Top 5 International Acts

Stewart Smith highlights five must-see acts crossing the seas to play in Edinburgh

ENRICO ZANISI

Combining lush romanticism with an inquisitive contemporary jazz feel, Italian pianist Zanisi makes a welcome return to Edinburgh.

 St Bride’s Centre, 15 July, 8.30pm.

THE ORIGINAL PINETTES BRASS BAND

There are few sounds as glorious as a New Orleans brass band, and The Pinettes are one of the finest around, updating tradition with a spicy mix of hip hop, funk and R&B.

 George Square Spiegeltent, 17 July, 6pm; Murrayfield Parish Church, 18 July, 6.30pm.

MONA KROGSTAD QUARTET

Spark: Jazz From Norway is a strand which includes emerging talents such as Krogstad. Inspired by 1960s Blue Note masters and the modern Scandinavian scene, this saxophonist combines lyrical composition with playful improvisation.

 Jazz Bar, 19 July, 8pm.

ARILD ANDERSEN, TOMMY SMITH & THOMAS STRØNEN

Norwegian bass maestro Andersen teams up with Scottish saxophone legend Smith and drummer Strønen for what is sure to be a compelling set of adventurous modern jazz.

 St Bride’s Centre, 22 July, 8.30pm.

NABOU

A rising star of the Belgian scene, trombonist Nabou Claerhout brings her fresh contemporary quartet to Edinburgh for the very first time.

 Jazz Bar, 23 July, 8pm.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The pomp and pageantry of the Tattoo returns to Edinburgh Castle in August, with Stories as its theme. Aiming to celebrate the tales that connect us all through our unique military and cultural heritages, expect a riot of colour and sound as music, dance, spoken word and imagery fuse with the combined energy of 800 performers from across the world. The United States Air Force Band will make their Tattoo debut, joined by the Trinidad And Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra, the Swiss Armed Forces Central Band and, of course, the musical might of the Massed Pipes & Drums.

(Jo Laidlaw)

n Edinburgh Castle, 4–26 August, 9.30pm.

Cameraman, dancer and now author, it seems there’s no end to Hamza Yassin’s talents. Jessica Matthewson caught up with the wildlife enthusiast to discuss his new book and battle with dyslexia

From mastering the art of nature filming to being crowned king of Strictly Come Dancing, Hamza Yassin has taken on multiple challenges with grace and enthusiasm. His TV career began with a role as Ranger Hamza on hit CBeebies show Let’s Go For A Walk, which led him to further presenting opportunities on Countryfile and later Channel 4’s Scotland: Escape To The Wilderness. Most recently, he’s also contributed to David Attenborough’s Wild Isles series from his home in the West Highlands. However, Yassin’s latest adventure involves writing a book about the basics of birdwatching; as someone with dyslexia, it’s a challenge he’s excited to bust taboos about in the process.

‘For me, I want to spread the word and show how important it is to know that you have dyslexia and therefore know you have a superpower,’ says Yassin. Be A Birder will be published in September with the aim of ‘inspiring the masses’ to get more involved in birding and other outdoor-based activities. ‘Birding is the gateway into the natural world, at least here in the UK.’

Yassin’s love of nature was sparked in his native Sudan. ‘We had pet monkeys and things like that,’ he explains, but when he moved to the UK, people he met said, ‘we’ve only got cats and dogs’. Yassin replied: ‘oh is that it’? In response, he nurtured an ability to find natural beauty right on his doorstep. Yassin reckons you must simply, ‘open your eyes and look beneath the layers’ to see that the UK is brimming with wildlife.

He’s appearing at this year’s Fringe By The Sea to present My Life Behind The Lens, in which he’ll share more about his work as a cameraman, his Strictly success, and how dyslexia has allowed him to view the world differently. ‘In reality, being dyslexic is my gift,’ he insists. This, however, is a man with more than one gift, and his talent for documentary-making is one he intends to keep building upon. ‘I want to travel the world telling unique and unusual stories, and untold stories of the natural world.’

Hamza Yassin: My Life Behind The Lens, Big Top, Lodge Grounds, North Berwick, 6 August, noon; Fringe By The Sea runs 4–13 August.