African Fusion / Electronica
LONDON (UK)
Afriquoi are the 5-piece outfit that take the influence of UK house,
funky, garage, dubstep and glitch and fuse it with traditional African
melodies, harmonies and rhythms plus a dose of dancehall vocals.
The band came to life in 2011 after percussionist and promoter
André Marmot arranged a session with Jally, Nico, Fiston and
Kudaushe, and the team never looked back. Their infectious vibe
and sound is totally unique.
Featuring a diverse array of hyper-talented musicians from Congo,
Gambia, Bostswana and the UK, Afriquoi combine live instruments,
electronics and vocal effects to create live African dance music.
w w w. w o r m f o o d . c o. u k
w w w. w o r m f o o d . c o. u k / a f r i q u o i - 2
w w w. a f r i q u o i . c o m
Discography:
Kolaba
2015, Wormfood
As well as their spectacular 5-piece live show, Afriquoi are also
available for DJ sets and semi-live DJ sets featuring live percussion
and MCs.
Afriquoi is releasing a new single in March 2016 on Wormfood
records, and a new EP in May. Remixes of Terakaft, Pierre
Kwenders and Amadou Diagne are scheduled to be released next
year.
STREAMING:
•wormfoodrecords.bandcamp.com/album/afriquoi-kolaba
DJ MIXES:
Group Size: 5 artists DJ Set: 1-3 artists (Optional: live percussions and Kora)
nd to the
left
Seco
”The band’s energy onstage is infectious” - Songlines Magazine
Booking Scandinavia:
Marisa Segala
+45 / 25 61 82 82
[email protected]
www.secondtotheleft.com
Skype: marisa.segala.bennett
•soundcloud.com/dimensionsfestival/afriquoi-dimensions-2015-mix-10
•www.mixcloud.com/afriquoi/because-of-the-beauty/
•www.mixcloud.com/afriquoi/afriquoi-new-year-20142015-mix/
VIDEO:
•Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre as part of Africa Utopia:
vimeo.com/141264895
.: MORE LINKS / LIVE VIDEOS ON PAGE 3 :.
VIDEO
Glastonbury 2013:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gY5iSaCuPc
Mokako @ Terminal Studios:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95IX0GiCFcY
Kudaushe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD99b7PK8mo
West Country Tour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjoJqyzeCSI
Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre
as part of Africa Utopia:
PLAYED AT
vimeo.com/141264895
Panemadzimai @ Richmix:
2015
http://youtu.be/XR3zWstmfgs
WOMAD, Fuerteventura
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London South Bank Centre
(album launch as part of Africa Utopia festival)
3000Grad, Germany
Remix of Vieux Farka Touré:
Landjuweel Festial, Ruigoord, Netherlands (headline)
Dimensions Festival, Croatia
KribisKrabisfestival, Italy
Secret Garden Party, UK
TESTIMONIALS
Beat Herder, UK
Kelburn Garden Festival, Scotland
“Yo this tune is not exactly up my street… it’s like, in my flat, in my
Hifi Club, Leeds
kitchen and in my living room, just groovin n doin its thing bruv!!!!”
Lovebox Festival, London
STREAMING
Kazimier, Liverpool
Earlier Concerts:
www.Soundcloud.com/afriquoi
DJ MIX
DJ Zhao, Ngoma Sound
August 2014: Shambala Festival
www.mixcloud.com/afriquoi/because-of-the-beauty/
“This shit is amazing”
soundcloud.com/dimensionsfestival/afriquoi-dimensions-2015-mix-10
DJ Umb, Generation Bass
“Super tight mix of Afro and house” Nikhil Shah, Mixcloud founder
http://www.okayafrica.com/2013/10/17/vieux-farka-toure-maiga-afriquoi-remix/
Soundcloud:
King’s Place (Songlines Encounters Festival)
Eden Festival, Scotland
MEDIA
www.mixcloud.com/afriquoi/afriquoi-new-year-20142015-mix/
FACEBOOK
Boomtown Festival
June 2014: Glastonbury Festival (Hell Stage, Shangrila)
June 2014: Fusion Festival, Germany
”The band’s energy onstage is infectious” Songlines Magazine
September 2013: Bestival, Isle of Wight
July 2012: London Olympics
”Afriquoi knows how to keep the adrenalin flowing and they more
www.Facebook.com/afriquoi
DOWNLOAD ASSETS
than lived up to their reputation as crowd-pleasers”
Photos - Bio - Press - Riders
Rooms Magazine
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B9wVM2fwxoC_MENuUFFKaXRLNEk&usp=sharing
INTRODUCING...
Live Review |
Songlines Encounters Festival, Kings Place, June 5
Posted on June 8th, 2015 in Live, Recent posts, Reviews
by Jo Frost.
www.songlines.co.uk/world-music-news/?p=18929
Photography by Haydn Wheeler
Read our review of Thursday (June 4) with Gisela João and Monsieur Doumani
Read our review of Saturday (June 6) with Shikor Bangladesh All Stars, Lokkhi Terra and She’Koyokh
Jo Frost revels in some extra special encounters
AFRIQUOI
Alexandra Petropoulos speaks to
the London-based group mixing up
African grooves with electro sounds
T
he Brixton café is buzzing and
I’m surrounded by the members
of Afriquoi – the atmosphere
is alight with laughter. It’s obvious
that percussionist Andre Marmot,
Gambian kora player Jally Kebba Susso,
Congolese guitarist Fiston Lusambo,
singer Andre Espeut, and production
pro Nico Bentley love working together.
Each of them have their own projects
and bands, but it’s obvious that their
Afro-dance project is a labour of love.
The project started four years ago as
the brainchild of Marmot and Bentley.
“We really wanted to put together a
fusion of African music and UK dance
music,” Marmot explains. “Nico and
I had worked together on a different
project, which we used to call Afroreggae garage. That was a fun festival
thing, but we wanted to make music
that was more serious, more African,
but also had more of a UK edge on it.”
24 S O N G L I N E S
› ISSUE
108
So they started by inviting both Jally
Kebba and Lusambo to the initial
recording sessions.
It’s clear that both Jally Kebba and
Lusambo prefer to experiment with
the traditions from which they’ve
sprung. Jally Kebba, who comes from
a griot family in the Gambia, tells me
that he had two choices when he first
moved to the UK: to go the traditional
route, or to branch off into something
new. “I feel like I need to open different
doors. [The traditional] door was
already open; I could use it any time
I wanted to.” Similarly Lusambo, who
was a famous rumba guitarist back
home, refuses to be pigeon-holed.
“If you say ‘please play reggae,’ I will
not listen to you because I like to play
music that hasn’t got a name. That’s
why I like Afriquoi. At the moment we
are playing music people enjoy, but it’s
not one thing.” Jally Kebba continues,
“this project is a journey between two
things. Africa is there, Europe is there,
so it’s the meeting in the middle, trying
to open completely new areas.”
This new area of exploration draws
on the traditional music of Africa
and mixes it with UK electronic
beats. It’s club music for those with
more discerning tastes, and it has
been winning them fans at every
show. “When we’re onstage it’s like an
unstoppable energy force and you know
that everyone is going to like it,” Espeut
says. “And it’s a really nice feeling to
know before you go onstage that you’re
going to get that kind of response.”
This inclusive, 21st-century musical
ethos is reflected in their name, as
Marmot explains. “I’ve been lucky
enough to make loads of trips to Africa
and one thing I noticed is in the French
West African countries people would
often say ‘quoi’ after a sentence, a bit
like the way English people might say
‘innit.’ So that’s a very African thing,
and for years I started thinking of Africa
as Afriquoi. That was my pet name for
the whole continent. But then when this
project came to be it made sense to call
it that. It’s also basically saying it’s Afro,
but so what? It’s African-esque but not
defined to any one country or style. So
it’s Afro what?”
+ DATE Afriquoi will perform as part
of Songlines Encounters Festival at
London’s Kings Place on June 5
The second night of Songlines Encounters Festival started with a screening of the excellent documentary film, Sisters, by Andrew
Smith, about Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat from Iran. It shows them at home in Tehran, talking about the ancient Persian poems they
sing and the censorship they face. It’s a beautiful, reflective insight into their lives.
Following this in Hall One was the Scottish fiddler Duncan Chisholm (featured in #106) who really conjured up the atmosphere and
beauty of his home in the Highlands. Superbly accompanied by fellow Scot Matheu Watson on guitar and Jarlath Henderson on
uilleann pipes and flute, Chisholm’s playing has a real grace and delicacy. His trio of albums, The Strathglass Trilogy are named
after the glens of Affric, Farrar and Cannich where the Chisholm clan have lived for 700 years.
Following the trio in the second half, were the aforementioned sisters, Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat (featured in #107). They are
normally accompanied by musicians, but on this occasion Mahsa played the setar (Iranian lute) and Marjan, the daf (hand-held
drum). But most of the time, it was just the voices – strong, deeply intense and when they sing together, the harmonies are exquisite
and enthralling in the way that only two siblings who have been singing together all their lives can be. “To sing a capella, you feel
completely naked,” said Mahsa at one point, and it’s true, the sheer power and sentiment conveyed is remarkable.
One of the aims of Songlines Encounters Festival has been to try and encourage the artists – regardless of their origin and musical
traditions – to perform together, to create a real musical encounter. Of course, these sorts of collaborations cannot be forced
and have to happen naturally, albeit with a little help and suggestion from Songlines. So it was incredibly gratifying to see Chisholm,
Henderson and Watson joining the sisters onstage for two songs, including ‘The Moon of our Beloved’s Face’ by Iran’s national
poet, Hafez. “It was hard not to be mesmerised by their voices,” said Watson afterwards. But the subtle addition of the trio’s Gaelic
melodies brought another beautiful and intricate layer to the songs and the soaring flute and violin a gorgeous lightness, perfectly
appropriate for their final song, ‘Twinklings of Hope’.
After such an intense and emotive set, it came as a bit of shock to wander into Hall Two and find Afriquoi (featured in #108) were
bringing the house down with their full-on, African party music. The band’s energy onstage is infectious and the fast and furious
rhythms on an array of instruments, including the Congolese guitarist Fiston Lusambo and kora played by Gambian Jally Kebba
Susso, brought the evening to a rousing and glowing end.
Monday 06.29.15
Posted by Bunmi Akpata-Ohohe
www.roomsmagazine.com/artpeople/22/6/2015/an-interview-with-afriquoi
percussion. Oli Cole - UK - live electronics. We've all been playing together since
How do you or the group stay motivated?
the act started in 2012, except for Oli Cole - "the kid" - who has just joined us on
live electronics replacing Nico. (Nico has just been on tour with Seal and is currently
Chin-ups, pull-ups plus Fiston's beef brochettes and Andre's roast chicken. No,
Musical Director for Grace Jones so needed some cover....) Nico will stay involved as
seriously, we just love playing the music we play and it's always a huge pleasure
Musical Director and main producer.
playing for new audiences and seeing them dancing and smiling and enjoying our
music. That's the main motivating factor. It has to be or we might as well be doing
Why call your group and sound - African-electro dance band? And your
group comprises of Africa, the Caribbean and the UK. Do you have a
29.15
nmi
summer and see for yourself. Gig schedule is attached.
An Interview with Afriquoi
point here?
Based in London, Afriquoi is a UK afro cracking group, with every performer a band
about that. We just call it music - or 'live African dance music' as we don't like to
leader in their own right. The team stretches in age across three decades, devising
pigeonhole ourselves... not to one aspect of African music or one aspect of dance
from Africa, the Caribbean and the UK. How about that for World Music? They are
music. We just want to make exciting, positive music to make people dance. Yes, we
tags: JUNE, INTERVIEW, LONDON
categories: MUSIC
Facebook.com/afriquoi
Ha-ha we don't call it African-electro dance band - you'd have to ask Song lines
e
Share
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something else. Catch us at show at one of the festivals we are playing this
an underground commotion, bringing an enriching fusion of live African music and
For anyone that does not already know about Afriquoi, tell us more
have a point as a group - to draw on the best of African music plus electronic music
electronica. Their masterful five-piece live shows always combine Gambian
about the band?
plus make a new sound that represents the 21st century sound of London.
Afriquoi is a cross cultural collaboration based on fusing African music with
Afriquoi are a great African-electro dance band with live vocals: Gambian kora,
electronic music. We started by doing some recording sessions in 2011 with Fiston
Congolese guitar, percussion and electronics drawing on dubstep, house and hip
(guitar), Jally (kora) and the marimba player Kudaushe Matimba, who no longer
hop with musicians from Africa, the Caribbean and the UK. However, there must be
plays with us. These collaborations came about through Wormfood, the promotions
some challenges, back-biting and the root of collaboration can be a tad tricky? Who
company, booking agency +label run by Andre (Afriquoi percussionist - who put the
is the trouble maker in the group and who is the peace maker? Tell us more about
band together). Running regular world music nights every Sunday at Hootenanny in
the in-fighting stories?
kora (the KORA is an ancient, and complex instrument from West Africa, shaped like
a lute, with a 21 string bridge-harp and played like a harp), Congolese guitar plus
Mandinka percussion styles (Mandinka is a drum-like instrument and has a body
carved from hardwood and a drumhead made of untreated rawhide and comes
from Mali, West Africa), with electronic music drawing on house, hip-hop, soul plus
jungle, to produce incredible lock, stock and barrel exceptional vibration.
The music is furious, sometimes deafening and distorted, although it can safely be
Brixton, Andre got to know virtually all of the UK's African musicians, and so invited
described as hypnotic, funky and high-spirited, but overwhelming too. One
a few favourites for a collaboration, bringing in producer Nico Bentley on the
wonder’s how an audience could endure such an onslaught and still be howling for
controls. We didn't have a set idea of what would happen, we just came to
more. On the other hand, it’s a great choice that the Songlines Encounters Festival
experiment - and Afriquoi was born! Since then we've collaborated with lots of
management included Afriquoi as the closing performance of the festival. From the
different artists including Jamaican dancehall MCs Serocee + Warrior Queen, but the
moment the lights dimmed and the five men appeared on stage there was no let
band has cohered to a regular 5 piece line-up, playing shows across the UK +
up for the next 80 minutes as they belted out dazzling hit after hit with ageless but
Europe including Glastonbury, Fusion Festival, Bestival, Secret Garden Party, London
ecstatic excitement. And boy-o-boy did the crowd, in the moment believe these
Olympics + a ton of others.
guys? They were all jumping, swinging their arms in the air and crying for more.
Afriquoi knows how to keep the adrenalin flowing and they more than lived up to
their reputation as crowd-pleasers. It was impossible not to admire the energy
fueling this festival, especially from an ecstatic close quarter. Here is a question and
answer stint with Afriquoi the group.
Tell us where you guys hail from originally and what instrument or
instruments you play and how long you have been playing together?
Jally Kebba Susso, kora, Gambia. Andre Espeut, UK/Martinique, vox. , Fiston
Lusambo – Congo. Nico Bentley - UK - production/ MD. Andre Marmot - UK –
Soundcloud.com/afriquoi
Newer / Older
Ha-ha, we are all a bunch of rascals and ruffians - especially Jally. But we always
get on well together and that's one of the things that makes playing together so
special. Fiston at 56 has nearly 40 years of professional experience as a musician
so we look on him and respect him as a kind of father figure - Papa Fiston. And
that's one of the best things about the group - we are different ages, different
ethnic and social backgrounds, but we come together and collaborate as equals.
Are you guys still able to make your kind of music sculpted by your
original beliefs and not that of your manager or record company or
better still for solely what brings in the cash?
Absolutely. We are completely independent and make exactly the music we want to.
We all believe that it is only through making music that comes from an authentic
place that you have any chance of success.
Monday 06.22.15
Posted by Bunmi Akpata-Ohohe
www.roomsmagazine.com/artpeople/22/6/2015/united-in-music-songlines-encounters-festival
2.15
.15
mi
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United in music: Songlines
Encounters Festival
I can think of no place that welcomes the music of other countries with more
enthusiasm than the UK. We have long had an unquenchable appetite for the music
of other countries. A visit to any of the several UK summer music festivals will offer
everything from timeless King Sunny Ade music (Nigeria) to Toots and the Maytals,
Jamaica’s own godfather of soul and the Southern soul sister number one Candi
Staton (USA) to acts from Romania and Ukraine. Keeping with this tradition and
celebrating its fifth year, Songlines Encounters Festival brought an explosion of
international talent across the globe to perform live to a packed audience at
London’s stylish Kings Place spot.
The only reproach I have of Songlines Encounters is why give such a dynamic
It was faithfully a celebration of the richness of our blended heritage and culture
fiddler-performer thirty-five minutes on stage? Too brief of course. The ladies
with enchanting line-up of unique global acts designed to appeal to music
sitting beside me felt short change. Nevertheless, Songlines made-up for it and
audiences of all ages, enthusiasts and Johnny-come-latelies. It was a must hear
Duncan returned later in the evening for a special Songlines Encounters
and a must see for anyone interested in great live performance such as act number
collaboration with Iranian vocalists Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat (sisters). Hallelujah!
one, Scottish fiddler Duncan Chisholm in collaboration with Iranian vocalists Mahsa
Next on the bill was Gisela João, new fado singer now making huge impressions in
and Majan. Fado singer put side by side with Cypriot musicians. Anglo-Bangladeshi
Portugal and currently touring the UK. She sings traditional fado music at its very
Latin beats playing with Bangladeshi virtuosi. Songlines blast proves an
best. You can hear the “saudade” in her voice - a feeling of longing, melancholy, or
overwhelming and emotional experience for lovers of world music. It could only
nostalgia that is supposedly characteristic of the Portuguese nature. Saudade is the
happen at the Songlines Encounters Festival.
Portuguese word for a feeling, a longing for something or some event that just
Where politicians delve around for more sticky tapes and plasters to hold us
together, to all intense and purposes, the creative industries is doing a better job
uniting us through music. Arts should be a lot higher up the programme of any
political party in this country. On the contrary what we have now is backed funding
and that is thanks largely, to the lotto – participation in the arts has levelled a bit.
Well, back to the fiesta: it opened with fiddler Duncan Chisholm, one of the
demanding people on Scotland’s active folk scene with six solo critically celebrated
albums behind him. Duncan’s performance was flawless. He performed traditional
and contemporary music from the Highlands glens inspired by the Highland glens
which are his family home.
might not happen. Gisela’s songs are based on love poems that evoke a
melancholy “saudade” that draws in the audience to feel her world and make it all
seem real. Gisela’s acclaimed debut recording was an album of the year in
Portugal. She is one to watch!
standing ovation. Amazing indeed.
Now wait for this, for the first time Songlines Encounter did what they have never
done - there was a night of very danceable live Afro-electronica from Afriquoi, one
of UK’s electro-African dance bands with live vocals, kora, guitar and percussion.
They were a bundle of energy. Although the show stated 25 minutes late,
nonetheless, when it finally kicked off for real, it was not a disappointment. They
gave an extraordinary powerful performance, singing funk, rock, ballads and
Afrobeat, you name it they had it all. The audience – young and old and racially
mixed – showed their appreciation by non-stop, clapping and dancing and crying
for more and more.
From one show to the next I find myself saying, this is the best I have seen. Then I
attend another and I find myself repeating myself, this is the best Songlines
Encounters has put on. Speaking to some of the attendees they were impressed
too. One said: “all acts was the best”. Another said: “absolutely brilliant. Songlines
Another showstoppers of the festival
Festival nailed it”. Songlines Encounters Festival is co-curated by Songlines
were world legendary Iranian singers –
Magazine and Ikon Arts Management. Watch out for 2016 festival programme, due
Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat - sisters.
out end of June, 2015.
Their sultry voices intertwine so
beautifully in a biological yarn of sound
All images by © Haydn Wheeler
which had the audience transfixed from
Songlines Encounters Festival
start to finish. Also their social
conscious lyrics is a celebration of
Songlines Magazine
Persian poetry of love, unkindness,
revolution and freedom, and of lives
Gisela Joao
lived on the fringes. Readers take note the sisters are forbidden to perform
Monsieur Doumani
publicly back home in Tehran, however.
Mahsa and Marjan and Duncan Chisholm Collaboration
Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat
How about that? What is more the
sisters’ special Songlines Encounters
Gisela João
collaboration with fiddler Duncan
Chisholm really packs a deceive punch. Alright, musical collaboration between the
East and the West have been explored before, though never with such experimental
zest, or by three people like Mahsa and Marjan and Duncan so lauded with
Duncan Chisholm
charisma and talent. The instrumental arrangement that followed was like no other
I have seen. At the conclusion the sparks between all three led to a five minutes
tags: JUNE, REVIEW, SONGLINES ENCOUNTERS FESTIVAL
categories: MUSIC
The Jazz Club
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www.jazzfm.com/news/music-news/africa-utopia-lights-up-londons-southbank/
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0
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Monday, September 14th, 2015 2:57pm
The night we lost our Ann Summers
Virginity
By Lowell Clarke
Debunking the myths of veganism
amazing musicians. Of course, Max Graef and Romare got their
University network under sustained
Posted 13 October
October,, 2015 in
ship rocking to some serious grooves. Barely anyone in the
cyber attack
Features
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audience had heard of afrobeat dance band Afriquoi, but that
Lowell Clarke
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beachWhy
stage
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singing in wonderful safe
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And finally—of
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There
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Loefah, Floating Points moments.
(DJ set),
Despite producing
some of the UK’s wonkiest and
campaigner
Photo: Screenshot
26 – 30th August
Fort Pentagon Cristo, Croatia
weirdest
beats in recent years, Flako managed to bore the crowd to
BADBADNOTGOOD amongst
many
Live: Marilyn Manson
death festival.
and then proceeded to put the ‘fun’ in funeral. The
others added to the Croatian
primetime 2am set must’ve
to of
hisDavid
head, Kammerer
forcing a bizarre
The gone
Death
selection
of self-indulgent songs—including multiple mind2nd December
2015 Live:
numbing
almost entirely from his new
Hiatus Kaiyote
Hiatusambient tracks—taken
@THEMANCUNION
album.'future
Given the deadpan reaction, it felt entirely misjudged at his
Kaiyote are making
Follow
Tweets
end.
soul' happen right here and right now
The Mancunion
21h
But even the weekend’s biggest
disappointment, Moodymann’s
10/10
29th September
2013 J Dilla tribute set,@THEMANCUNION
cancelled
gave way to a set of replacement DJs
There is only one rule that seems to be set in stone at The
Mancunion: No 10/10s. We mark them down to 9s or 8s, because
nothing will ever be perfect. Having experienced a few 1’s and a
rare 9, I can confidently say that five days of Dimensions was
amongst the best of the long musical experiences I’ve had. Here’s
the case for something different.
Review: Dimensions
who gave a critical hip-hop
injection
tofocused
the proceedings.
Whoever
tomorrow—her
Ph.D.
on helping Syrian
refugee
families:
Festival Whilst
in its
theyonly
were,
they showed
their
credentials the second they asked the
Aala El-Khani, an @OfficialUoM student, graduates
second year, Dimensions
establishes
crowd
if they’d heard mancunion.com/2015/12/17/ph-…
of Kendrick Lamar. Of course they had.
Breaking
TPAB anthem ‘Alright’, the crowd
itself as one of the finest
festivalson through into
Showthe
Summary
around.
approved with a loud, emancipative roar. For one incredible
The Mancunion
17 Dec
moment, something was alive
in the audience: Maybe just through
@THEMANCUNION
his Club:
omniscient musical
influence
between
his fans,
Labour
students
at Manchester
plan toDilla
set upwas
new,not
13th June 2015
Starting with the people, it would be easy to say that everybody is
dead that
night.
Selective Hearing
presents
separate pro-Corbyn society:
friendly and to leave it at that. That’s an understatement—there’s
no ‘roided-up bags of meat whose sole purpose in life seems to be
to getting ripped just to take up space and get all aggro at the front
DJ Deep / Rødhåd / DVS1
mancunion.com/2015/12/16/lab…
I couldn’t find out who replaced Moodymann that night. Strangely, I
Show Summary
Rødhåd takes things to never
the next
levela moment to care. Regardless of who played, the
found
Tweet to @THEMANCUNION
message was the same: Music can create larger-than-life human
22nd June 2015
Preview: And now that my next flights are booked and playlists
connections.
Dimensionsare
Boat
Parties
being
painstakingly
assembled,
I’m already on my way to visit
RECENTLY
PUBLISHED
of a Jamie Jones Parklife set. None of that. Just true music fans in
every corner, all sharing songs and set recommendations like kids
swapping Pokémon cards. It was refreshing to really feel that
everyone was here for the music first and foremost.
Dimensions those
festivalsame new connections across Europe. After that’s all said
Ph.D. student committed to supporting
announces a new waveand
of boat
parties...
done,
there’s still room to bend one more rule and give this
refugees
festival a well-deserved
10/10.graduates 17th December 2015
Such was the level of musical knowledge here that someone even
identified—for the first time in my life—my namesake as Lowell
George, the guitarist (and tragic alcoholic) of Little Feat. Needless
to say, I was impressed. I’d nearly go as far as saying that it was the
Of course, Floating Points smashed it out of the amphitheatre even
when he played completely new tracks live with an ensemble of
Preview: Warehouse Project – Feel My
Bicep 17th December 2015
Labour students plan to split into two
Floating Points
Lo-Fi pullfor
in Dimensions Festival 2016 is now open –
Registration
societies 16th December 2015
http://www.dimensionsfestival.com/
the big guns
Welsh universities call for tuition fee
clientèle who really made the event what it was; but that would be
cheesy as fuck and a huge disservice to the setting and its
soundtrack.
An old Croatian fortress made up the backdrop, with stages set
into its moat and abandoned structures. Unsurprisingly, the
soundtrack to the sunny days and cool nights there was incredible.
18th April 2014 Club: Lo-Fi
presents Cosmin TRG /
30th September 2015 Club:
grants to be scrapped 15th December
Lost In Space opening
2015
Tags: Croatia
Croatia, Dance
Dance, dimensions
dimensions, dimensions festival
festival,
Whatclinton
should jbe
done with the NME?
party – Floating
Points
all george
floating
points
points,
clinton,
dilla
15th December 2015
Comment
Secret below
Santa gifts for £5; solving the
spot with a rich wax arsenal
at his on this article
night long Floating Points hits the sweet
disposal
Recommend
annual painstaking struggle 15th
December 2015
Live: Megadeth 14th December 2015
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© 1969-2015 The Mancunion
30th October 2013 Interview:
2015: Our Sporting Highlights 14th
Portico Quartet Jamie
December 2015
Naughty and Nice: A letter to Santa
Bulman speaks to Portico
14th December 2015
Quartet saxophonist Jack Wyllie about
sub-frequencies, Roman amphitheatres
NME’s enemy is my friend 14th
and being ‘that hang band’…
December 2015
STUDENT MEDIA PARTNERS
16th June 2015 Festival:
Pangaea – Disco
Apocalypse An excited
atmosphere pervades every corner of
Monday, September 14th, 2015 2:57pm
the festival
1st October 2015 Live:
Welcome to Warehouse A
weak finish after a strong start
to an exciting season of Manchester's
favourite, Warehouse Project. Get ready!
Legendary names Legendary
in African music,
Afro-beat
Allen, drummer
bring the Tony
namesincluding
in African
music, drummer
includingTony
Afro-beat
curtains downon the
AfricaAfrica
Utopia Utopia
festival.festival.
on 3rd
the annual
3rd annual
Allen, bring
TheUtopia
3rd annual
Utopia
festival came
spectacular
finale last night at the Southba
The 3rd annual Africa
festivalAfrica
came to
a spectacular
finale to
lasta night
at the Southbank
some
of the
all time
greats
of African
music
to the
for the closing concert.
centre in London asas
some
of the
all time
greats
of African
music took
to took
the stage
forstage
the closing
concert.
Last night's Tony Allen Review included not only the legendary afrobeat drummer himself
collaborators, including the Malian kora greats Toumani and Sidiki Diabaté, Senegal's Baa
Last night’s Tony Allen Review included not only the legendary afrobeat drummer himself but
frontman Damon Albarn. The father and son kora duo had the audience spellbound with be
a host of star collaborators, including the Malian kora greats Toumani and Sidiki Diabaté, Senduetting on the magical, harp-like instrument, while Allen's driving afrobeat rhythms had t
egal’s Baaba Maal and the Blur frontman Damon Albarn. The father and son kora duo had the
audience spellboundFriday
with beautifully
delicate
duettingBlick
on theBassy
magical,
harp-like
instrument,
while
night saw
Cameroon's
[soon
to feature
on Jazz
Travels] pay homage to
Allen’s driving afrobeat
rhythms
had
them
on
their
feet.
Skip James in an atmospheric and varied set as support for the much loved (and travelled)
who brought to mind Cuba's Buena Vista Social Club with their renditions of well seasone
Friday night saw Cameroon’s Blick Bassy [soon to feature on Jazz Travels] pay homage to
American blues great
Skip
an atmospheric
and varied
as support
for in
theover
much
Jazz
FMJames
staple,invocalist
André Espeut
and set
Afriquoi
packed
800 people as they mix
loved (and travelled)traditional
Orchestra African
Baobab,sounds
who brought
to mind
Cuba’s
Buena Vista
Social
Club
and club
beats
in celebration
of the
continent's
influence on Brit
with their renditions double
of well seasoned
old favourites.
bill with African
Head Charge at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Off the
stage,
the Southbank
was
taken800
over
with as
thethey
colours
and flavours of an Afr
Jazz FM staple, vocalist
André
Espeut
and Afriquoicentre
packed
in over
people
mixed
the
festival
sought
to
explore
and
celebrate
not
only
the
music
of
the
electronic music, traditional African sounds and club beats in celebration of the continent’s influ-African Diaspora but
theatreintoo.
ence on British musicians
a double bill with African Head Charge at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
All in all,centre
this was
wellwith
programmed
looking
event
Off the stage, the Southbank
wasanother
taken over
the colours and
and outward
flavours of
an African
look forward to next year's return.
marketplace as the festival sought to explore and celebrate not only the music of the African
Diaspora but its food, fashion and theatre too.
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All in all, this was another well programmed
and
outward
looking event from the forward thinking
venue - we’ll look forward to next year’s return.
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Live review: Dimensions Festival
! September 3, 2015
" Live review, Reviews
# Al Dobson Jr , Ben UFO , Cosmic Slop , Dimensions Festival , Floating points , Four Tet , George Clinton , Hessle
Audio , Horse Meat Disco , Little Dragon , Mala , Metalheadz , Mo Kolours , Moodymann , Mount
FULL REVIEW ON: www.bonafidemag.com/live-review-dimensions-festival
During the day those not camping could bask on the beach and enjoy the live music thumping from midday–8pm
from Dub Smugglers Sound System. A highlight was the discovery of live futuristic African sounds from Afriquoi,
whose charismatic frontman whirled the crowd to a bum-shaking boogie. However, tales spread of undercover
police fining hapless campers up to £330 for possessing as little as a pinch of weed. To credit the festival, they had
warned of the zealous authorities, but the roaming police vans and threat of arrest lent a slightly oppressive
presence.
The first stage festival-goers came across as they wandered from beach to arena is The Clearing, an innovative
transparent triangle construction. Several pillars of screens cleverly fan a hypnotic display about the glade. Mount
Kimbie played one of the opening sets, setting the crowd alight with their popular melodic tricklers, which included
Carbonated and Made to Stray. Four Tet then reappeared, displaying his versatility with a collection that seemed to
span every continent – traversing seamlessly from Blawan’s thumper Getting Me Down, to some Latin samba, then
over to hip-hop before an emotive remix of Caribou’s Your Love Will Set You Free.
Afriquoi are the 5-piece outfit that take the influence of UK house, funky,
garage, dubstep and glitch and fuse it with traditional African melodies,
harmonies and rhythms plus a dose of dancehall vocals. The band came
to life in 2011 after percussionist and promoter André Marmot arranged a
session with Jally, Nico, Fiston and Kudaushe, and the team never looked
back. Their infectious vibe and sound is totally unique and as we await the
release of their debut album, Kolaba dropping 11th September, we are
excited to present the exclusive first play of Ningde Jubeh.
More high resolution press pictures on:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B9wVM2fwxoC_TlRpdHkxWC1OT2c&usp=sharing&tid=0B9wVM2fwxoC_MENuUFFKaXRLNEk