Songlines Magazine (Aug/Sept 2016, #120) by Songlines Magazine

+ FREE CD

The Best Music from Around the World

Lura

Reviews

Cape Verde’s finest, Creole and proud

20/06/2016 11:15

Mercedes Peon

“Galician music is in my blood”

Free tracks

Oumou Sangare

THE BEST NEW RELEASES

The Malian diva sings out for African women

LEE HALL’S PLAYLIST

TOP Music From… OF THE WORLD

Scotland, Morocco, Canada, India, Haiti, Swaziland and more

ISSUE 120

Featuring Calypso Rose, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ricardo Ribeiro, Kathryn Tickell, Kimi Djabaté, Quantic Presents Flowering Inferno and more...

+ FREE

Special 36-page international festival guide £5.95 Issue 120 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 www.songlines.co.uk www.facebook.com/songlines

WELCOME

Editor-in-chief Simon Broughton Publisher Paul Geoghegan Editor Jo Frost Deputy Editor Alexandra Petropoulos Art Director Calvin McKenzie Content & Marketing Executive, News Editor Edward Craggs Advertisement Manager James Anderson-Hanney Online Content Editor James McCarthy Reviews Editor Matthew Milton Listings Editor Tatiana Rucinska World Cinema Editor John Atkinson Cover image N’Krumah Lawson-Daku Contributing Editors Jane Cornwell, Mark Ellingham & Nigel Williamson Assisted in this issue by Emma Baker Intern Jamie Kyei Manteaw Subscriptions Director Sally Boettcher Editorial Director Martin Cullingford Publishing Director Paul Geoghegan CEO Ben Allen Chairman Mark Allen SUBSCRIPTIONS

UK: 0800 137 201 Overseas: +44 (0)1722 716997 subscriptions@markallengroup.com ADVERTISING

Post-Brexit shock syndrome

ere at Songlines HQ, we’re still reeling from the UK’s Brexit vote on June 23. The whole concept of Brexit feels like the antithesis of everything Songlines represents – sticking two fingers up to Europe while we strive to

champion and embrace multifarious cultures and music. A few days after the shock result, I was at the Barbican, Europe’s largest multi-arts venue for the announcement of their 2017 programme. Among the general fug of Brexit gloom, Barbican’s managing director Nicholas Kenyon provided some positivity, saying: “The arts have always been resilient and inventive, and we will adapt our ways of working to whatever political framework exists, delivering the very best in a spirit of openness and inclusiveness.” As yet it’s not clear exactly how Brexit will impact the music industry, but Nigel Williamson considers its implications on p9. Looking beyond Europe towards the archipelago in the Atlantic, I’m delighted that we have Lura from Cape Verde on the cover. She gave a hugely enjoyable performance in London in May so if you’re lucky enough to be going to WOMAD, I recommend you check her out and read more about her on p20. You can also hear Lura on one of our newly created Apple Music curator playlists, see p7 for details. In an attempt to delve deeper into an artist’s relationship with their instrument, we have a new feature called simply My Instrument. This issue Simon quizzes Vishwa Mohan Bhatt about his own variation of the Indian slide guitar on p85.

“The whole concept of Brexit feels like the antithesis of everything Songlines represents”

The Songlines team will be at Larmer Tree and WOMAD festivals – the perfect antidote to Brexit – so please do come and say hello. Jo Frost, editor

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE INCLUDE

+44 (0)20 7501 6683

www.markallengroup.com

Songlines is published by MA Music Leisure & Travel Ltd St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Rd, London, SE24 0PB, UK +44 (0)20 7738 5454 info@songlines.co.uk www.songlines.co.uk © MA Music Leisure & Travel Ltd, 2016. All rights reserved. No part of the Songlines may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publishing Director. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the editor or Songlines Advertisements in the journal do not imply endorsement of the products or services advertised.

ISSN 1464-8113. Printed by: Pensord Press Ltd, Blackwood, NP12 2A Record trade distribution WWMD Ltd 0121 788 3112 Newstrade distribution COMAG 01895 433600

Daniel Brown Based in France, Daniel is a freelance journalist and vice-chair of Freemuse.org, with over 30 years of on-the-ground reporting experience. He interviews this issue’s cover star Lura, see p20.

Danny Allison (@dannyallison) A professional illustrator, photographer and lecturer, Danny loves collecting ideas from different cultures and using them as inspiration for his work, such as on this issue’s Festivals Guide cover.

Clive Davis (@CliveDavisUK) Clive is music critic for The Times and Sunday Times. He writes mostly on world music, jazz, pop and blues, but wishes that categories could be done away with. Read his review of Sakifo Festival on p68.

Songlines was launched in 1999 and is the definitive magazine for world music – music that has its roots in all parts of the globe, from Mali to Mexico, India to Iraq. Whether this music is defined as traditional, contemporary, folk or fusion, Songlines is the only magazine to truly represent and embrace it. However, Songlines is not just about music, but about how the music fits into the landscape: it’s about politics, history and identity. Delivered in both print and digital formats, Songlines, through its extensive articles and reviews, is your essential and independent guide to a world of music and culture, whether you are starting on your journey of discovery or are already a seasoned fan.

@SonglinesMag

facebook.com/songlines

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CONTENTS

68 Live Reviews

Dimitri Staszewski

Mongolian Music Archive

Bartek Muracki

Bram Lammers

Sauti Sol performing at the MTN Bushfire festival in Swaziland

UPFRONT

FEATURES

REVIEWS

06 09 14

Lura

Afro-Haitian Experimental Orchestra

44 46 50 56 57 58 65 66 68

16 17 18 19

Top of the World CD What’s New Introducing... Ten Strings and a Goat Skin & Chouk Bwa Libète Simon Says... Letters Songlines Music Travel Spotlight: The Grit Orchestra

28 32 36

The Cape Verdean singer talks about her heritage

Mixing Haitian voodoo chants with Afrobeat

Mercedes Peón

The Galician powerhouse

Breabach

The young Scottish band who are going places

Edward II

Bringing 19th-century Mancunian penny broadsides to life

Africa Americas Europe Middle East Pacific Fusion Books World Cinema Live Reviews

REGULARS 74 77 78 81 83 85 87 97 98

My World: Lee Hall Postcard from East Sussex Beginner’s Guide: Oumou Sangaré Dispatch from Essaouira, Morocco Quickfire My Instrument: Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Gig Guide Soapbox Essential Ten: Festival bands

Simon Broughton makes his views on Brexit very clear, p16 W W W . S O N G L I N E S . C O. U K

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Karim Tibari

“It’s a sad victory for prejudice and narrow-mindedness... Brexit is totally contrary to everything that Songlines stands for” 81 Dispatch from Essaouira ISSUE 120

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TOP OF THE WORLD

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01 Calypso Rose ‘Abatina’ 02 Richard Bona & Mandekan Cubano ‘Bilongo’ 03 Bana ‘Pontin Pontin’ 04 Kimi Djabaté ‘Daly Manhe’ 05 Ricardo Ribeiro ‘Nos Dias de Hoje’ 06 Quantic Presents Flowering Inferno ‘Macondo’ 07 Arvvas ‘Muitomátki/Remembrance’ 08 Félix Lajkó ‘Román’ 09 Ana Alcaide ‘La Lamia de Kobate’ 10 Yinon Muallem ‘Meeting of Hearts’

Free tracks

THE BEST NEW RELEASES

LEE HALL’S PLAYLIST

top

of the world

TOP

CD ISSUE 120 120

OF THE WORLD

PLUS 5 tracks chosen by Lee Hall 11 Noura Mint Seymali ‘Eguetmar’ 12 Brass Band from Acolla ‘The Pachahuara’ 13 Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ‘Manaqib Ali’ (excerpt) 14 Isango Ensemble ‘Thula’ 15 Kathryn Tickell ‘Rothbury Hills’

On your free CD – the editor’s selection of the top ten new releases reviewed in this issue

Featuring Calypso Rose, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ricardo Ribeiro, Kathryn Tickell, Kimi Djabaté, Quantic Presents Flowering Inferno and more... STWCD96 This compilation & © 2016 MA Music, Leisure & Travel Ltd info@songlines.co.uk, www.songlines.co.uk Executive producer Paul Geoghegan. Compiled and sequenced by Alexandra Petropoulos. Design by Calvin McKenzie. Mastering by Good Imprint. CD pressing by Software Logistics Ltd. The producers of this CD have paid the composers and publishers for the use of their music.

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05 Ricardo Ribeiro ‘Nos Dias de Hoje’ (3:40)

04 Kimi Djabaté ‘Daly Manhe’ (6:02)

09 Ana Alcaide ‘La Lamia de Kobate’ (5:23)

Don’t miss next issue: Singersongwriter Tom Robinson’s playlist

15 Kathryn Tickell ‘Rothbury Hills’ (2:48)

14 Isango Ensemble ‘Thula’ (2:35)

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12 Brass Band from Acolla ‘The Pachahuara’ (2:48)

06 Quantic Presents Flowering Inferno ‘Macondo’ (2:46)

01 Calypso Rose ‘Abatina’ (3:49)

TOP OF THE WORLD SELECTION

11 Noura Mint Seymali ‘Eguetmar’ (3:23) LEE HALL’S PLAYLIST

10 tracks from this issue’s best new albums + 5 bonus tracks exclusively with the Aug/Sept 2016 issue of Songlines

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13 Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ‘Manaqib Ali’ (excerpt, 5:08)

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06 Quantic Presents Flowering Inferno ‘Macondo’

With the help of Manu Chao, the Calypso

From 1000 Watts on Tru Thoughts

queen represents her home country of

Producer Quantic delves into Latin-

Trinidad and Tobago, covering a range

infused dub and reggae for a set of wildly

of social and political issues with a

divergent tracks that are sophisticated

contemporary Caribbean flair. See p46

and full of soul. See p48

02 Richard Bona & Mandekan Cubano ‘Bilongo’

07 Arvvas

The bassist is backed by veteran musicians

Americana and Norwegian Sámi music

from New York’s Latin music scene for an

are brilliantly melded together in this

album of Cuban music filtered through

engaging album by bassist Steinar Raknes

African sensibilities. See p59

and joiker Sara Marielle Gaup. See p58

03 Bana ‘Pontin Pontin’

‘Román’

Verde Finally Revealed on Analog Africa

Putting an unconventional twist on

An excellent collection of Cape Verde’s

traditional Hungarian folk music, violinist

electro oddities, which were inspired

Félix Lajkó effortlessly straddles the worlds

when a missing cargo of synths washed

of folk, jazz and improvised music for one

up on their shores. See p45

of his best albums in years. See p51

04 Kimi Djabaté ‘Daly Manhe’

09 Ana Alcaide

The guitarist, singer and percussionist

Spanish singer and nyckelharpa

from Guinea-Bissau tackles personal and

player Ana Alcaide offers a set of 12

political issues and topics on songs with

mesmerising tracks that are dedicated to

musical flavours that are reminiscent of

the legends that evoke the resolute spirit

the griot tradition of Mali. See p44

of women. See p50

05 Ricardo Ribeiro ‘Nos Dias de Hoje’

10 Yinon Muallem

Respected fado singer Ricardo Ribeiro

Yinon Muallem exhibits a strong

shows why he is known as one of

mysticism in his music, utilising a wealth

Portugal’s finest artists, releasing a subtle

of instruments from the Middle East to

new album of ruminative and quietly

create a distinctive album promoting

powerful compositions. See p53

unification and goodwill. See p56

From Space Echo: The Mystery Behind the Cosmic Sound of Cabo

From Kanamalu on Red Orange Recordings

From Hoje é Assim, Amanhã Não Sei on Warner Music Portugal

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02 Richard Bona & Mandekan Cubano ‘Bilongo’ (5:41)

07 Arvvas ‘Muitomátki/ Remembrance’ (3:55)

08 Félix Lajkó ‘Román’ (4:10)

From Far From Home on Because Music

From Heritage on Membran/QWest

01 Calypso Rose ‘Abatina’

03 Bana ‘Pontin Pontin’ (4:18)

‘Muitomátki/ Remembrance’ From Remembrance on Nordic Notes

08 Félix Lajkó

From Most Jöttem on Fonó

‘La Lamia de Kobate’ From Leyenda on ARC Music

‘Meeting of Hearts’ From Meeting of Hearts on Ahenk Müzik

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+ LEE HALL’S PLAYLIST 11

11 Noura Mint Seymali ‘Eguetmar’ From Tzenni on Glitterbeat The singer comes from illustrious roots; her father was instrumental in opening Mauritanian music to the world and her step-mother Dimi Mint Abba was one of the country’s most celebrated vocalists.

12 Brass Band from Acolla ‘The Pachahuara’

From Traditional Music of Peru Vol 2: The Mantaro Valley on Smithsonian Folkways Recorded in 1985 in Peru, the pachahuara is a dance that is said to be about slavery and liberation.

13 Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ‘Manaqib Ali’ (excerpt) From En Concert à Paris Vol 1 on Ocora Radio France

This is the closing part of a song of praise to Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet. None is equal to Mohammed and none is comparable to Ali, say the lyrics.

14 Isango Ensemble ‘Thula’

“Britain is such a literary place and drama is taught from a literary point of view which is only half the story. More and more I’ve realised that music and theatre are inseparable” Turn to p74 for the full interview with Lee Hall

A live recording in Cape Town, South Africa

This is a Xhosa lullaby that probably dates from the times of the struggles. It was one of the songs Lee Hall intended to use in an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s play The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

15 Kathryn Tickell ‘Rothbury Hills’ From The Best of Kathryn Tickell on Park Records

Tickell’s 2008 album has a real sense of place. “I love Kathryn’s arrangement

SONGLINES IS NOW ON APPLE MUSIC We are thrilled to announce that Songlines has officially teamed up with Apple Music’s streaming service to create bespoke playlists for you. Listen to our playlists at www.bit.ly/songlinesplaylists

amplifying the simple tune but never swamping it. She lets it sing, with such a beautiful tone.”

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INTRODUCING...

Ten Strings and a Goat Skin

The young trio from Canada’s Prince Edward Island are heading to Europe to tour their forthcoming new album. Kevin Bourke chats to them about their whirlwind rise to international success

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liked that it was more precise. We’re always refreshing the feel of the tune, as the idea changes ever so slightly.” “It’s been a wild ride. It happened to us early,” explains Rowen of the youthful acoustic power trio’s rapid rise to prominence on the folk circuit. He and Caleb remember travelling with their mother to Irish and Scottish music sessions around the Canadian Maritimes, before they started the band with Périard, sticking at first just to traditional repertoire. Inspired by musician friends from PEI’s lively avantpop and rock scene, they soon began exploring new approaches though. “We love trad music and we have a long list of bands we listen to all the time,” notes Périard. “But we get lots of other ideas from other music. There’s lots of amazing music from PEI that’s less trad, more pop, and that’s shaped us.”

“We were fortunate to start touring and engaging more professionally in our teens,” says Rowen. “We were always trying to find a comfortable balance for us between the modern and the more traditional side and there have been great resources to help us along in that change. But really, it’s only been in the last year or so, that we reached a point where we’re doing most of the songwriting and all the arrangements. The project has embraced more and more of who we are, with tradition acting as our anchor point.”

+ ALBUM Auprès du Poêle will be +

reviewed in the next issue DATES Ten Strings and a Goat Skin will perform at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival (August 26-29) with more UK dates in September. For more details, www.tenstringsandagoatskin.com

Jon Burke

rom the north shore of Canada’s Prince Edward Island, Ten Strings and a Goat Skin are an award-winning trio, still barely out of their teens, whose combustible mix of old-school Franco-Canadian, Breton, Irish and Scottish tunes with hot dance grooves and indie quirks has been igniting audiences around their east coast Maritime Provinces home territory for several years now. The music made by brothers Caleb and Rowen Gallant (percussion and violin respectively) plus their school pal Jesse Périard (guitar) is informed by tradition, but it is their ability to infuse that with both original and modern twists, taking inspiration from the likes of Flook, Lau, Solas and Kíla, that brought them into the world limelight with their debut album Corbeau (reviewed in #106). Now they’re ready to take their next giant step with their latest album, Auprès du Poêle (Around the Woodstove), produced by Leonard Podolak of Canadian roots heroes The Duhks. “We’re less anchored in traditional structures, the way many players assemble dance sets,” observes Rowen. “We’ve left them by the wayside. We retain the melodic elements, but we’re not opposed to messing with things.” “We wanted to take a different approach to that live feel of Corbeau,” adds Caleb. “Leonard urged us to be well prepared, with really, really tight arrangements, to create themes and then keep coming back and hinting at them. He wanted us to be able to reinvent it almost every time, and never have any repetition. That kind of took away a little from that live drive sound but at the same time we really

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Chouk Bwa Libète

The thrilling, hypnotic roots music of Haiti will be captivating WOMAD festival-goers later this month. Jane Cornwell reports on the band who are making waves on the touring circuit

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JY Le Docte

he remote community of Petite Rivière des Bayonnais in Gonaïves district, three hours north of Port-au-Prince, not too far from Haiti’s so-called ‘voodoo triangle,’ has no electricity or running water. Drummaker Charles Simé has lived here all his life, fashioning percussive instruments such as the manman tanbou, equipping musicians to play the fierce mizik rasin (roots music) that accompanies dancers who very often fall, as do the players, into trance. It was here, in a community where girls bring water from the river in buckets balanced on their heads and women sing as they do dishes, that the six-piece group Chouk Bwa Libète recorded their debut album, Se Nou Ki La!. Arguably the first international release of what Songlines deemed ‘hardcore Haitian roots music’ (reviewed in #110), it’s a mesmeric mix of work songs, call-and-response singing and traditional polyrhythmic percussion; of raw power and stripped down beauty. Oh, and a pinch of reggae. “We only use drums, maracas and a little metal rod called a fer that I tap on,” says frontman and composer Jean-Claude ‘Sanbaton’ Dorvil of the bell-like instrument used to announce each of more than 100 rhythms that call up spirits known as loa. Having enthralled delegates at last year’s WOMEX and a series of dates everywhere from Borneo to Warsaw, they will grace WOMAD at the end of this month. Colourfully dressed, with two dancers, Edele and Maloune, lending added vibrancy, they promise both rootsy authenticity and – with songs expressing the painful history and the indomitable spirit of modernday Haitians – contemporary savvy.

Their name, says Dorvil, translates from Creole as ‘Bowl of the Tree of Freedom,’ and was inspired by the words of Toussaint Louverture, aka the Black Napoleon, the best-known leader of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), who said “in overthrowing me, you have done no more than cut down the trunk of the tree of the black liberty… it will spring back from the roots, for they are numerous and deep.” Live, Dorvil summons the drummers and dancers onstage by playing a conch shell called a lanbi, which symbolises the call to freedom for Haiti’s once enslaved populations. “We are ambassadors of voodoo,” he says of the oft misunderstood, Yorubaderived religion, which is comparable with lucumí or santería in Cuba and candomblé in Brazil. “We carry the sacred heritage passed down by our ancestors. The songs came from inside

me, these extraordinary words that carry messages.” Blown away after chancing upon Chouk Bwa Libète on a visit to Haiti in 2013, Belgian producer and musician Michael Wolteche had suggested recording an album in situ. In Simé’s village, songs were laid down at salient times of the day; in the evening in an aloupa (hut) lit by 1,000 candles that burned and were snuffed out according to the spirit winds. It all came as close to ceremony as possible. “It’s sad that people who don’t understand voodoo criticise it,” says Dorvil. “Voodoo is a pure religion. It’s about unity. There’s a spirit of sharing and a dignity you don’t often find anywhere else.”

+D ATE Chouk Bwa Libète perform at

WOMAD Charlton Park on July 30 on the BBC Radio 3 Charlie Gillett stage

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LURA

Cape Verde’s First Lady The Cape Verdean singer Lura talks to Daniel Brown prior to her WOMAD performance about her heritage, Cesaria’s legacy and why she’s a responsible rebel Photos N’Krumah Lawson-Daku

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The Galician Hurricane Jo Setters speaks to singer and multi-instrumentalist Mercedes Peón about how she’s single-handedly helped revitalise Galician traditional music Photos Bartek Muracki

he giant shipyards in Ferrol, northern Galicia, are the mainstay of the local economy and a cornerstone of the community. Like many heavy industries in Western Europe they have been suffering in recent years from a lack of demand. If they were to close completely, it would be devastating for the area. Recently, Mercedes Peón visited these shipyards to record the people and machinery at work. The sound samples she took with her portable equipment now form the basis of several compositions for her new album. This may seem a surprising thing to do for someone who, as a teenager, was travelling around the towns and villages of her native region, recording the songs and dances she encountered. However, while the sound of traditional song and the noise of an aircraft carrier being built may seem a strange combination, they both reflect Peón’s fascination with the sounds of the world around her and her restless work of investigation and creation. Most importantly though, in both cases it is really the community and environment of Galicia that she has been recording: its work, its culture and, of course, its people. In fact, this contrast says a lot about Peón herself: she is completely immersed in, and proud of, her Galician heritage, its community and language. At the same time, she is an absolute original and an individualist who never tires of exploring new methods and technologies for self-expression. Peón was born in Galicia, the very north-west region of Spain that extends out into the Atlantic above Portugal. The verdant landscape is watered by the weather systems that come directly off the ocean and, in some respects, the culture has more in common with Celtic communities in the north and west of France and Britain than with Mediterranean Spain. In the 1980s the country was in its ‘transition’ from Franco’s dictatorship to a new democracy. For decades under the old regime traditional music and dance and even the Galician language had been suppressed. With the end of the dictatorship, expressions of local and regional identify suddenly flowered again and this was what Peón started investigating in her teenage years. She was inspired by the sound of the pandereteras. These are women who sing in the

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Feel the force – Mercedes Peón playing the gaita (Galician pipes)

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E DWAR D I I

The Mancunian Project Manchester-based band Edward II are touring again having released a new album highlighting the 19th-century version of Twitter – the penny broadsides. Kevin Bourke talks to band member Gavin Sharp about the inspiration behind the project

anchester in the Victorian age is widely acknowledged as the world’s first truly industrial city. Alongside the development of the cotton mills and heavy industry, though, came overcrowded and dangerous, yet vibrant, slums. Farreaching social, political and cultural developments in the city were reflected not only by Marx and Engels famously working together in the magnificent surroundings of Manchester’s Chetham’s Library, but also, with more immediacy, by the penny broadsides – cheaply printed versions of popular songs that were distributed throughout the pubs, markets and streets of the city and surrounding towns. Invariably set to well-known tunes so that a probably illiterate audience could learn the songs through the oral tradition of singing in places like pubs, the lyrics, churned out at a furious pace by less than scrupulous printers, would reflect places, stories and characters familiar to the working populace. Often they would speak of struggle, poverty, civic uprising and communal tragedy. Equally they might recall good nights out, celebrate the various innovations and achievements of the industrial age or blatantly endorse the real or imagined virtues of local hostelries. It’s by no means fanciful to suggest, incidentally, that Marx and Engels probably heard the broadside tradition being sung in the local pubs they were known to frequent. A number of these tunes came to be known as ‘The Manchester Ballads’ after they were collected from various archives and published by Harry Boardman and Roy Palmer in 1980. Within the wider national collection of printed broadside ballads there are songs that date back to 1550, but the earliest song in their collection dates from 1785, the latest 1882. In essence, this was a snapshot of Mancunian life in the industrial era, albeit a somewhat selective one (hence the

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suggestion that this amounted to the 19th-century version of Twitter!), their version came in a handsome hardback card case containing loose-leaf facsimile prints of the original broadsheets, accompanied by biographies of the songs and, occasionally, a glossary of the dialect terms. It was one of these remarkable, but rather forgotten artefacts, that one day a couple of years ago found its way onto the desk of Gavin Sharp, a former key player in the “resting” punk/folk/reggae collective Edward II. He’s now CEO of Band on the Wall, a much loved- and long-lived Manchester venue, which just happens to be situated in the very area once inhabited by so many of the penny broadsheet printers. And so began the creation of Edward II’s Manchester’s Improving Daily (reviewed in #116), a remarkable project to bring these songs back to life for a contemporary audience. “Tim Chatterton, who’s the creative learning manager here, plonks this quite nice and interesting-looking hardback case book on my desk one day,” Sharp remembers, “and says ‘Have you ever seen this before or heard any of the tunes?’ To which I said no. But one rainy Sunday afternoon, I thought ‘I’ll get that book out and play some of them.’ As I worked through them the first song which really caught my attention was ‘A New Song on the Great Demonstration Which is to be Made on Kersal Moor, September 24th 1838,’ not just because of the extraordinarily lengthy title but because I used to live on the top of The Cliff, which is an area overlooking what used to be known as Kersal Moor. So then I started reading up some of the background and it turns out there was this massive gathering up on Kersal Moor, then a much bigger open area but close to Manchester city centre, where local unionists, reformers and agitators for civil rights would gather.” “So here we have a song that’s really well written, and where the content is relevant and historically interesting but W W W . S O N G L I N E S . C O. U K

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Africa REVIEWS have been passed to DJs for remix. The four conventional tracks are superb – instrumentally exciting with great horn playing. The vocals are accomplished, though not quite as acerbic as those of Fela Kuti – but then nobody bites quite like Fela. The five remix tracks incorporate elements of Spanish vocals, hip-hop, dub and psychedelic guitar. Each track takes the Afrobeat rhythm to another level – a gimmick perhaps, but it works well. All in all, a little like the successful fusions of Fat Freddy’s Drop. MARTIN SINNOCK

Rita Carmo

TRACK TO TRY Shakedown

TOP

OFTHE WORLD TRACK 4

Kimi Djabaté Kanamalu

La Queue de la Comète (80 mins)

★★★★★

Red Orange Recordings (41 mins)

★★★★★

Mellow Guinea-Bissau singer with distinctly Malian flavours Welcome to a new music label, bravely launching with a brace of albums by Portuguese-based artists, including this fine outing. Kimi Djabaté is a 40-year-old guitarist, singer and percussionist who grew up in Guinea-Bissau. A child prodigy, he performed at weddings and baptism ceremonies and then toured Europe in 1994 with the national music and dance ensemble before eventually settling in Lisbon. His third album, which follows a self-released debut in 2005 and 2009’s Karam, which appeared on Cumbancha, finds him singing in a gentle croon with an attractively husky patina, vaguely reminiscent of his

countryman and fellow exile Manecas Costa. Traditional kora (harp-lute), balafon (xylophone) and calabash patterns are intricately woven with throbbing bass, guitar and drums. On a blind listen you would probably locate the sound firmly in the griot traditions of Mali – which indeed is where his Mande ancestors migrated from several centuries ago. His songs deal with both political and personal issues. The title-track is a hymn to the pride of the griot patrimony and several of the best songs are faithfully fashioned in the classic praise style, including ‘Ululalu’, dedicated to his mother; ‘Anhonté’, written for his daughter and ‘Saia’, a lament for his late father. NIGEL WILLIAMSON

TRACK TO TRY Tonha Fó

GET THIS ALBUM FREE Readers can get Kanamalu when subscribing or renewing with Direct Debit. See CD flyer for details

Alma Afrobeat Ensemble It’s Time Slow Walk Music (58 mins)

★★★★★

Barcelona-based Chicagoan hands his Afrobeat to the DJs In 2002 the Red Hot + Riot compilation album, which was an AIDS awareness release and tribute to the music of Fela Kuti, caused a widespread rise in the popularity of

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Les Mercenaires de l’Ambiance Le Bal de l’Afrique Enchantée

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Afrobeat music in the US and elsewhere. Several excellent Afrobeat groups emerged and one such was the Alma Afrobeat Ensemble. They were formed in Chicago in 2003 by guitarist Aaron Feder, who relocated to Barcelona in Spain and relaunched the group in 2006. This is their third album and the first featuring Nigerian vocalist Joe Psalmist. It’s Time is a very enjoyable Afrobeat album, and comes with a very interesting twist. The first four tracks are conventional Afrobeat; the next five are recordings that

The enchanting French radio show gets its own album All the ingredients are there to make this album a joyous romp through African classics that have shaped generations of the continent’s musicians and their followers. Eleven seasoned artists are led by singer Ballou Canta and accomplished conductor Christophe Cagnolari across songs which transformed Africa’s social and cultural landscapes from the 1960s onwards, aided by two MCs whose joint knowledge of African musical folklore stretches back for decades. Between 2006 and 2015 these two masters of this particular ball, Vladimir Cagnolari and Soro Solo, did much to bring popular African music into French households with their weekly show L’Afrique Enchantée on Radio France Inter. But there was always an uncomfortably patronising tone to the programme, which unfortunately spills over into the didactic elements of this album. Layered with good intentions, the duo simplify the complex, sometimes tortured, creativity of the likes of Bembeya Jazz, Mayimona Manguana and Fela Kuti, creating a playful joust that heaps ridicule on the honourable desire to make us dance our preoccupations away. Connoisseurs will learn little and neophytes need to be well-versed in the language of Voltaire to understand the lessons shared by uncles Vlad and Solo, with ‘la nièce’ Hortense tagging faithfully behind. ANNE-CÉCILE LAFARGE

TRACK TO TRY Mona Ki Ngi Xica

Matuki Injo Matuki (44 mins)

★★★★★

Funky Bristolian Afrobeat crew sound festival-ready Gambian percussionist and singer Ebou Sanyang formed Matuki in Bristol last year and their live debut was at Glastonbury Festival. They are an 11-piece Afrobeat, funk and urban groove band with an enthusiastic and youthful line-up fronted by some older and more experienced members. While Afrobeat is the basis of their sound Matuki cleverly introduce other elements that make their musical fusion eminently enjoyable. On the final two linked tracks on Injo, for example, the pace is slowed right down with a talking drum accenting a poetic spoken vocal over a bluesy guitar. Matuki are already clearly an accomplished ensemble despite their comparatively short time together. Underpinning the sound is a funky and relentless wah-wah guitar with a punchy bass leading the tight rhythm section; saxophone and trumpet effortlessly punctuate. Two excellent female backing singers occasionally sing lead lines but generally the vocals are sung by bandleader Sanyang. The two female voices are soulful and warrant more opportunity to be a feature of the band – perhaps giving an even greater variety to the sound. Matuki have an extensive list of summer bookings, at which they will be playing from and selling copies of this excellent album. MARTIN SINNOCK

TRACK TO TRY Saliya

Nii Okai Tagoe West to West ARC Music (51 mins)

★★★★★

Bubbly balafon business is the way Tagoe If you had to sum up Nii Okai Tagoe in the reductionist shorthand pigeonholing that the modern world demands, ‘Ghanaian percussionist’ would probably do it. But the phrase fails to do justice to the breadth of his musical experience and ambition. Born in Ghana into a royal family of master drummers and dancers, he’s spent the past two decades living in London –

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Africa reviews and the journey from West Africa to western Europe gives his second solo album its title. Having based himself in the UK, he joined the Adzido Pan-African Dance Ensemble, became the percussionist with veteran Afro-rockers Osibisa and went on to perform with Peter Gabriel and Baka Beyond, among others. He plays balafon and half a dozen different drums – including tama and djembé – in addition to composing and singing all the material. But he’s also supported by a diverse cast of international musicians, including various alumni of Osibisa and Baka Beyond. The result is an eclectic set that traces the Yoruba rhythm of Do Weh Madu, from the reggae groove of ‘Doh Wey’ to the desert blues of ‘3 Monkeys’. The Afro-disco explosions of ‘Ley Ley Ley’ feature the fabulous trumpet blasts of Colin Graham, who has played with everyone from Wham! to the Bhundu Boys. The album concludes with Tagoe signing off in simple but deathless fashion with the village chant ‘Mile Mi Ley’, accompanied solely by balafon.

this particular ceremonial dance: the dedication of a new encampment. In the text we learn in great detail how a lone adolescent dancer progressively moves with small body flexings in a rising manner that replicates a mythical animal, ancestral spirit or forest demon. Equally stirring and hypnotic are tracks associated with the hunt, and the delicate and enchanting voices of the children in their singing games. Listening to this music while following the descriptions of the vocal counterpoint, yodels and improvisations, we begin to understand something of this remarkable ancient tradition. Fascinating for anyone interested in the human voice or the tribal culture of Central Africa. Martin Sinnock

TRACK TO TRY Bola Bosombo by Zoboko

This is Kologo Power!

HHHHH Makkum Records (49 mins)

Two-stringed lute goes in all manner of soulful directions Music from Bolgatanga, the capital of Ghana’s Sahelian north-east region, is hugely different from the more accessible highlife generally made further south, but the world wouldn’t know anything about it if not for the work of Arnold de Boer, a Frisian/Dutch producer, guitarist and founder of Makkum Records. The label has already released material by several artists on this impressive sampler, compiled by one of them, King Ayisoba. Although some of the nine others perform solely with vocals and two-

stringed kologo, the surprising variety apparent within the narrow stylistic palette of kologo music is made up for by imaginative track sequencing, surprising production twists, and a few intriguing band arrangements. It’s just a shame the sleeve notes don’t tell us anything about these, nor translate the urgent messages of those singing solely in the local Frafra language, although Atimbila’s pidgin English is clear enough, and the infectiously poppy melody of the track ‘I Have Something to Say’ might just ensure that he’s the next Bolgatangan artist to make an entire album. Everything is kept acoustic and, mercifully, King Ayisoba’s strict doctrine of ‘no computer beats’ is adhered to exclusively. Jon Lusk

TRACK TO TRY I Have Something to Say by Atimbila

Nigel Williamson

TRACK TO TRY Ley Ley Ley

VARIOUS ARTISTS Musical Anthology of the Aka Pygmies Ocora Radio France (2 CDs, 135 mins)

HHHHH

A gateway to a hidden world In #114 we reviewed an Ocora CD of Aka Pygmy music that focused on their instrumental accompaniment. This latest album from the same label is a lavish collection of examples of the distinctive polyphonic singing of the Aka hunter-gatherer Pygmies of the Central African Republic. It is for their outstanding vocal technique that Pygmy music is best known. The music is divided into different social functions, such as rituals associated with the hunt, honey gathering, lullabies, children’s games, the dedication of a new encampment, dance music and the ritual of divining. To really appreciate the album, the listener needs to study the extensive liner notes (in French and English) which reveal many intricacies and helps us to assimilate the cultural significance. The description of the track ‘Mokondi’, for example, explains the entire social function of

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ofthe world

Various Artists Space Echo: The Mystery Behind the Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde Finally Revealed

track 3

Analog Africa (69 mins)

HHHHH

How shipwrecked synthesizers revolutionised Cape Verde’s music The titular mystery in this mouthful of a title refers to a Baltimore cargo ship that was en route to Rio de Janeiro in 1968 but somehow ended up on the Cape Verdean island of São Nicolau, stranded in a field miles from any coastline. In its hold was, surprisingly, a booty of analogue synthesizers: the future course of the archipelago’s music was duly set, at least for the subsequent couple of decades. The real mystery is why, after years of often insipid contemporary releases by the likes of Lusafrica, it’s taken so long to release this stuff and give the ever larger market for Cape Verdean music a shot in the arm. Supplying that shot, in large part, is

Paulino Vieira, the keyboard maestro and arranger who dominated the era and shaped its sound, and to whom Space Echo is dedicated. While Vieira’s most powerful work was arguably cut in the 1970s, soundtracking Amílcar Cabral’s struggle for independence from Portugal, this is nevertheless an excellent round-up of mainly early 80s recordings, largely dominated by the galloping rhythms of funaná (Cape Verde’s accordionbased dance music). But there are also all manner of beguiling – and yes, cosmic – oddities, working a common thread of pre-digital electro through Afro-funk, blues and jazz. An epochal release. Brendon Griffin

TRACK TO TRY Corre Riba, Corre Baxo by Abel Lima

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Middle East REVIEWS Orchestra Bailam Taverne, Café Amán e Tekés Felmay (45 mins)

★★★★★

Italian tribute band dedicated to East-Med music Orchestra Bailam have been around since 1989, with a respectable backlist discography still available. The core group of five guys play reeds, percussion, violin and lutes including the oud, bouzouki and bağlamas; often in collaboration with guests. Their repertoire revisits both Ottoman art and more popular music of the eastern Mediterranean, ranging here from the two-part Armenian folk suite ‘Hayastan’ to the Sephardic song ‘Hija Mia’ by way of a fairly straight-ahead rendition of court composer Tanburi Cemil Bey’s much-covered instrumental standard, ‘Çeçen Kızı’. No new interpretive ground is broken and the music – while more than competently played – feels earnest rather than spirited. One can quibble with Orchestra Bailam’s decision to use translated lyrics for the half-dozen Greek tracks, while leaving original Ladino and Arabic lyrics alone; for me at least, it was supremely bizarre to hear one of the best-loved Greek-island songs, ‘Psaropoula’, sung in Italian. Recording quality is not what you’d expect from Felmay – overwhelmingly bass-boomy, and very twodimensional. Guests include fine ney (end-blown flute) player Jalal Ayham, and Alessandra Ravizza’s showstealing vocals on four tracks. OJOS DE NOVIA

B I S MI LL AH 4:58 HAYKEN JUAR 2:51 AHU VATI ESTER 3:47 NEU L A HI DALTI 4:41 EN L A CIU DA D D E TO LEDO 3:16 YAL MA SHTA 4:34 O JO S D E NOVIA 3:19 SU SO NA 3:47 IJDIGEN 2:17 PARPARIM 3:42 BEZO S 3:45 JU STICIA SEÑO R 2:05 TRES MO RILL A S 3:21

Mor Karbasi: Vocals Joe Taylor: Guitar, Trumpets, Saz Jorge Bravo: Guitar Antonio Miguel: Bass Yshai Afterman: Percussion Orel Oshrat: Piano & String Arrangements with special guests Richard Bona: Bass Kai Eckhardt: Bass Tomatito Family: Guitar

and supporting appearances by Ben Aylon: Percussion Gilad Amsalem: Percussion Itamar Doari: Percussion Andres Ticino: Percussion Tsahi Ventura: Ney flute Elias Wakileh: Oud Keren Goldentsveig: Clarinet Osnat Berner Sivan: Flugelhorn Elad Levy: Kemanche Shimon Ifrah: Opening Vocal Lia Sherma, Mariana Tur, Tal Eizenberg & Sasha Doulov: String Quartet Produced by Joe Taylor and Mor Karbasi Executive Producer Graham Lawson for Mintaka Music Design & Art Direction by Stylorouge Mor Karbasi Photographed by Rob O’Connor Other photography courtesy of dreamstime.com morkarbasi.com

Exclusive Worldwide Management: mintakamusic.com Contact: info@mintakamusic.com p & c 2016 Alama Records 005. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting prohibited. Manufactured in the UK. Promo Copy Only / Not For Resale

MARC DUBIN

TRACK TO TRY Ya Habibi Taala

Ensemble Marani Polyphonies of Georgia Buda Musique (57 mins)

★★★★★

A magical male-voice tour of Georgia’s choral hotspots The Ensemble Marani are an exceptionally good Georgian male-voice choir based in Paris. The 12-strong group includes members of the Georgian community in France as well as French singers. Much of the repertoire is collected from choirs in Georgia as well as old recordings, one piece dating back to 1913. There are songs from all the strongest ‘vocal regions’ of the country: ‘Khasanbegura’

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features acrobatic yodeling from Guria; ‘Kviria’ derives from Svaneti, which has such extraordinary harmonies that it sounds almost like overtone singing; and two songs are sung in the seldom-heard Laz language. ‘Me Rustveli’, which also has the Gurian krimanchuli yodeling, is a setting of the first quatrain of ‘The Knight in the Panther Skin’, by Georgia’s national poet Shota Rustaveli. Besides the quality singing and interesting repertoire, another reason for recommending this CD is the instrumental accompaniment on several tracks, including Adjarian bagpipes and panduri and chuniri lutes. SIMON BROUGHTON

TRACK TO TRY Kviria

Mor Karbasi Ojos de Novia

★★★★★ Alama Records (46 mins)

World-beating Sephardic singer takes things easy here Stating that Mor Karbasi is one of the most spellbinding contemporary singers in the world seems unnecessary. And that’s exactly why Ojos de Novia becomes a little unnerving, presenting Karbasi’s visceral and explosive voice a bit too tamed. The Israeli-born singer first came to prominence in 2008 with the album The Beauty and the Sea, a collection of songs that led us through an intimate tour of the Sephardic repertoire and her Moroccan and Persian Jewish roots. And although the Sephardic songs were her main pursuit, she often poured in a little flamenco, which gave the music an incandescent quality. After keeping her course with Daughter of the Spring (2011) and the gorgeous La Tsadika (2013), she now sounds en route to a more pop destination. This fact in itself would not pose any sort of problem – the title-track is a wonderful example of how Karbasi can pull this off in quite a sublime way. But here and there she seems somewhat lost, still trying to figure out how to reinvent herself after the first phase of her career. Not all of Ojos de Novia is as sharp as the Sílvia Pérez Cruz-sounding ‘Parparim’ or the flamenco-tinged ‘Susona’ (featuring a little help from the guitarist Tomatito). It’s a pity. This ends up a little short on amazement. GONÇALO FROTA

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Yinon Muallem Meeting of Hearts

OFTHE WORLD

TRACK 10

Ahenk Müzik (53 mins)

★★★★★

This Iraqi-Jewish Israeli’s music builds a broad church Based on the cover alone, you might assume that Meeting of Hearts was something to do with a Jewish self-help group from the 90s. But it is a beautiful album promoting cross-religious and inter-cultural understanding. Yinon Muallem is an Iraqi-Jewish Israeli musician based in Istanbul and this pan-Levantine background is reflected in his music. Based on the words of a handful of medieval Jewish and Sufi poets, each well-crafted track explores our relationship with the divine in a religiously non-partisan way – emphasised in the accompanying booklet that features translations in Hebrew, Turkish and English. The distinctive sound comes from percussion and oud (lute) – Muallem’s two specialisms – cello, ney (flute), kanun (zither) and a few other instruments, as well as exquisite vocals from Gülseven Medar. Cello on the opening track instantly evokes the mysticism of the East with some gorgeous improvisation in a makam mode. Other tracks, such as the percussive ‘Rhythm of the Hearts’ reveal the Sufi influence, conjuring the atmosphere of a zikr (devotional practice). It’s well worth a listen for anyone interested in music from the region and, indeed, anyone wishing to hear what happens when you break down barriers. TOM NEWELL

TRACK TO TRY Yunus

TRACK TO TRY Parparim

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Pacific REVIEWS Moana’s 2014 album Rima, as well as Nga Tae’s 2012’s self-titled debut. Retaining snatches of traditional Te Reo Maori vocals on tracks like ‘Te Ira Tangata’ and ‘Upokohue’, he overlays a heady mix of ricocheting dub reggae effects and squelchy bass frequencies for the echoing ‘Rangatahi’ and the horn-ladened ‘Whole Worlds Watching’. Elsewhere chilled ambience prevails, alongside Nunns’ breathy collection of organic sounds, creating atmospheric audio collages.

The Aboriginal veteran Kev Carmody

SETH JORDAN

TRACK TO TRY Upokohue

Gawurra Ratja Yaliyali CAAMA (2 CDs, 43 mins)

Bush Gothic The Natural Selection Australian Songbook Fydle Records (36 mins)

★★★★★

The dark side of the Australian bush tradition Australia has a long tradition of bush bands: Ned Kelly-a-likes playing tunes from the Aussie folk songbook, an Irish-and-Scottish fuelled tradition with lyrics that tell of heartbreak and tragedy, displacement and resilience, sung in a nasal keening and very often given an irreverent antipodean twist. Melbourne trio Bush Gothic take the subversion further, lending anthems such as ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘Wild Colonial Boy’ a knowing postmodern aesthetic with arrangements that variously soothe, stir and surprise. Asserting their rebel credentials with a brief instrumental opener featuring a dark and spooky drone, Chris Lewis (drums, banjo-mandolin and backing vocals), Dan Witton (double bass, backing vocals) and singer Jenny M Thomas (also on piano, viola, violin) dive deep into the Australian national psyche and give its chain a yank. By slowing down the deceptive jauntiness of the likes of ‘Botany Bay’, and turning its famed ‘Toora-li/Oorali Addidady’ refrain into something dream-like and ghostly, Bush Gothic expose the terrible truths of Terra Australis. And while some of the tracks seem to slip into each other with a homogeneity, the spine-tingling a capella vibe of ‘Female Transport’ conveys the wretchedness of the convict’s sea-crossing. Other standouts include ‘Swag on My Shoulder’, which

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★★★★★ showcases Thomas’ sweet vocals and features a chorus phrase from the song ‘Treaty’ by Aboriginal stars Yothu Yindi – a reminder of just who the first Australians were. JANE CORNWELL

TRACK TO TRY Swag on My Shoulder

Kev Carmody Recollections… Reflections… (A Journey)

frogs, blowflies, his grandchildren and assorted found farm objects, we hear the emergence of a definitive archive of Carmody’s extraordinary life. Warmly produced by Andy Wilmott, guests include Irish musician Ronan Browne and Midnight Oil guitarist Jim Moginie. But this release is very much Carmody’s. As he himself says, ‘Ya can’t rush an ol’ rooster.’ SETH JORDAN

Universal (4 CDs, 208 mins)

TRACK TO TRY Dajarra Night Wind

A gentle, understated indigenous magnum opus

Paddy Free In Dub

★★★★★

With the possible exception of Archie Roach, no Aboriginal musician has had a stronger impact or influence than veteran Aussie singer-songwriter Kev Carmody. From his debut 1988 album Pillars of Society, with its pointed political statements and topical anthems, through to his more reflective current work, Carmody’s insightful lyrics, folk-based vocal delivery and rural acoustic instrumentation have always had the ability to deeply touch minds and hearts. And at 70, Carmody may have saved his very best for near-last. This impressive four-CD box features 41 tracks culled from his backlog of previously unrecorded song ideas, demos, scrapbooks and scribbled notes. Some are decades old and some much more recent, but with his trademark humour, intelligence and honesty, these partly spoken-word stories and oral histories reveal an abundance of personal thoughts and life experiences. With sometimes minimalist, sometimes rollicking folk-country musical backing, augmented by sound effects from his dog, chickens, local

Paddy Free (43 mins)

★★★★★

Maori-inflected dub Probably best known as one-half of New Zealand electronic duo Pitch Black, flame-haired producer/keyboardist Paddy Free has also twiddled the studio knobs for Kiwi compatriots Crowded House, Neil Finn and Salmonella Dub. But some of his most interesting work has been on more recent Maoriinfluenced collaborations. Back in 2008 on his first solo recording Karekare: Te Reo O Te Whenua, Free teamed up with taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments) specialist Richard Nunns. He then expanded the electro-trad concept further with the group Nga Tae, which again featured Nunns, along with protégé Horomona Horo and Maori vocalist Waimihi Hotere. Next, he joined veteran Aotearoan singer Moana Maniapoto as her musical director and producer and became a vital member of her band The Tribe. In Dub revisits and remixes Free’s co-writing and production efforts for

A new and exciting Arnhem Land voice Resident on Milingimbi Island, off the north coast of Australia’s Arnhem Land, Stanley Gawurra Gaykamangu is a cousin of celebrated blind Aboriginal singer Gurrumul Yunupingu. But beyond both having lovely Yolngu voices, any direct musical comparison is unfair. Singing in his own Gupapuyngu language, on his debut album Gawurra (pronounced ‘gow-rra’) weaves traditional indigenous songlines with contemporary stylings, clearly identifying his ancestral lineage on ‘Bundurr’ (Story of Myself ) by systematically naming his family’s clan groups. With lyrics full of animal spirits, plants and coastal sunsets, his natural themes successfully create a palpable sense of place. The title-track (translated as ‘Vine of Love’) celebrates connectiveness, while the sparse ‘Guwak’ (Little Black Bird) mimics birdsong. Elsewhere laid-back folkcountry inflections on ‘Gurrupurungu Ngarra’ (Poor Man) comfortably contrast with the controlled rock power-chords of ‘Burala’ (Diving Duck). The second disc features ten short buyalamarr (traditional) Yolngu songs, with Gawarru’s voice accompanied only by yidaki (didgeridoo) and clap sticks. Nicely produced by local songwriter and producer Broadwing (aka Ben Allen), it’s only the overly-lush inclusion of strings on some tracks that slightly detracts from this album’s solid authenticity. This is a fine introduction to Gawurra’s emerging talent. SETH JORDAN

TRACK TO TRY Guwak (Little Black Bird)

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SONGLINES MUSIC TRAVEL

CUBA THE MUSIC OF CUBA March/April 2017

KAVI BHANSALI/JODHPUR RIFF; PROEXPORT; ROSE SKELTON; ANNE PEINHARDT; ISTOCK; EMMA GEOGHEGAN; HELMUT NEUMANN; JOHN CLEWLEY

Our tour starts in the east, in the Sierra Maestra mountains, and ends with three rhythm-drenched days in Havana.

COLOMBIA NEW WHERE THE TRIP! HEART BEATS September 12-22 2016

This 11-day trip ventures into the heart of Colombia’s musical culture from Bogotá to Cartagena.

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MOROCCO ESSAOUIRA GNAWA FESTIVAL June 2017

A weekend in the Moroccan port town of Essaouira during the vibrant Gnawa and World Music Festival.

ARGENTINA GET TANGOED!

NEW TRIP!

August 2017 Get under the skin of Carlos Gardél’s beloved Buenos Aires and trace the history of tango in South America’s most European city.

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ROMANIA AT HOME WITH THE GYPSIES September 3-11 2016 May 27-June 4 2017

Includes visits to Clejani, the home of Taraf de Haidouks, and Zece Prăjini, the home of Fanfare Ciocărlia.

SENEGAL NEVER MIND THE MBALAX November 18-27 2016

We discover the local sounds of Senegal’s capital, Dakar, from mbalax to folk via reggae, roots and hip-hop.

CHINA A MUSICAL DISCOVERY March/April 2017

NEW TRIP!

As well as exploring the music scenes in Beijing, Xian and Shanghai we also include a visit to the Great Wall of China.

INDIA RAJASTHAN MUSICAL ADVENTURE October 6-18 2016

We delve into a soul-inspiring part of the world culminating in the famous Jodhpur RIFF, the Rajasthan Folk Festival.

All dates shown are ex-destination

For more information and full itineraries: Visit www.songlinesmusictravel.com Call +44 (0)20 7501 6741 Email tours@mastertravel.co.uk Songlines Travel 220x297mm DPS.indd 2

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JULY-AUGUST 2016

Gig Guide

Songlines picks... Donegal International Folk & Roots Weekend (Ireland, July 14-17) The perfect opportunity to dive into folk music in a stunning wild landscape. Cambridge Folk Festival (Midlands, July 28-31) Christy Moore, Gogol Bordello, Baaba Maal, Sam Lee & Friends, Chris Wood, and many more. Edinburgh International Festival (Scotland, August 5-29) A month-long celebration of all things cultural. Klezfest (London, August 15-19) London’s famous summer klezmer school returns with world-class faculty line-up. Jenny M Thomas’ Bush Gothic (pictured) (London, August 19) Dark, modern Australian folk comes to the Nest Collective’s Campfire Club.

LONDON 20 JUN-24 JUL SOAS World Music Summer School soas.ac.uk/music/ summermusicschool; 12-16 JUL Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company Sadler’s Wells 020 7863 8000; 14-21 JUL Appalachian 100 Cecil Sharp House cecilsharphouse.org; 15 JUL Frazey Ford Barbican 020 7638 8891; West African Blues Project Green Note 020 7485 9899; Rahma Rose + Nasteexo Indho Rich Mix 020 7613 7498; India Electric Co

Sutton House wegottickets.com; Filter Coffee Nehru Centre 020 7493 2019; 15-17 JUL Hyper Japan Festival Olympia hyperjapan.co.uk; Yuva Mahotsav: Festival of Indian Classical Music & Dance The Bhavan bhavan.net; 16 JUL Our Latin Thing: 30 Years of Latin Music in London Barbican barbican.org.uk; Funkiwala Records Launch Party The Forge forgevenue.org; Arijit Singh The SSE Arena 0844 815 0815; Songlines Choir Union Chapel unionchapel.org.uk; Me and My Friends Sebright Arms thenestcollective.co.uk; 16-17 JUL Walthamstow Garden Party Lloyd

Park FREE walthamstowgardenparty.com; Yoruba Arts Festival Clissold Park, Hackney FREE yorubaarts.org; 16-17 JUL London Afrobeat Collective + Grupo Lokito Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen 08444 771 000; 17 JUL Celebration of Bengali Romantic Monsoon Season Rich Mix FREE richmix.org.uk; Gipsy Kings Kew Gardens 020 8332 3123; United Vibrations Jazz Cafe 020 7485 6834; 20 JUL Viva Colombia! The Forge forgevenue.org; Tsygane: Russka Roma Rich Mix FREE richmix.org.uk; Maarja Nuut The QEH Roof Garden 0844 875 0073; 21 JUL Omara

Portuondo & Diego el Cigala + Raúl Rodríguez Barbican 020 7638 8891; 21-24 JUL IGF Guitar Summit Kings Place kingsplace.co.uk/ guitarsummit2016; 22 JUL Bafula Central Bar at RFH FREE 0844 875 0073; Don Kipper Central Bar at RFH FREE 0844 875 0073; Maroon Town The Portico Gallery 020 8761 7612; Tarabband Rich Mix 020 7613 7498; Tim Dalling with Ian Carr, Neil Harland & Rhona Dalling Glengall Wharf Garden thenestcollective.co.uk; 23 JUL Plaza Latina Nursery Row Park plazalatina.co.uk; 24 JUL Nishat Khan Barbican 020 7638 8891; Sanjoy

www.songlines.co.uk/gigs All information correct at time of going to press. Email listings for print and online consideration to listings@songlines.co.uk W W W . S O N G L I N E S . C O. U K

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Gig Guide Man Band on the Wall, Manchester 08452 500 500; 7 AUG Amani Live: African Music Night Band on the Wall, Manchester bandonthewall.org; 12-20 AUG Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance billinghamfestival.co.uk; 13 AUG Mokoomba Band on the Wall, Manchester 08452 500 500; 20-26 AUG Whitby Folk Week whitbyfolk.co.uk; 24 AUG Ten Strings and a Goat Skin Barnsley Wheelhouse Concert arnsleyhouseconcerts.moonfruit.com; 27-29 AUG Folk Festival on the Dock Liverpool albertdock.com; 28-29 AUG Newcastle Mela Exhibition Park FREE newcastlemela.co.uk

SCOTLAND

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(REPUBLIC & NORTHERN) 13-17 JUL Soma Festival Castlewellan somafestival.com; 14-17 JUL Donegal International Folk & Roots Weekend Letterkenny eaf.ie; 15-18 JUL Féile Iorrais Folk Arts Festival Erris arasinisgluaire.ie; 29-31 JUL Ballyshannon Folk & Traditional Music Festival ballyshannonfolkfestival.com; 2 AUG Yorkston/Thorne/Khan Cyprus Avenue, Cork +353 (0)21 427 6165; 3-8 AUG Feakle Festival of Traditional Music feaklefestival.ie; 11 AUG Sharon Shannon De Barra’s, Clonakilty tickets.ie; 14-22 AUG Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Ennis fleadhcheoil.ie; 25 AUG Caitlín & Ciarán De Barra’s, Clonakilty tickets.ie;

Hall, Edinburgh 0131 668 2019; 22 AUG Lochinver Village Hall 01571 844262; 23 AUG Aros, Portree, Isle of Skye 01478 613750; 27 AUG Ropetackle, Shoreham-by-Sea 01273 464440.

TOURS

16-17 JUL Tiree Music Festival tireemusicfestival.co.uk; 31 JUL Cambridge Folk Festival, Cherry Hinton Hall 01223 357851; 1 AUG Sidmouth Folk Week 01395 577952; 4 AUG Wickham Festival 01329 231942; 5 AUG Dartmoor Folk Festival dartmoorfolkfestival.org.uk; 17 AUG The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh 0131 668 2019; 18 AUG Tolbooth, Stirling 01786 274000; 19 AUG Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock 01475 723723; 20 AUG Woodend Barn, Banchory 01330 825431;

10 String Symphony

See p88 for tour details

Anna & Elizabeth

See p89 for tour details

The Barra MacNeils

Folk family from Cape Breton 20 AUG Innerleithen Music Festival 01721 725777; 21 AUG The Queen’s

Blazin’ Fiddles

From the Highlands and Islands

ON TOUR

Imarhan

Touareg rock’n’roll from Algeria

Another band to emerge from the fervent Touareg blues scene of north-west Africa, Imarhan produce a sound hard to find among their peers. An eclectic outfit who can execute everything from melodic, acoustic slow numbers to rampant, rhythmic rock-outs, the band have

Jo Bongard

13-16 JUL HebCelt Festival Stornoway hebceltfest.com; 15-17 JUL Tiree Music Festival tireemusicfestival.co.uk; 17 JUL Glasgow Mela Kelvingrove Park FREE glasgowmela.com; 23 JUL Capercaillie Byre in the Botanics, St Andrews 01334 475000; 25 JUL Tim Dalling with Ian Carr, Neil Harland & Rhona Dalling Kilbarchan Performing Arts Centre 01505 706346; 27 JUL Old Blind Dogs Tornaveen Community Hall, Torphins ticketsource.co.uk; 29-31 JUL Southern Fried: Festival of American Roots Music Perth horsecross.co.uk/southern-friedfestival; Speyfest: Traditional & Contemporary Celtic Music Fochabers speyfest.com; 3 AUG Tim Kliphuis Trio Deeside Community Theatre, Aboyne ticketsource.co.uk; 5 AUG Blackbeard’s Tea Party La Belle Angèle, Edinburgh 0131 220 1161; Breabach Deeside Community Theatre, Aboyne ticketsource.co.uk; 5-29 AUG Edinburgh International Festival eif.co.uk; 8-14 AUG Piping Live! Glasgow pipinglive.co.uk; Fringe by the Sea North Berwick fringebythesea.co.uk; 17-21 AUG Mull of Kintyre Music Festival Campbeltown mokfest.com; 18 AUG Treacherous Orchestra The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh 0131 668 2019; 19-21 AUG Innerleithen Music Festival Tweed Valley innerleithenmusicfestival.org; 26-27 AUG Summer Isles Festival Achiltibuie summerislesfestival.com; 27 AUG Capercaillie The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh 0131 668 2019; 27-28 AUG Edinburgh Mela Leith Links edinburgh-mela.co.uk

IRELAND

25-28 AUG Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival discoverdunmore.com; 26-28 AUG Doolin Craft Beer & Roots Festival doolinbeerandroots.com; 27-28 AUG Belfast Mela Botanic Gardens belfastmela.org.uk; 28 AUG Bluegrass Picnic Ward Park, Bangor FREE openhousebangor.com

the capacity to impress the most casual of listeners. Their prowess and musical ability is showcased best on their self-titled debut album (a Top of the World in #118). Catch them as they begin the UK leg of their European tour at WOMAD Charlton Park later this month.

28 JUL WOMAD Charlton Park, Malmesbury womad.co.uk 30 JUL Port Eliot Festival, St Germans porteliotfestival.com; 31 JUL Music Room, Liverpool 0151 709 3789; 1 AUG Brudenell Social Club, Leeds 0113 275 2411; 2 AUG Broadcast, Glasgow 0871 220 0260; 3 AUG Hare & Hounds, Birmingham 0121 444 2081; 4 AUG Komedia, Brighton 0845 293 8480; 6 AUG Caught by the River Thames, Fulham Palace caughtbytheriverthames.com

ISSUE 120

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essential

Festival bands

It’s not summer in the UK until you’ve spent a weekend in your wellies and sun hat at a festival. Here are ten acts Alexandra Petropoulos is looking forward to seeing at Larmer Tree, WOMAD, Cambridge and Shambala festivals

01 Afriquoi Kolaba

(Wormfood Records, 2015)

This is the excellent debut from the London-based Afrodance project Afriquoi, whose music takes in everything from house and drum’n’bass to Congolese rumba and the West African griot tradition. They are sure to get booties shaking at WOMAD and Shambala. Reviewed in #112.

02 Afro Celt Sound System The Source (ECC Records, 2016)

The much-loved fusion band return after a decade of radio silence with an excellent, reinvigorated sound. While the lineup has changed a bit, including the new face of Scottish Gaelic singer and piper Griogair, original founder Simon Emmerson and kora and balafon player N’Faly Kouyaté still remain at the helm of a band that have grown into something bolder and bigger than before. Catch them at Larmer Tree or Cambridge Folk Festival this July. A Top of the World in #118.

03 Blick Bassy Akö (No Format!, 2015)

This album sees the Cameroonian guitarist strip back his sound for an intimate affair that truly shows off his subtle, earthy voice. There are touches of bossa nova and jazz as well as rhythms that span the African diaspora. The perfect music for a (hopefully) sunny stage at WOMAD or Shambala. Reviewed in #109.

04 Hot 8 Brass Band Vicennial: 20 Years of The Hot 8 Brass Band (Tru Thoughts, 2015)

This is perfect summer music – hot and heavy brass that makes you crave a large, cold glass of sweet tea while you 98 s o n g l i n e s

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shake your thing in the streets of New Orleans. They have been going for 20 years and this album shows off all the music that makes them so fun. They’ll be hitting the festival circuit hard, playing at Larmer Tree, WOMAD and Shambala this year. A Top of the World in #113.

05 Le Vent du Nord Têtu (Borealis Records, 2015)

The Québécois quartet have been keeping their French-Canadian traditions alive for 13 years and appropriately Têtu is a celebration of Francophone culture. Their upbeat tunes soar, supported by the warm singing of all four members as well as an impressive instrumental line-up between them including the distinctive hurdy-gurdy, fiddle, bouzouki, Jew’s harp and mandolin. Their joyous music will be sure to capture audiences at Cambridge Folk Festival and WOMAD. A Top of the World in #108.

06 Leyla McCalla A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey (Jazz Village, 2016)

This is the second solo album from cellist and one-time Carolina Chocolate Drop. She again draws upon her both her Haitian heritage and the music of her adopted home of Louisiana for an excellent set of tunes sung in French, English and Creole. Leyla McCalla will perform at the Cambridge Folk Festival in July. A Top of the World in #119.

07 Melt Yourself Down Last Evenings on Earth (Leaf Records, 2016)

This London-based group are a fusion band of the best kind – one that mixes their various influences so well that it’s hard to know where one ends and the other begins. This is a densely textured affair that encourages its listener to

simultaneously groove along and listen closer. They will bring their first-rate fusion to Larmer Tree Festival. A Top of the World in #119.

08 Anoushka Shankar Land of Gold

(Deutsche Grammophon, 2016)

As the daughter of the legendary Ravi Shankar, sitarist Anoushka has always sought her own path. Here she offers a broad narrative that is at its heart a meditation on refugees and displaced peoples. Land of Gold is a sublime set that takes in a contemporary, jazzy sensibility. After an excellent set at a grey and muddy Glastonbury, crowds at WOMAD and Shambala can expect an equally effortless show. Reviewed in #118.

09 Sidestepper Supernatural Love (Real World, 2016)

Colombia’s electro-cumbia pioneers strip back their music for a slightly more acoustic approach. The beats are still there, but there is more emphasis on the textures of instruments. After performing a stellar show at last year’s Shambala, they are sure to bring summery vibes to Larmer Tree and WOMAD this July. A Top of the World in #115.

10 Dele Sosimi You No Fit Touch Am (Wah Wah 45s, 2015)

Bandleader and keyboard player Dele Sosimi has been proudly carrying Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat flag. This album captures something of his fiery, energetic shows that Shambala punters have to look forward to. A Top of the World in #109.

+ PLAYLIST Listen to our curated Apple Music +

playlist at www.bit.ly/songlinesfestivalplaylist LET US KNOW Have any other suggestions? Let us know, letters@songlines.co.uk

w w w . s o n g l i n e s . c o. u k

06/07/2016 16:35