Music / Previews
World music picks of the month: August 2015
If catchy African dance grooves are your thing there’s a few choice nights out in Bristol this month, starting with the high-powered Nigerian funk grooves of London Afrobeat Collective coming to Exchange (Saturday 1), swiftly followed up the ringing guitars of Congolese soukous from Explosive Nzakomba (Canteen, Thursday 6 & No 1 Harbourside Friday 7). If you’re not too wrung out after that then don’t miss Cable St Collective at Canteen on Saturday 8: this London-based fusion outfit (pictured above) are on a mission to create ‘music that makes you want to dance your arse off’ (presumably to stop you sitting out) and plunder South African, Congolese and Zimbabwean styles, plus a Western rock sensibility. They whip it all up into self-styled Carnival Pop and response around the festival scene has been that it really works.
In fact, world music wise, it’s all about Canteen – and sister bar No 1 Harbourside – through August, with a couple of live-wire Australian acts bringing the kind of world-fusion musical cocktail party first popularised by their highly successful compatriots Cat Empire. Underscore Orchestra (Canteen, Wednesday 19) make swinging acoustic down-home klezmer pop, while The Woohoo Revue (Canteen, Saturday 19) give their Balkan mishmash the electro-swing treatment. Both seem highly entertaining in their way.
Possibly August’s most exotic visitors come to Canteen from Denmark when Himmerland bring their contemporary treatments of Danish folk (and a few Celtic numbers, too) on Friday 14. It’s zippy stuff, thanks to Ghanaian ex-pat Ayi Solomon’s lively percussion and Eskil Romme’s jaunty sax, with flavours of reggae and other rhythmic variations underpinning Ditte Fromseier’s clear vocals and poised traditional fiddle playing.
But for pan-global weirdness (‘out-of-this-World Music’?) you should gather up some children and head for the Colston Hall Foyer on Thursday 20. Paka Piki Music is a collaborative show for youngsters from the endlessly creative partnership of Bristol folk experimentalist Rachel Dadd and Japanese one-man band extraordinaire ICHI, mixing home-made musical instruments, electronic gizmos and folk styles from every continent into a splendidly judged soundtrack. It’s a free gig with instrument making workshop at 10am and performance starting at 11am.
Further ahead – great World Music gigs to look out for (and maybe book)in the coming months
Project Zulu Concert with QEH School, St George’s, Sept 24
Boyan Ensemble of Kiev St George’s, Sept 27
Sain Zahoor Lantern, Sept 29
Juan Martin St George’s, Oct 4
Project Zulu Gala evening, Colston Hall, Oct 6
Catrin Finch St George’s, Oct 9
Stick In The Wheel Exchange, Oct 14
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba Lantern, Oct 20
Asian Dub Foundation Live soundtrack THX1138 Colston Hall, Oct 21
Songhoy Blues Fleece, Oct 27
Ibeyi Trinity Nov 4
Söndörgö Lantern Nov 18
Huun Huur Tu St George’s, Nov 23
Fuse ODG O2 Academy, Nov 24
The Wailers O2 Academy Nov 27
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
