Late notice - good free stuff in London this w/e

Thanks Paul for the email:

DIASPORA LONDON MUSIC VILLAGE

FREE

FESTIVAL WEEKEND

HYDE PARK
Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 July 2008
1-9pm each day

“It doesn’t get much better than this on God’s earth: magic moments in abundance”

Among the many outstanding musicians taking part in this year’s Music Village festival are five outstanding London bands of African origin

CHEB NACIM (Algeria)
AFRICA JAMBO (Congo)
JIDE CHORD and the NATIVES ABROAD (Nigeria)
GNAWA TAROUDANT (Morocco)
HARARE (Zimbabwe)
(see below for band details)

The 2008 festival is the 24th Music Village since 1983 and presents over 80 top-class performers of African, Caribbean, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Mediterranean and Eastern European origin in a FREE OPEN-AIR WEEKEND in London’s Hyde Park.

Festival Director, Prakash Daswani, sets the scene:
All the performers in this year’s global line-up are London-based, though the origins of most lie way beyond these shores. Some are emerging superstars – or long-hidden gems – within the city’s broad sweep of diaspora communities. Others have already attained mainstream popular acclaim, both within the capital and far further afield.
Together they represent the fruits of decades of cross-cultural mingling among host and incoming populations that has so dramatically transformed the character of this historic capital.
The 2008 festival presents an easy and direct way for Londoners of all national origins and faith persuasions – or none – and all backgrounds and ages, to come together and experience a vibrant expression of London’s rapid transformation into the 21st century’s leading World City: a thriving, cosmopolitan, creative - and, above all, outward-looking – enterprise of which they themselves are an indispensable part.
And what better place for ordinary people to enjoy this profusion of artistic talent than in this year’s superb festival setting: a gladed natural amphitheatre nestling by the Serpentine in Hyde Park, central London’s most popular green space. Come and enjoy!
PRESS ENQUIRIES, PHOTOS & FESTIVAL CD Jenny Coyne 020 7264 0005
PUBLIC ENQUIRIES [email protected]
ARTISTS LINE-UP & VENUE INFO: www.culturalco-operation.org or 020 7264 0005
The Diaspora London Music Village festival is organized by Cultural Co-operation, an independent London-based arts charity that promotes cross-cultural contact, dialogue and understanding.

Supported by Arts Council England, London Councils, Royal Parks Agency, Baring Foundation, City Parochial Foundation, Westminster Arts, BBC London 94.9 FM DJ Ritu’s ‘A World in ondon’. Official Festival Caterer: SEEWOO Oriental Food Specialists


BAND DETAILS

CHEB NACIM
Cheb Nacim merges modern Rai with a traditional music base. His original voice and modern style - in which he is assisted by his brother, Sofiane,a keyboard player - is characterized by a rhythmic musical structure. Upon their arrival in France in 1992 Cheb and Sofiane formed a Rai band to play their own original compositions. Their first big concerts took place around the suburbs of Nantes in 1993, venues such as "Quai de la Fosse" with Khaled and Cheb Mami.

Soon after, they came to England. where they decided to take their already rich repertoire to another level by adding a mix of Flamenco, Salsa and Rumba. Many concerts later, Cheb Nacim's reputation grew bigger and saw him open concerts for "L'Orchestre National de Barbes" in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and "Faudel" at the Hammersmith Palais.
Cheb Nacim is scheduled on stage Saturday 12th July 2008 @ approx 4pm

AFRICA JAMBO
This stunning ensemble of professional sub-Saharan musicians blends popular musical styles from the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi to create a heady mix of rhumba, ndombolo and soukous. Led by Kawele Mutimwanwa, Africa Jambo’s band members are now all London-based, with each performer adding a unique element to the whole. They’ve been bringing their infectious sound to a steadily increasing audience ever since 1995 and now perform in all kinds of settings, from pubs and clubs and concert halls to weddings and other community celebrations across the city.
Africa Jambo are scheduled to appear on stage at 8pm approx on Saturday 12th July.

JIDE CHORD AND THE NATIVES ABROAD
Jide specialises in Nigerian Juju music, a mélange of traditional African rhythms and western styles. Juju originates from southern Nigeria where it was pioneered in the 1980’s by King Sunny Ade and others and rapidly made a huge worldwide impact. Jide has pushed this long-popular genre to new limits by blending catchy Yoruba lyrics, pulsating drums and sweet guitar licks to create his own unique, life-affirming, sound. As an accomplished songwriter, Jide draws from a deep well of Yoruba folklore and infuses this with afro beat, highlife, soukous, pop, reggae, jazz and rock music.
Jide is scheduled to appear on stage at 4pm approx on Sunday 13th July.

GNAWA TAROUDANT
Trance-inducing healing music of Morocco has become a regular fixture in the London music scene thanks to Gnawa Taroudant, the recently formed Moroccan Gnawa. Gnawa music, song and dance rituals or lilas are esoteric forms of Afro-Islamic music therapy, the earliest forms of which were brought into the North African markets of Marrakesh and Essaouira by former slaves from Guinea hundreds of years ago. Lilas owe their gripping power to the mesmerizing combination of gimbri (bass guitar),garagab (iron castanets), rhythmic hand clapping and spiritually infused call and response chants. Gnawa UK’s brightly coloured costumes, cowrie shell ornaments and flailing dreadlocks complete a visually and aurally compelling spectacle in this year’s festival.
Gnawa Taroudant are set to appear at 6pm approx on Sunday 13th July.

HARARE
Harare’s medley of Zimbabwean musical styles ranges from rootsy urban Jit Jive to the mellow hypnotic rhythms of the mbira, or traditional thumb piano. The band’s music is heavily influenced by Chimurenga, the genre developed by Zimbabwean music legend, Thomas Mapfumo. Two of the band’s members, Kudaushe Matimba (marimba, keys and vocals) and drummer Kenny Chitsvatsva were part of the groundbreaking Bhundu Boys, one of the most famous groups to come out of Africa. www.hararemusic.com
Harare is scheduled to appear on stage at 7pm approx on Sunday 13th July.