Bristol’s month in World Music – November 2024

Once those pesky fireworks have died down there’s a couple of interesting new world music collaborations coming our way via The Beacon.

As well as fellow Ghanaian singer/songwriter Lamisi, the energetic K.O.G. (pictured above) will bring musical wordsmith Dizraeli and Ghanaian DJs Jambada and Waggles under the collective umbrella We Are Many (Beacon, Saturday 16).

The Paris-based quartet Les Egarés (Beacon, Saturday 9) is one of those rare fusions that really seems to work, seamlessly combining Malian master kora player Ballaké Sissoko with the jazz duo of accordionist Vincent Peirani and soprano sax man Emile Parisien plus contemporary classical cellist Vincent Peirani.

Alongside such promising new developments it’s sad to bid farewell to The Baghdaddies after some 28 years. The bunch of Geordies were pioneers of the Balkan/Ska/Latin mash-ups that have become such a solid part of the festival scene and their anarchic delivery style will be sadly missed once they finish this farewell tour (Old Market Assembly, Friday 15).

Happily local veterans of the scene Sheelanagig are showing no signs of packing it in and can be found at Strange Brew this month (Thursday 21).

Looking towards things Latin, the Cotham Club this month welcomes amazing Brazilian (now UK-based) singer Carolina Lelis with jazz guitarist Phil Dawson’s Quintet (Cotham Parish Church, Friday 22) and the Fringe Jazz session has Jim Blomfield’s SOACO Collective (Bristol Music Centre, Wednesday 27). The latter sextet gave a stunning performance at the Lantern last month, with Jim’s dazzling piano playing and Michel Padron’s soaring trumpet catching the authentic sound of Havana.

The twanging guitar trio LA LOM (aka Los Angeles League of Musicians) have a truly original lounge-surf take on Cumbia Sonidero and Mexican boleros (Strange Brew, Tuesday 12) and new quartet Panamestiza (El Rincon, Thursday 14) reflects the kind of meltdown of Latin, Flamenco and North African sounds bred in Barcelona’s cosmopolitan quarter. El Rincon also has the Tango Calor collective (Fri 29).

Looking back to Brazil, Marta Zubieta’s vibrant vocals lead Zubieta & The Suaves through classic Bossa Nova and other Latin jazz at the Canteen (Wednesday 27).

Apparently it was meeting Nubyan Twist’s Tom Excell that encouraged Tanzanian duo The Zawose Queens (Jam Jar, Thursday 28) to become more experimental and creative with their musical traditions. The creativity this unleashed – showcased on debut album Maisha – has been a massive success, bolstered by their charismatic live performances.

Malawian duo Madalitso Band, in contrast, have very much kept to their acoustic roots (Jam Jar, Sunday 3) with their home-made instruments and driving beats. The Jam Jar’s pan-African month also includes Kin’Gongolo Kiniate (Saturday 23), the latest generation to come from the thriving Kinshasa scene in DRC and also using homemade instruments to deliver highly danceable polyrhythms.

It’s over to the Canteen for a taste of Cameroonian Afrobeat courtesy of Alphonse Touna’s Helele, probably Bristol’s longest standing Afro-jazz project (Sat 9).

A couple of great African acts at SWX start with London-based Ibibio Sound Machine (Fri 8) whose take on Afrobeat and Nigerian disco comes through a contemporary electronic lens. There’s a similar re-appraisal involved in Senegalese multi-instrumentalist Seckou Keita’s Homeland project (Tue 12), with his West African septet exploring tradition in the light of globalism. Resettling in Cardiff from his Guinean roots has given balafon player and singer N’Famady Kouyaté (Thekla, Thur 28) a catchy blend of traditional forms and modern styles, too. But there’s no such revisionism about Seun Kuti, keeper of the flame of his father, the illustrious Fela Kuti,and leader of the Egypt 80 Afrobeat band (Trinity, Tue 19).

One sound that never tires in the UK is reggae: chirpy roots merchants (and proud citizens of Birmingham) Friendly Fire Band will be getting things moving at Jam Jar (Sat 16) and Mr Wolf’s has Revelation Roots (Sat 30). It’s amazing to note that the Kuumba Centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary supporting arts and community in St Pauls. Originally known as The Inkworks it has seen an amazing range of musical events over that half century and of course the celebrations include a reggae night – Rising Youth (Kuumba, Sat 23) with Ital food and music powered by the Scram Sound System.

It is good that the annual Palestinian Film Festival is happening this year, though of course the terrible situation in Gaza adds a tragic human depth to what was already a painful situation. Born in Manchester, Palestinian singer Reem Kelani has become seen as a cultural ambassador for her family’s homeland so it is a great honour that she will be opening the festival this year. (Arnolfini, Sat 30). One of the sensations of Glastonbury 2023 was Asha Puthli’s set on the West Holts stage. A veteran singer, yes, but one with a remarkable career fusing her Indian origins with the musical culture of her adopted US home. Despite making early recordings with jazz legend Ornette Coleman and having never stopped recording since the early 70s somehow she never quite made it into the spotlight she deserved. Coming to the Beacon (Sun 17) with a full 7-piece line-up she may well be on her way to that place.