Bristol's World Music Gigs

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Bristol's World Scene

Do we need the term World music in 2020?

World music has always been a problematic term, somewhere like Bristol is a key example of why. With 16% of the population being from ethnic minority groups and dedicated centres studying the impact of migration on citizenship, there seems little distinction between ‘local music’ and ‘world music’ anymore. Reggae is often classed as ‘world music’ given its Jamaican roots, but it has a strong UK heritage and for someone who is a 2nd or 3rd generation UK citizen with migrant parents, making music that’s classed as ‘world’ when they’ve never lived anywhere else but say, Bristol, seems an offensive categorisation. Its almost a cliche to say we live in a global society, so isn’t all music now world music?

Everyone knows that Bristol is a true melting pot of cultures and it comes as no surprise that the city has a healthy world music scene which manages to avoid the cliche. The on-trend big names in world music like William Onyeabor, Ebo Taylor or the Kuti family usually find themselves at home in Bristol’s Colston Hall. Occasional headliners can also be found at The Fleece and the Trinity Centre. St George’s hosts regular world music events covering more traditional music from Senegal, Mozambique and South Africa, where instruments like the kora and mbira are commonplace.

Locally, Bristol is home to some very talented ‘world music’ musicians. Afrobeat stalwarts like Mankala and No Stop Go (formerly Bristol Afrobeat Project) play smaller venues like The Canteen and The Old Market Assembly but also get the opportunity to support international bands at larger Bristol venues.

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Our recent world recommendations

Cumbia is the new punk! CDMX psychobillies mash marimba and chicha into madcap party music. We bet you’ve not heard much like Son Rompe Pera: fried spaghetti licks, lashings of ska mexicano and mallet-driven thrash frenzy welded onto traditional Latinx rhythms. Tis a revolution in-waiting FFO: Los Pirañas, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Chicha Libre, Panteon Rococo. Pioneers of Cumbia Punk, Mexico City’s Son Rompe Pera are set to electrify audiences with their marimba-driven, defiant sound as part of their 2025 world tour, with dates now confirmed in London, Bristol, and Liverpool.

Sell out warning! Border-burning avant-rock built from a landslide of ritualistic West African folk onto the flat planes of European industrial grot rock. Avalanche Kaito are a revolution: this is the band the future has demanded, and you must answer the call. FFO: Senyawa, black midi, early Gang Gang Dance, Nihiloxica, The Ex. Return of Griot-Punk-Noise Trio from Burkina Faso/Belgium

Yesss, Earth was absolutely begging for this head-on collision! Live global fusion for the pan-genre, no-borders brigade, intricately knitting bossa rhythms with Afrobeat elation, astral Middle Eastern synthplay with Euro clubland shuffle. Vibrancy to the nth degree FFO: Muito Kaballa, Falle Nioke, Balimaya Project, Antibalas. A boundary-blurring, vibrant celebration of global culture and sonic fusion. Blending Afrobeat, Middle Eastern textures, jazz harmonies, and electronic dance music

Live cumbia to celebrate 20 years of Movimientos supplying music pa' ponerte a bailar! With an instrumental smorgasbord including accordion, organ and strings in tow, let Malphino whisk you away to their kaleidoscopic world awash with bubbling electronica, sun-kissed melodies and hypnotic grooves. Movimientos celebrates their 20th anniversary with a very special night of live music and DJs

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What our editors say

“memotone is one alias of Will Yates, a composer and musician working at the fringes of the music industry. Leaning into jazz, folk, contemporary classical, ambient and esoteric fourth-world music. Memotone's live show is part pre-prepared/part improvised performance, using a mix of live instrumentation, samplers, effects and loopers to build a window into his singular soundworld.”
From: Blue Lake , Memotone + Eva May

“8 piece, vibrant, instantly accessible Latin dance band, to get the party started. If you like your riffs horn-heavy and your rhythms contagious, this is a band you need to see. Baila la Cumbia will turn NYE into a riotous party that you'll never forget! Expect Porro (Colombian big band cumbia) and Latin salsa tunes, with Chica vibes.”
From: Bocabar NYE Party

“Pianist Jim Blomfield is of course one of the mainstays of Bristol's jazz scene. He has backed countless big name guest soloists and released two albums of his own music which blend jazz with electronica and contemporary music influences. He is also well known as one of the UK's finest salsa pianists and appears in many Latin ensembles, including recently touring with Cuban band Asere.”
From: The Text Messengers Play The Messengers

“Andy Irvine is one of the great Irish singers, his voice one of a handful of truly great ones that gets to the very soul of Ireland. He has been hailed as "a tradition in himself." Musician, singer and songwriter, Andy has maintained his highly individual performing skills throughout his over 50-year career. From Sweeney's Men in the mid 60s, to the enormous success of Planxty in the 70s, his duo with Paul Brady in the later 70s and then from Patrick Street to Mozaik, LAPD and Usher’s Island, Andy has been a world music pioneer and an icon for traditional music and musicians.”
From: Andy Irvine

“and Henry Fiol to name just a few) and is recognised as one of the UK's finest latin jazz and salsa pianists. His credentials in this field resulted in him becoming the newest member of the internationally acclaimed Afro Cuban band Asere playing his first tour with them in the UK in 2025.”
From: JIM BLOMFIELD'S SOACO COLLECTIVE