Posts Tagged ‘olympics’

Photo by Alex Quest

The Cameroonian one-man band Muntu Valdo is due to release a track written especially for the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

From the coast of Cameroon, the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter has made a name for himself with his unique ‘Sawa blues’ and live looping technology on his latest album, The One and the Many (reviewed in issue #76).

The track, ‘5 Circles of Humanity’, borrows from various musical styles – including Valdo’s trademark Sawa blues – to promote the Olympic values of peace and tolerance. The track, to be released on July 16 on Warner Jazz, features the Maria Fidelis All Girls Gospel Choir.

You can listen to an exclusive preview of the single on SoundCloud or watch Valdo rehearsing with the choir below. 

Muntu is also performing on the Africa stage at the BT River of Music on July 22. To book your tickets to the Africa Stage, please visit: www.btriverofmusic.com

Tags: 5 circles of humanity, cameroonian, london 2012, maria fidelis all girls gospel choir, muntu valdo, olympics, sawa blues, warner jazz.

As July approaches there is a fast growing feeling of anticipation in the capital for what is sure to be remembered as London’s unforgettable summer – whether for the wealth of events or transport chaos. 

While there will be more displays of athletic agility than my lazy self can handle, the bounty of cultural events is due to make a bigger splash in London than all the Olympic divers combined. BT River of Music, a two-day free event jam-packed with artistic superstars and musical debutants, is one of those events.

Today, BT River of Music released tickets for the Oceania Stage at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich. The stage will feature iconic artists including Frank Yamma, Gurrumul and Narasirato, all recent Songlines Top of the World artists. The Australian underground heroes The Barons of Tang will be making their first UK performance and The Black Arm Band Company, an indigenous Australian group, will be presenting a specially commissioned collaboration with the alternative Welsh folk band 9Bach. 

Also to feature on the Oceania stage is David Bridie’s Wantok Musik Sing Sing, where 24 artists from 18 island nations will grace the stage to explore shared traditions. You can read more about David Bridie and Sing Sing in our current issue (p42-43). 

Tickets are free, though there is a small booking fee of £3. Tickets for the Americas, Asia and Africa stages have already been released. For more details on the line-up or how to book your ticket, please visit the BT River of Music website: www.btriverofmusic.com. 

Tags: barons of tang, black arm band company, bt river of music, david bridie, frank yamma, greenwich, gurrumul, london, Narasirato, oceania stage, olympics, sing sing.

Illustration by Vesa Sammalisto

Thankfully the sun has finally had the courtesy to grace us with its presence, and so marks the start of an unforgettable British summer. With the thrills and spills of handball and modern pentathlon to look forward to, one can be forgiven for perhaps being unaware of the vast array of art and music from around the world that is arriving on our shores soon. BT River of Music is a prime example of what’s in store.

Held over the weekend of July 21-22, the two-day free event is jam-packed full of artistic superstars and musical debutants. Peppered across six iconic sites along the River Thames, each venue will possess its own continental flavour. The six sites are the Tower of London (Americas stage), London Pleasure Gardens (Africa stage), Trafalgar Square and Somerset House (Europe stage), Battersea Park (Asia stage) and Greenwich Royal Naval College (Oceania stage). Keep an eye out for our indepth look at each stage in the coming weeks.  

The event will include sights and sounds from all 204 competing nations, from Khyam Allami to Penguin Cafe, Roberto Fonseca to The Barons of Tang; the extent of musical breadth is outstanding.

In the #85 issue, released June 8, we highlight three very different musical offerings playing at BT River of Music: Ondatropica, Mario Galeano and Will ‘Quantic’ Holland celebrate cumbia; Sing Sing, David Bridie project brings together 24 musicians from 18 different nations in the Australasian region; In Transit, a brand new collaboration featuring some of the most exciting artists from across the Gulf States.

Songlines HQ is very much looking forward to the summer ahead and we hope you all are too. For all the excuses being given to escape the capital, there are equally as many reasons to stay!

Sign up for your free* entry at Ticketmaster (*a £3 per ticket processing fee)

For the latest updates visit the BT River of Music website

Tags: battersea park, bt river of music, greenwich royal naval college, in transit, khyam alliami, london pleasure gardens, olympics, ondatropica, Penguin Cafe, roberto fonseca, sing sing, somerset house, the barons of tang, tower of london, trafalgar square.