Monday 29 June 2015

A WOMAD 2015 teaser


For this month's community radio programme on Cambridge 105 we look at the African artists performing at the 2015 Womad festival.




Cheikh Lo is one of a trio of maverick musicians to appear.

A true original, Cheikh's music is as myriad as his patchwork clothing known as`niahaas' which identifies him as a follow of Senegal's Baye Fall Sufi brotherhood.

A drummer and timbale player Lo was born in Burkina Faso's second city Bobo Dioulasso to Senegalese parents and moved to Senegal in his 20's. His debut album Ne la Thiass (gone in a flash) released in 1995 set the blueprint for a highly distinctive and lilting music which draws on the homegrown Senegalese `rock music' Mbalax whilst borrowing elements of Cuban music.



Debuting songs from new album Balbalou which features Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho and Mali's Oumou Sangaré, Cheikh Lo's set at WOMAD 2015 is not to be missed.

Another delightfully idiosyncratic performance is likely to come courtesy of collective Atomic Bomb. A live project featuring Sinkane and former Beastie Boy's keys player Money Mark, Atomic Bomb is a celebration of the baffling yet brilliant music of the enigmatic Nigerian electronic musician William Onyeabor.

An early adopter of synthesisers, Onyeabor self released eight records between 1978 and 1985 on which he played all of the instruments.

Spacey and cinematic with lyrics in pidgin English Onyeabor's music has since achieved cult status and his records are coveted by DJ's and collectors. The personnel for WOMAD remains like Onyeabor, a mystery, but Atomic Bomb are another must see.


London born, Brooklyn based  with Sudanese heritage Sinkane is confirmed for Atomic Bomb

Finally new World Circuit signing Mbongwana Star are a group who personify authenticity and the defiant energy of the Congolese capital Kinshasa. The collective whose name means `change' bring their Afro Punk ethos to an edition of WOMAD that is all about originality