Posts Tagged ‘damon albarn’
Shangaan Electro heads to the UK
Posted on May 6th, 2013 in News, Recent Posts by Edward Craggs.
Shangaan Electro is coming to a town near you
For the first time this summer the stars of Shangaan Electro, the high-speed dance phenomenon from South Africa, will lead a series of dance workshops and performances across the UK.
Created by the charismatic producer and record label owner Nozinja, Shangaan Electro is a very contemporary product of Africa. Hailing from rural province of Limpopo but now based in Soweto, Nozinja saw the chance to update Shangaan music for the 21st century, replacing its traditional bass and guitar instrumentation with midi-keyboard sounds and vocal samples.
The sound quickly became a hit at weekly street parties in Soweto, with young and old competing to show off their moves to this dizzyingly fast music. The craze also caught the attention of Damon Albarn’s Honest Jon’s label who released the seminal Shangaan Electro compilation in 2010.
This summer participants of all ages and abilities can learn the secrets of the Shangaan style, and then try out their moves in public during a live performance.
July 2013 tour dates:
Wed 10 – Bristol, Trinity Centre (workshop)
Fri 12 – London, TBA (workshop)
Sat 13 – London, Dance Nations Dalston, Gillett Square (performance only)
Sun 14 London, Shoreditch Festival, Hoxton Street Market (performance only)
Wed 17 – Glasgow, SWG3 (workshop and performance)
Fri 19 – MAnchester, Islington Mill (performance and workshop)
Sat 20 – Liverpool, Kazimier (performance and workshop)
Sun 21 – Sheffield, Tramlines Festival (performance and workshop)
Here’s a video to get you warmed up:
Youtube Playlist #88
Posted on October 28th, 2012 in Recent Posts by Edward Craggs.
Now that you’ve had a chance to read about all the exciting music featured in the current issue of Songlines, don’t forget that you can watch it and listen to it too. Each issue, we create a YouTube playlist of featured videos to help give the full interactive experience. You can view the playlist here.
Some of the highlights of this issue’s videos include:
Africa Express: 80 musicians touring Britain on a train seemed a virtually impossible feat (read more on p54-58)
Bye Bye Bayou: Cajun punk trio Mama Rosin were this issue’s Globe-Rocker (read more on p24)
Modern History: The groundbreaking Korean zither quartet, Geomungo Factory (read more on p41-43)
More artists join the Africa Express train
Posted on August 15th, 2012 in News, Recent Posts by Alexandra Petropoulos.
The collective of African and Western musicians already boasted an incredible line-up when they announced their plans to take a week-long musical adventure across mainland Britain, but it has just been announced that the line-up is in fact even bigger.
It was revealed that Tony Allen, Carl Barât, Toumani Diabaté, Nicolas Jaar, Krar Collective (pictured), Kyla La Grange, M1 (Dead Prez), M.anifest, Spoek Mathambo, John McClure (Reverend and the Makers), Nneka, The Temper Trap, Marques Toliver, The Very Best (Soundsystem) and Rizzle Kicks will be joining the ranks.
The already confirmed line up included Amadou & Mariam, Damon Albarn, Rokia Traoré, Kano, Baloji, Charli XCX, Fatoumata Diarawa, Noisettes, Jupiter & Okwess International and Jack Steadman (Bombay Bicycle Club).
The train leaves London on September 2 as part of the London 2012 Festival and will travel through England, Scotland and Wales. Confirmed shows include:
Monday September 3: MIDDLESBOROUGH – Town Hall
Tuesday September 4: GLASGOW – The Arches
Wednesday September 5: MANCHESTER – The Ritz
Thursday September 6: CARDIFF – Solus (Cardiff University)
Friday September 7: BRISTOL – The Big Top @ Creative Common
Saturday September 8: Finale concert in Granary Square, Kings Cross, LONDON
Tickets start a £15 and are on sale now.
If you are interested in hosting a gig with some of the fantastic musicians on the train tour in an interesting location during one of their stops, please contact info@africaexpress.co.uk.
Photo of Krar Collective by Marcus Waterloo
Want to host an Africa express gig?
Posted on August 2nd, 2012 in News, Recent Posts by Songlines.
From Sunday September 2, Africa Express, the collective of African and Western musicians, is filling a train with dozens of guest artists and taking it on a week-long musical adventure across mainland Britain. There will be pop-up performances at railway stations, schools, factories, offices, shopping centres and homes. As with every Africa Express happening, events will be unrehearsed and unapologetic.
Confirmed artists include: Amadou & Mariam, Damon Albarn, Rokia Traoré, Kano, Baloji, Charli XCX, Fatoumata Diarawa, Noisettes, Jupiter & Okwess International and Jack Steadman (Bombay Bicycle Club), with many more set to be revealed over the next few weeks. The tour is produced in association with the Barbican as part of London 2012 Festival.
If you are interested in hosting a gig with some of the fantastic musicians on the train tour in an interesting location during one of their stops, please contact info@africaexpress.co.uk
Here is the itinerary so far, although more stops may be added:
Sunday September 2: STOKE
Monday September 3: BRADFORD/LEEDS/MIDDLESBOROUGH
Tuesday September 4: GLASGOW
Wednesday September 5: CARLISLE/MANCHESTER
Thursday September 6: CARDIFF
Friday September 7: BRISTOL
Saturday September 8: Finale concert in Granary Square, Kings Cross, LONDON
‘A fantastically varied cast of stars… a joyfully unpredictable compelling journey.’ NME
