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

Somerset’s answer to We Out Here festival is about to become your new summer go-to. But first, a little tasting platter with dub-damaged live afro-jazz sensations Kotoa, arch-globetrotter imprint Mr Bongo serving vinyl curious on the decks, bruk-out broken beat from Masterplan + more. This feels like the start of something very very bootiful... Somerset's newest festival head to Bristol for a multi-genre, multi-bill evening of Jazz, Afrobeat, House & Global Grooves

Brazil-born, LA-based guitar master Fabiano do Nascimento builds whole worlds armed with just a 7-string and a loop pedal. His unique Rio groove is alive with the spirit of traditional Afro-samba, choro and folk – one of the most transportive live jazz experiences you’ll find this side of the Atlantic. Spellbinding Brazilian acoustic guitar virtuous makes his Bristol debut

Sell out warning! Sun-baked and sublime, São Paulo’s Sessa leads his full band through cosmic folk steeped in Afro-Brazilian styles and música popular brasileira. His sonorous crooning glides over lush rhythmic interplay in a surging samba fusion, breathing in everything from soul to psych rock. A masterclass in heat FFO: Elza Soares, Novos Baianos, Lo Borges, Sly & The Family Stone. A rare chance for us to put on some Brazilian music and it happens to be some of the best and most breathtakingly stuff we've heard in a long time, full stop...São Paulo's Sessa embraces many musical references, from rock to jazz to samba and cinematic soul

Sheffield’s knotty computer music maestro Rian Treanor meets the wind instrument minimalism of Japan’s Rai Tateishi, pairing Autechre-esque rhythmic workouts with stark, ancient harmonics. Their bizarro style is prodded further into the vortex by Eye Measure’s corrupted cyber-coding and Luigi Marino's deep explorations in Wuhan cymbals. Plus Luigi Marino. First time collaboration between Rian Treanor [Planet Mu, Nyege Nyege] and Rai Tateishi [Nakid]

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What our editors say

“Those whispers became Where the South Winds Wail. The record doesn’t unfold like a traditional collection of songs so much as a séance with an unknown past. Surf twang draped in shadows, blues exotica wandering into humid night, psychedelic cumbia tangled with echoes like an Afro-Amazon juke joint — each track a ghostly transmission, pulled from the air and reanimated in the present.”
From: Gitkin

“Goodall is back with new frequently funky music with a new bunch of virtuoso musicians based in their home city of Birmingham. Having studied and played with musicians such as bluesmen Ian Siegal and afrobeat star Dele Sosimi, these experiences are now more than ever being channeled into Goodall’s own idiosyncratic music and performance style. His shows are involving and high energy. “Beautiful music, I love it”. – Guy Garvey, BBC6 Music, Elbow”
From: Jack Goodall

“Fusing DJ sets with live instruments, this event dives into a bold, relatively untapped sound that feels right. Expect genre-blurring performances featuring live guitar, saxophone, and trombone woven seamlessly into DJ sets, all under a vibrant world music theme.”
From: Merchant

“9-piece collective TC & The Groove Family are bringing their fiery, eclectic sound that flies through afrobeat, broken beat, jungle, jazz, and grime to Bristol's Strange Brew. Originally formed in Leeds, their sound reflects the diverse musical and cultural backgrounds at the core of their project, and embodies their belief in music being a driver of unity. Come through for a party! Plus support MĀDŁY MĀDŁY is multilingual singer, rapper, and poet whose work weaves together the threads of Neo-soul, Nu-jazz, and hip hop, and resonates deeply across borders. eartrumpet”
From: TC & The Groove Family + MĀDŁY

“Now after refining our genre-binding high energy folk sound with countless gigs of all sizes for many years, we felt the time was right to record our debut album. We are incredibly pleased with it and it really captures our unique sound with influences rooted in Celtic folk, balkan and klezmer, as well as rock, afrobeat, ska, gypsy jazz and many other styles blended in.”
From: Razzomo 'Journeys' Album Launch + Mike Dennis