Bristol’s month in World Music – May 2024

It’s incontrovertible – Bristol loves world music. Where did some of the first and finest UK reggae bands begin (take a bow, Talisman and Black Roots)? And where did the WOMAD organisation first spring up? You’ve guessed it – and in the fifty-odd years since those early sproutings the city has seen a wide variety of diverse cultures flourish here, with fresh discoveries welcomed every year. Every month sees a fine selection of gigs with lively visitors and home grown talent on offer – here’s what’s happening in May ’24 …

First up: a new festival, courtesy of the Diverse Arts Network. The  Bristol-based DIASPORA! (Fri 3 – Mon 6) aims to be a celebration of the region’s diverse range of cultural creatives with music playing a big part. Starting with that legendary roots reggae band Talisman (Canteen, Fri 3) and Palestine master of the nay flute Faris Ishaq (Palestine Museum, Fri 3) the weekend includes the mighty Afrojazz of Baraka (Canteen, Sat 4), Moroccan oud player Soufian Saihi (Canteen, Sun 5) and Senegalese seminal superstars Orchestra Baobab (Beacon, Sun 4) celebrating their 50th year in business. Monday sees Flamenco-Rumba duo Maria Galvache and David Nash at the Canteen and Orchestral Qawwali Project at the Beacon. The latter (pictured at top) was a big hit at WOMAD last year, combining the impassioned devotional singing of Qawwali with full string orchestral arrangements.

There’s a couple of tasty all-dayers, too, starting with Jam on the Horizon (Sat 4). It’s a collaboration across the various venues in St Judes featuring local bhangra party RSVP and Colectiva’s exuberant contemporary Latin-jazz grooves, with the mighty African Head Charge sound system headlining. The annual Trinity Garden Party (Sun 12) is always a treat and this year’s offering includes the Gnawa beats of Mohamed Errebbaa, Los Gusanos blend of Afro-Colombian blues, DJ Josephine Gyasi’s mix of Ampiano, Afrobeats and other moving grooves as well as ‘ragga dnb’ headliner Rider Shafique with J-Man. It’s free but donations are very welcome to support the centre’s excellent work.

North African music can be very male-dominated so it’s encouraging to see the success of gnawa player Asmaâ Hamzaoui and her all-female group Bnat Timbouktou (Jam Jar, Sat 18) and there’s more Gnawa from Mohamed Errabbaa’s band Tagna Groove at Canteen (Fri 10). Another great female pioneer comes to St George’s (Sun 12): musician Sona Jobarteh was the first recognised female kora virtuoso and remains one of Gambia’s finest stars. Bristol-based kora exponent Suntou Susso also hails from The Gambia and he appears al fresco at Boiling Wells Amphitheatre (Fri 17), while Senegalese multi-instrumentalist and singer Amadou Diagne’s trio Touki appear at The Architect (Fri 3) as part of Bristol Folk Festival. And yet another locally-based kora griot Moussa Kouyate collaborates with Ghanaian percussion master Ben Baddoo’s balafon and jazz trumpeter David Mowat at St Stephen’s Church (Mon 6, lunchtime).

Moving over to Central Africa, Grupo Lokito have a totally compelling blend of Congolese-Rumba and Cuban salsa and they will be well-matched at the Jam Jar (Fri 3) with support band Aji Pa’Ti and their energetic Cuban vocalist Indira Roman. Zambian singer and guitarist Namvula (Cotham Club, Fri 17) has a similar approach, fusing African, Latin and jazz styles with an ace band (her percussionist comes from Babaa Maal’s outfit). Singer/guitarist Jimi Can’s band The Marakafoli’s Afro-Latin party music will be cutting a rug at No 1 Harbourside (Sat 25) while acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Huw Warren celebrates Northern Brazil’s folk dance tradition in his Latin-jazz band Choro Choro Choro (Bristol Music Club, Wed 29). El Rincon welcome back accomplished guitar and vocal duo Tango Especial (Sun 19, lunchtime) excitingly augmented by Argentinian bandoneon player Guillermo Willis for the occasion, and the tiny tapas bar will also have their regular sessions with Flamenco Loco (Fri 10, Fri 24).

Middle Eastern music fusions make for a couple of interesting gigs this month, too: the duo of British multi-instrumentalist Tamsin Elliott and Egyptian oud player Tarek Elazhary (Boiling Wells Amphitheatre, Fri 10) has been spotted (and praised) by the likes of the Observer and Songlines for their subtle collaboration of cultural sources and their own imaginations. And as well as his appearance at the DIASPORA! Festival, Palestinian musician Faris Ishaq, who plays the traditional nay flute, is also joining with contemporary jazz outfit BEJE for a session In The Spirit of ‘Trane (St Paul’s Church, Sun 5). BEJE trumpeter David Mowat also appears in Chai For All (Hen & Chicken, Fri 24) with their celebration of Klezmer and Middle Eastern dance music ably supported by Eastern European folk and klezmer quintet Kitchen Kapelye.