The cream of the world roots musicians in a one off celebration
Artists from Africa, Asia and the UK help celebrate Schumacher centenary at Colston Hall, Bristol – Saturday October 8, 2011.
Top-flight world music artists from three continents will converge on the Colston Hall in Bristol in October for a special concert in celebration of the centenary of E.F Schumacher.
Organised by The Schumacher Society and programmed by WOMAD’s former Artistic Director Thomas Brooman, Small World will bring six key global acts to Bristol, some making their debuts at the Colston Hall.
Trilok Gurtu
The vibrant line up of global musicians will see one of the world’s finest percussionists – Indian master musician Trilok Gurtu – travelling to the UK for an exclusive performance at the Small World concert. The inspirational Mumbai-born multi-Grammy winner is a sensation, moving freely between pop/jazz/classical and world genres. www.trilokgurtu.net
For many, the big hit at this year’s HOME world music festival at Dartington Hall in Devon was Senegal’s outstanding and elegant exponent of the 21-stringed kora, Seckou Keita, making a triumphant return to the Colston Hall, where he first appeared, with Youssou N Dour, in 2002. www.seckoukeita.com
The Dhol Foundation
Seckou Keita
And we have Johnny Kalsi’s dynamic The Dhol Foundation – with their thundering Dhol drum sound – who will show just why their bhangra music has gone down a storm with audiences all over the world. www.dholfoundation.com
Patrick Duff
The evening also features one of the UK’s finest singer-songwriters, Patrick Duff. The Bristol-based artist appeared at the 2010 HOME festival and was previously lead singer of the alternative rock band Strangelove, who often hit the Top 40 charts. A solo performer since 2000, Patrick has travelled the world appearing at many WOMAD festivals as well as touring in Europe and the USA.
The final act on the main stage will be Jamie Smith’s Mabon (JSM) – the high energy band from Wales & Scotland whose last recording was voted Best Instrumental Album of 2010 in the Spiral Awards and who prompted a standing ovation at their Colston Hall debut appearance at April’s Bristol Folk Festival.
Formerly known simply as Mabon (meaning autumn equinox), the prodigiously talented JSM sextet are fast making their unique mark on the roots scene with a vibrant fusion of InterCeltic music, led by tunesmeister and accordionist extraordinaire Jamie Smith.
Smith’s inspired, eclectic tunes dominate the material that delves into every Celtic corner -from their native Wales to Brittany, Scotland, Ireland, Galicia and beyond – taking the audience on a magical whistle-stop Euro tour with jigs and reels jostling for space alongside other dance-related forms including Breton an dro, French mazurka, Galician muinera and even shades of klezmer in an exuberant, feelgood show. JSM’s website – in Welsh, English and French – can be found at www.jamiesmithsmabon.com
Jamie Smiths Mabon
Colores de Colombia
Bringing colour and driving rhythms to the Colston Hall foyer during the evening will be Colores de Colombia with their exuberant dances and melodies from the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The sound of voices, tambores, flutes and guitars revive a rich culture with mixed roots in African, indigenous Indian and European influences.
This rare one-off concert with a festival flavour will encapsulate all that’s best about roots music, fusing diverse global talent and shrinking the world for one night, thereby proving the truth of another popular phrase “it’s a small world”.
Concert admission is included for those buying tickets for the Schumacher Festival.
