Talhouet – guitar and vocals, Dave Kelbie – guitar, Ruth Goller – double bass and Dave Shulman – clarinet.), featuring this time the Belgium-based breathtakingly outstanding virtuoso Tcha Limberger on violin, probably the most celebrated Gypsy musician of his generation: with his Budapest Gypsy Orchestra he won the France Musique world music award in 2015 & received a Songlines Music Award nomination in 2016. “The polymath virtuoso Tcha Limberger is the king of Gypsy music” Sunday Times, “music straight from the soul” Evening Standard.

The Quartet goes by the name of Kamao, meaning “I like/I love/I want” in Romani dialect. Their repertoire ranges from hot swinging jazz featuring captivating virtuoso improvisations, to the saddest gypsy ballads, the liveliest waltzes, as well as original compositions. Manouche music beautifully combines jazz with the warmth and liveliness of the Gypsy culture of Western Europe.

Tcha Limberger is one of the most important figures in the music of the Carpathian Basin and a leading figure in the world of Gypsy jazz. His nurturing approach to teaching almost forgotten traditional musics has invited unparalleled praise worldwide from professionals and public alike. Critics remarking on his achievements have claimed he is ’entirely made of music’, ‘The Polymath king of Gypsy music’, whilst musician colleagues refer to him as ‘the fifth element’.

Born into a renowned Belgian family of Manouche musicians, Limberger grew up in a world of the Gypsy swing style of Django Reinhardt, and over the years has collaborated with many of its leading performers, including the celebrated Fapy Lafertin. His eclectic musical tastes, interests and passions were formed from early childhood with his first solo concerts singing Flamenco whilst accompanying himself on guitar were aged just eight. He has an ongoing fascination and love for traditional music from the world over.

The venue is a deliciously sumptuous sofa-filled home-crafted cinema like none other, housed in a beautiful building oozing the history both of the neighbourhood and of costume creation. Even the loos are like none other in London!! Uniquely again, a ticket entitles you to free tea/coffee. Stronger stuff is available at the riverside Mayflower Pub, only a few cobble stones away. Sands Films is an inspiringly intimate place to hear fabulous music.