cultural collage world music festival - may 2012

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INSIDE...Festival Highlights

From Festival to BBC

Brandy – The Spirit of Carnival

The Lost Songs of the Jews

Tribute to Bob Marley

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We would once again like to thank Arts Council England for their generous funding support for this year’s festival. The 2012 festival is no bigger, but it is a little more ambitious. Our opening party headlines Balkan supremos, Paprika, with support from local gypsy jazzers, Toe Rag. We have a concert of heart-rending South American folk songs and ballads from Chilean songstress Valentina and Voces del Sur, and our closing Reggae and African Dance Party features the artists from the UK, Jamaica and Africa including Gabbidon, Golty Farabeau from the Seychelles, the Freedom Masses Sound System DJs and a very, very special guest from Africa (visas permitting!)

This year, for the first time, we are including a few more original projects. Abraham’s Children brings together an Arabic and a Jewish musician to perform at St Mary’s Church in Prestwich as part of the Prestwich Concert Series. Thanks to the Musical Director, Philip White for coming up with the idea.

And Then There Were Four unites world music trio Village Well, from the West Midlands, with our very own Congolese Gospel vocalist, Emmanuela Yogolelo (Beating Wing Orchestra). We have a World Music Bus Tour, hosted by Manchester Tour Guide Emma Fox, which includes surprise performances along the way!

For the community we have a world craft market and family sing song and in Ancestor to Manchester, we invite musicians from the diverse communities of Manchester and Salford to present their music to us for the opportunity of a professional gig at next year’s festival.

We are eager for the festival to reflect all facets of the cultures living here in the North West, but we don’t yet have links in with everybody. If you represent a culture whose music isn’t represented by the festival, we want to hear from you – email me at [email protected].

Geli BergArtistic Director

Editorial From Festival to BBCManchester – based kora player, Jali Njonkoling Kuyateh, joined an elite group of performers as a result of appearing in last year’s Cultural Collage World Music Festival.

For Jali was spotted in last year’s issue of Cultural Collage World by a researcher from the BBC, who had just moved up to Manchester, and who subsequently booked him for the second series of the international CBeebies TV programme, Zingzillas, which has also featured musical legends such as Cleo Laine, James Galway and Julian Lloyd Webber.

Zingzillas, which has been broadcasting on the BBC’s pre-school channel since 2010, introduces a wealth of musical styles and instruments to children under the age of six. Jali’s episode, entitled “Sunshine” went out for the first time on 1 December last year.

A spokesperson from the BBC said. “Part of our brief when moving to Manchester was to highlight local talent, and we very much enjoyed working with Jali to introduce beautiful kora music to small children”.

Jali, who was born in the Gambia, is a griot – a member of a caste responsible for maintaining an oral record of tribal history in the form of music, poetry, and storytelling. During summer months, he can regularly be found performing with other African musicians in Piccadilly Gardens.

Brandy – the Spirit of CarnivalYou might think that Rum is a significant feature of Caribbean carnival, but in Manchester it is most definitely Brandy, or more accurately the Brandy family, that adds to the spirit of the annual celebration.

For one of the key figures who was involved in the setting up of Manchester’s Moss Side Carnival was a certain Mrs Locita Brandy, who hails from the island of Nevis and who settled in the Moss Side area back in 1957.

“In those early years I would take the children to play in Broadfield Road Park in Moss Side and I got talking to other Caribbean families, and we got to thinking, we all miss our carnival so much, why don’t we start one in Manchester!” So Mrs Brandy, along with some of her neighbours, decided to contact Manchester City Council, who suggested that they should talk

to the organisers of an annual family day, which was held at Alexandra Park on Princess Road. Thus the first Carribean carnival celebration in Manchester was born.

Not only did Moss Side Carnival go from strength to strength, but so did Mrs Brandy’s family, many of whom even today play a role in promoting carnival and Caribbean traditions. Mrs Brandy’s son, Big T, produces and presents the Caribbean Culture Show on ALL FM Community Radio and also designs and makes carnival costumes. His sister, Irma Brandy, was one of the first carnival queens in Manchester. What’s more, some of Mrs Brandy’s grandchildren have been taking part in the annual carnival parade since they were only three years old.

So when you watch this year’s carnival parade wend its way through the streets of Manchester on Saturday, 11 August, make sure you raise your glass to the Brandy family!

Locita Brandy

Jali Njonkoling Kuyateh

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Win Tickets and CDs

Lucky readers of Cultural Collage World can win tickets and CDs, simply by requesting to be put on our mailing list to receive information about world music events throughout the Manchester area.

Every 25th subscriber will receive a world music treat. Items up for grabs include pairs of tickets to world music gigs, including AfroCubism at The Bridgewater Hall, and lots of other world music-related goodies.

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It’s been an interesting 12 months for world music in Manchester.

There have been exciting things happening on the Spanish music front, with visits from Paco Pena, Ojos de Brujo and a regular monthly get-together of flamenco enthusiasts at POD in Levenshulme. In last year’s June issue, Songlines magazine featured world music in the city and the same magazine gave The Jadid Ensemble’s album “Sigh of the Moor” an excellent review.

This summer sees a West African music festival taking place alongside We Face Forward, a city-wide West African art exhibition. I’d like to think that in some way the Cultural Collage World Music Festival has been one of the factors which have led to these developments.

Drop us a line at [email protected].

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The Lost Songs of the Jews

THERE’S A WORLD OF TALENT IN MANCHESTER

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Traditional Yiddish songs are gaining a new lease of life in Manchester, thanks to a North West musician delving into his musical heritage.

Mickey Van Gelder, a singer-songwriter who has, until recently, been better known for his jazz and blues performances, has turned researcher in his quest to unearth some Jewish vocal gems from the past.

Yiddish songs are typically folk songs from central Europe, in the regions covered by the former Soviet Union, such as Belarus and the Ukraine. Although some of the songs were sung at parties and dances, many others are heart-rendingly sad songs relating to the time of the Holocaust and historical attacks (pogroms) on Jewish people throughout history. Other songs portray life in the shtetls, the small Jewish communities of central Europe.

One song that Mickey has found is called “Unzer Shuster” and is about a shoemaker or cobbler who, before the war years, would invite people to his workshop to have a drink and sing a song with him. “During these times, there was no real distinction between daily life and religious belief”, Mickey explains.

However many of these songs all but died out after the war, as they were painful reminders of better days to the Jewish immigrants who settled in Britain during the 1950s and 1960s. Many settlers wanted to focus on their new lives, even changing their names to better integrate into their new surroundings. Singing Yiddish songs became a thing of the past, although the Yiddish language was preserved through the Jewish faith.

Mickey is not the only musician with a renewed interest in this area of music. Over recent years there has

been a significant revival of Jewish instrumental (Klezmer) music. This in turn has led to a revival of interest in Yiddish song. Much of the research into this music has been carried out by the Jewish Music Institute, part of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Mickey believes that another factor in the revival is that Jews who were born in Britain during the 1950s and 1960s, such as himself, have less painful associations with the original songs.

You can hear Mickey sing some of his Yiddish song collection at Abraham’s Children – a concert of Jewish and Arabic music at St Mary’s Church in Prestwich on Tuesday, 15 May; as part of the Cultural Collage World Music Festival (see page 7 for details).

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THURSDAY, 10 MAY

Cultural Collage World Music Festival presents

Paprika (Support: Toe Rag)

Hailing from Romania, Serbia and the UK, Paprika unite traditional Eastern European, Balkan, Gypsy and Classical Music. The band have toured extensively, appearing at major festivals and events across the word, including concerts at the Sydney Opera House, Glastonbury and the Royal Albert Hall. Recently, the band has developed both its line-up and repertoire, focusing on bringing rare and lost traditional Balkan music back to life.Unusual, virtuosic, ragged, intelligent and highly entertaining: are all words that describe our local support band, Toe Rag. Their music is inspired by European legends Django Reindhardt and Stephane Grappelli and they have one single aim - to have fun through sweet Gypsy Music.

8pm The Ruby Lounge. 28-34 High St, Manchester, M4 1QB.£12 Adv / £15 Door. Tickets: www.culturalcollagefestival.org

FRIDAY, 11 MAY

Special FX at the Royal Exchange Theatre presents

RubaiyatRubaiyat were founded in 2009 by a group of world musicians who were interested in fusing Celtic and Arabic music. Since Egyptian Oud player, Amal Saad, joined the band line up of percussionist Ian Jackson, cahon player, Rome Mossabir, Nick Harris on bass and ex Nile Band vocalist, Gail Skelly, their repertoire is leaning more towards Arabic ballads and Middle Eastern dance rhythms.

6pm – 7pmThe Foyer, Royal Exchange Theatre. St Ann’s Square, Manchester, M2 7DH.Free. (Happy Hour from 5.30pm!) www.royalexchange.co.uk

Cultural Collage World Music Festival & Musica de Mestiza present

Two Man Ting @ Musica de MestizaTwo Man Ting was formed in 2004, when British musician Jon Lewis and Jah-man Aggrey from Sierra Leone began working together in world/dance band Le Cod Afrique, performing at the likes of WOMAD, Montreux Jazz Festival and Glastonbury.Since then, the duo has been performing regularly throughout the UK, and on the Festival circuit. including Glastonbury, Musicport, Green Man, Whychwood, Big Green Gathering and many others. They have also played support slots for Tinariwen and Munto Valdo.The duo are regularly featured on UK and US radio stations.

8pm – midnightUnique (Formerly Platt Chapel). 186 Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, Manchester, M14 6HA.£7.50 Adv / £10 Door. Food available. Tickets: www.culturalcollagefestival.org.

SATURDAY, 12 MAY


A Taste of World Dance A full day of workshops introducing dances from around the world:-09.30-10.45 Chinese Silk Fan Dance – Red Fan Chinese

Dance Society11.00-12.15 Traditional Uzbek Dance – San’at Mahmudova12.45-14.00 Spanish Flamenco – Gloria Lopez-Castejon14.15-15.30 Bachata (Dominican Republic) – Felipe Nicanor

Reyes15.45-17.00 Angolan Kizomba – Velma Dandzo9.30am – 5pmZ-arts (formerly Zion Arts Centre). 335 Stretford Road, Hulme, M15 5ZA.Single Workshops: £5 Adv / £6 Door. Full Day: £20 Adv / £25 Door (subject to availability). Tickets: 0161 232 6089. www.zionarts.com

SATURDAY, 12 MAY


Valentina & Voces del SurMontoya Martinez, daughter of a Chilean revolutionary, and her band Voces del Sur will take you on a journey to the steamy, rum-fuelled cafes and bars of Latin America.“For Valentina, music is a connection to her roots...a gloriously multinational affair” - The Sunday Times

8pm International Anthony Burgess Foundation. Engine House, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY.£12.00 Adv / £13.50 Door. Tickets: www.culturalcollagefestival.org

SUNDAY, 13 MAY


World Craft Market & Family Sing-SongCome down to Unique (formerly Platt Chapel) to shop for products from all over the world and then, in the afternoon, join in our family sing-song with musicians from three different countries leading the workshops!Bring your family and learn songs from Jamaica, South Africa and Paraguay from musicians who were born there!

10am – 5pm Unique (Formerly Platt Chapel). 186 Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, Manchester, M14 6HA.Free.

MONDAY, 14 MAY


Ancestor to ManchesterUnearthing the Musical Treasures of Diverse Manchester

A showcase for musicians and dancers, nominated by the diverse communities of Manchester and Salford, to present their music to the Cultural Collage World Music Festival team who are searching for artists for the 2013 festival. The performances will be followed by a question and answer session with a panel of representatives from the international world music industry. Musicians taking part in the showcase are invited to stay for the festival’s World Music Jam which takes place immediately after the event.

6pm

World Music JamAn open invitation to musicians from all cultural backgrounds and world music genres to get together, share musical styles and make sweet, sweet music!

9.30pmSol House. 117 Fairfield Street, Manchester, M12 6EL.Tickets on Door: Audience £5 / Concessions £2 / Performers Free.

TUESDAY, 15 MAY

Cultural Collage World Music Festival with Prestwich Concert Series presents

Abraham’s Children An evening where Arabic and Jewish culture meet in a Christian church with performances of Arabic music and song from Oud-player, Awad Absin and Yiddish songs from Mickey Van Gelder.

7.30pmSt Mary’s Church. Church Lane, Prestwich, M25 1AN.£6 Adv / £7.50 Door. Tickets: [email protected]. 07980 092 311.

FRIDAY, 18 MAY

The Bridgewater Hall presents

A Little Bite Music with Calaita Calaita play authentic, traditional flamenco and contemporary flamenco rhumbas. The band was formed in 2008 by singer Chico Pere and flamenco guitarist Glenn Sharp as a music and dance group. They immediately developed a large fan-base, with all of their first shows completely sold out. They are now a five-piece music group. They have recently returned from a series of gigs in Spain and are currently working on their first studio album.Chico Pere and Diana Castro vocals, Glenn Sharp guitar, Leo Paredes cajón, Matt Nickson flute and saxophone.

12.30pm – 1.30pmThe Foyer, The Bridgewater Hall. Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS.Free. www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

Cultural Collage World Music Festival & MAPZ Arts Management present

And Then There Were FourA specially commissioned festival performance resulting from a collaboration between Manchester-based vocalist, Emmanuela Machozi Yogele (Beating Wing Orchestra) and Village Well (Pritam Singh, Zirak Hamad and Norman Stewart) from the West Midlands. The resulting compositions reflect the diversity of the musicians involved (DR Congo, India, Iraqi-Kurdistan, Trinidad and the UK).

8pmSacred Trinity Church. Chapel Street, Salford, M3 5DW.£10 Adv / £12 Door. Tickets: www.culturalcollagefestival.org.

SATURDAY, 19 MAY

World Music Bus TourCome and explore the diverse cultural areas of Greater Manchester with surprises along the way! Hosted by Manchester Tour Guide, Emma Fox.

3.30pm – 5.30pmBoarding Point: Outside Piccadilly Railway Station on Fairfield Street, M1 2QF.£12.50 Adv / £15 On Day. Tickets: www.culturalcollagefestival.org.


Reggae & African Dance PartyCaribbean, UK and African reggae artists unite, including Gabbidon (fronted by Steel Pulse Founder, Basil Gabbidon), Golty Farabeau and Jahmadou, and the Freedom Masses Sound System DJs. An extra special guest artist from Kenya is still to be announced!

8.30pmThe Dancehouse Theatre. 10 Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 5QA.£15 Adv / £20 Door. Tickets: www.culturalcollagefestival.org.

SUNDAY, 20 MAY

Royal Exchange Theatre presents

Festival Wind Down: Kanchan Maradan & San’at Mahmudova.Come and chill over brunch and catch performances by two of the UK’s most respected world dance practitioners. Kanchan Maradan performs Kathak, a temple dance from Northern India and San’at Mahmudova performs traditional Uzbek and Persian dance.

2pm – 3pm The Foyer, Royal Exchange Theatre. St Anns Square, Manchester, M2 7DH.Free. www.royalexchange.co.uk

Festival Events

Reggae musicians from the UK, Africa and the Caribbean are uniting to pay tribute to Bob Marley at the closing event of the third Cultural Collage World Music Festival.

The Reggae and African Dance Party, which takes place at Manchester’s Dancehouse Theatre on Saturday, 19 May, will feature locally-based reggae and seggae artist, Golty Farabeau from the Seychelles, and his UK band, Jahmadou. They will be joined on stage by Gabbidon, formed by Steel Pulse founder Basil Gabbidon.

The renowned Manchester-based, Freedom Masses Sound System DJs will be on the decks. Festival organisers are shortly also hoping to be able to confirm the additional appearance of one of Kenya’s hottest dance stars, who will be hot-footing it to the event from opening the Cannes Film Festival the night before.

Each artist will be playing a set of their own music and then, at the end of the night, all artists will get together to perform some of their favourite Bob Marley songs.

Tickets to the event are available via the festival website: www.culturalcollagefestival.org.

First World Music Bus TourThanks to Arts Council funding, visitors to the city will be able to explore Manchester’s world music cultures by bus on what, festival organisers believe, is the only tour of its kind in the UK.

After boarding the bus outside Piccadilly Railway station on Fairfield Street, passengers will be taken on a route around areas of diverse cultural interest, incorporating relevant music along the way.

Manchester Tour Guide, Emma Fox, will be leading proceedings, but she’s remaining tight-lipped about the precise details. All she will say is that there are a few surprises built into the itinerary.

Booking details can be found on the festival website – www.culturalcollagefestival.org.

Manchester China Town

Festival Artists’ Musical Tribute to Bob Marley

Support from Around the GlobeThis year’s team of festival volunteers is proving to be the most diverse yet, with a record number of nationalities having come forward to help with the organisation, production and marketing of the 2012 event.

Volunteers who have confirmed their involvement to date have skills in a wide range of areas, including photography, video making, social media, sound engineering and box office. They are key to the festival being able to run smoothly and a huge boon to the small permanent team of festival volunteers and freelancers.

The volunteers come from a variety of cultures, including countries as far afield as Mauritius, Vietnam, China and Zimbabwe, as well as Europe and the UK.

Gabbidon


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Artists Biographies

Awad Absin (Sudan)

Awad Absin started his musical journey aged four, when he began making drums out of milk tins, pots and saucepans, and started singing folk songs. His family were soon encouraging him to sing and play at social gatherings and celebrations. At seven, he was appointed as his school’s official singer, and has never looked back! He has now been performing professionally for almost 30 years.

Awad honed his oud skills with the help of masters such as Ali Hassan (Iraq) and Nizar Rohana (Palestine). He is currently recording a CD which celebrates old Sudanese folk songs.

Calaita – Flamenco Son(Spain/UK )

‘Calaita - Flamenco Son’ are a five-piece flamenco group based in Manchester. The band line-up includes Chico Pere on voice and guitar, Diana Castro, voice, guitarist Glenn Sharp - guitar, Leo Paredes, playing cajón and Matt Nickson on flute and saxophone. The band’s live concerts include traditional styles, such as bulerias, alegrias and seguiriyas, as well as more comtemporary flamenco rumbas.

Gloria Lopez Castejon (Spain)

Born in Cartagena, Gloria Lopez Castejon began dancing as a child. She began her career with classical ballet, which she found invaluable when she turned to flamenco. Her teachers in Spain included Antonia Ramos, Miguel Angel Serrano and Daniel Valera. Upon moving to Manchester, in 2007, she studied with Araceli Garcia and flamenco guitarist Glenn Sharp. Gloria loves the variety of different “palos” of flamenco, which reflect a wide variety of emotions.

Velma Dandzo(Ghana)

Velma is a singer-songwriter, music tutor and Kizomba teacher, who has been instrumental in introducing the Angolan dance to the North West. She hosts Kizomba workshops throughout the UK and holds regular weekly workshops here in Manchester.

Her aim is to impart Kizomba in the most authentic teaching style possible. Velma’s strength lies in emphasising musical interpretation, whilst at the same time sharing the heritage and history of the dance. In Velma’s classes you are guaranteed lots of fun, and, more importantly, you will walk away with an understanding of the essence of the dance and its rich history.

DJ Mayeva(UK/Peru)

Manchester-based DJ Mayeva regularly performs at world music events, multicultural weddings and festivals throughout the North West. She has hosted world music stages at FEAST, Croydon Summer Music Festival and Harewood Hall in Leeds.

Mayeva adapts her music to any ambiance - from laid back chilled beats through to the latest world dance sounds. She particularly favours reggae, African rap, Latin and gypsy music. Under her broadcasting name, Geli, she also produces and presents Cultural Collage, a world music and cultural magazine programme on ALL FM 96.9 Community Radio in Manchester.

Golty Farabeau (Seychelles)

Golty Farabeau is a reggae musician from the Seychelles. His international career was launched when he was one of a few selected artists from the Indian Ocean chosen to represent the islands’ music industry internationally. He has played at festivals in the Middle East, Europe and the French Caribbean.

Golty composes and plays his own music, as well as performing reggae, traditional sega music from the Seychelles and seggae, a fusion of sega and reggae. He also covers music by reggae luminaries such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. He has released seven albums to date and currently plays with his UK-based band Jahmadou.

Freedom Masses Sound System

Freedom Masses started life back in the late 1980s when Jahmi X and Professor P put together a sound system. Both started their apprenticeship in the 1970s, playing individual sound systems in their schools and youth centres. After coming together as Freedom Masses, they were joined by Brother Yasin, and they started to play with other local and international sound systems. They have shared dance arenas with likes of Jah Shaka, Quakercity, Fatman, Jungleman and Jah Tubby’s, and have played with Iration Steppas and Aba Shanti-I.

Freedom Masses have released two albums, Free Dominion and Version Of Peace, one CD Life A Ruff, and a 7” single I Am Who I Am.

Gabbidon(UK/Jamaica)

Gabbidon was created by Basil Gabbidon, the founding father of British reggae legends, Steel Pulse.

Basil formed Steel Pulse as a young musician, along with his brother Colin and several school friends. After four successful albums and three Grammy nominations, Basil left to form the Reggae rock band Bassdance.

Gabbidon takes listeners through a musical landscape of reggae, rock, ska and jazz. They are regulars on the festival circuit, having played Glastonbury, Brockwell Park and Simmer Down as well as headlining at Birmingham’s Artsfest.

George Linton(Jamaica)

George Linton, aka Mento-B, is often found playing old school Mento and Calypso songs at gigs around Manchester. Mento-B is a pun on the words Mento and the phrase meant to be.

Mickey Van Gelder (UK)

Mickey, whose grandparents were from Russia and Poland, had a conventional, mainstream Jewish upbringing. He has always loved and performed Jazz and Blues, but underpinning all his musical influences have been the Hebrew and Yiddish songs of his childhood.

Mickey began writing songs in the mid-1970s, later joining the band World Series with percussionist Pablo Cook. The band wrote and recorded their own material, playing gigs around London and the South-East. Since moving to Manchester, Mickey has become more involved with learning and performing Yiddish songs. His aim, assisted by the Jewish Music Institute, is to help keep these beautiful songs alive.

Kanchan Maradan (India)

Performer, teacher and choreographer, Kanchan Maradan, has been dancing since childhood. She completed an MA in Kathak, one of the classical dances of India, under the guidance of Prerana Shrimali, doyen of Jaipur Gharana. She is also a trained Indian vocalist.

A registered artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Kanchan has been teaching for over 12 years. She has performed all over the world, including working with the Brazilian film director, Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener).

Hugo Nuevo (Paraguay)

Hugo Nuevo was born in Cnel Oviedo, a small village in the countryside of Paraguay, about 140 kilometres from the capital, Anunsio. He is an experienced singer and guitar player who performs songs from Spain, South America and other popular songs from around the world.

Hugo regularly plays at restaurants around the North West, as well as in London and Southern Ireland. Over the next few months will be travelling to Switzerland, Spain and Dubai to play at private parties.

Paprika (Romania, Serbia, UK)

Paprika unites traditional Eastern European, Balkan, Gypsy and Classical Music. The band has toured extensively across Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and has featured at WOMAD festivals in the UK, Spain, Canary Islands and Abu Dhabi. Career highlights include concerts at the Purcell Room (Southbank Centre), The Royal Albert Hall, The Sydney Opera House, Glastonbury and the Edinburgh Fringe festival.

Recently, the band has developed both its line-up and repertoire, focusing on bringing rare and lost traditional Balkan music back to life.

The Red Fan Chinese Dance Society (China )

The Red Fan Chinese Dance Society is a non-profit organisation, founded in 2005, whose aim is to promote traditional Chinese dance culture throughout the UK. The Society’s mission is to broaden the perception of Chinese dance, to promote Chinese performing arts and to preserve traditions, whilst blending them with the present and future.

Red Fan have participated in numerous performances throughout the UK, and their dancers regularly represent China in festivals and international cultural exchange activities.

Felipe Nicanor Reyes (Chile)

Felipe runs Salsa Cabana and teaches Columbian style Salsa, Bachata and Merengue. He specialises in teaching his students to develop their own individual dance style.

Felipe is keen to raise the profile of Bachata, a sensual dance originating in the Dominican Republic, and has done so at various events in North West England and Wales, including Salsa North West, Tropicalentura, the Cuban Salsa Congress in Newport and Club Candela.

Felipe has worked with some of the biggest names in the salsa world, including Maykel Fonts.

Rubaiyat (UK)

Rubaiyat was founded in 2009 by percussionists, Ian Jackson and Rome Mossabir and vocalist Gail Skelly, a former singer with Manchester-based Arabic group, The Nile Band. All three musicians were interested in combining Middle Eastern and Celtic music and rhythms. The band has since added bass player, Nick Harris, and traditional Egyptian oud player, Amal Said, to the line up, and has developed a distinctly Arabic flavour.

The band has appeared at the World on Your Doorstep festival at Hebden Bridge, the Conway Food Festival, and regularly accompanies the Northern Belly Arabic Dance Company. Expect a set which includes haunting Arabic melodies and pulsating Midden Eastern beats.

San’at Mahmudova(Uzbekistan)

San’at was born in Uzbekistan, and has performed since she was two years old. After years spent studying dance, she specialised in the dance of Uzbek and international folklore.

She was introduced into a professional career as a dancer with the Shodlik Ensemble through an Honorary Artist of Uzbekistan, Kunduz Mirkarimova, and was coached by another Honorary Artist, Dilafruz Jabbarova.

As a lead dancer for several prominent dance troupes in Uzbekistan, San’at has worked with renowned performers such as Munojat Yolchieva, Sherali Juraev, Abduhoshim Ismoilov, Nasiba Sattarova, and Yulduz Usmonova.

Toe Rag(UK)

Toe Rag was originally formed by guitarist and composer Paul Dennis, back in 2009, as a small jamming project at Salford University. The collective are inspired by the European legends Django Reindhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Their music includes laid back tunes that are best appreciated over a glass of wine and the more raucous dance music of the bars, clubs and dance halls of the urban night. However both permanent and guest band members have one single aim: they want to have fun through sweet gypsy music!

Two ManTing (Sierra Leone/UK)

Two Man Ting was formed in 2004, when Jon Lewis and Jah-man Aggrey were working together in world/dance band Le Cod Afrique. Since then, the duo has been performing regularly throughout the UK, particularly on the Festival circuit. They have recently supported Malian desert-blues legends, Tinariwen, and Cameroonian Singer-songwriter, Muntu Valdo.

Valentina and Voces del Sur (Chile/UK)

Valentina and Voces del Sur was formed by Chilean singer Valentina Montoya Martinez and Scottish guitarist, David Russell, who met at the Edinburgh Festival.

Valentina writes and sings songs of exile, love and social change, inspired by the folk music traditions of Latin America. With her guitar, commanding stage presence and distinctive voice, she takes the audience on a powerful journey through Latin America.

A firm favourite of press reviewers, Valentina and Voces del Sur have appeared at festivals and venues throughout the world.

Village Well(UK/India/Kurdistan/Trinidad)

Village Well is Pritam Singh, Zirak Hamad and Norman Stewart who between them have a collective experience of playing, teaching and touring in excess of 50 years. Together they blend rhythms, challenge cultural stereotypes and create a new musical sound. Their music retains a vitality that is very contemporary, entertaining and accessible. Rich Middle Eastern melodies combine with the classical and folk traditions of India and soulfully blend with the free spirited rhythms of the Caribbean to create superb music from these diverse cultural traditions.

Emmanuela Machozi Yogolelo DR Congo

Emmanuela is a Congolese vocalist and singer who lives in Manchester. She sought asylum in Britain in 2003, fleeing persecution in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Emmanuela has been singing from the age of six in church choirs and other bands in her native country.

Since moving to Manchester, Emmanuela has become a founder member and lead vocalist of the African Gospel vocal group, Testimony. She is also a member of Manchester’s renowned Beating Wing Orchestra.

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Calling all world musicians in Manchester and Salford!

We are holding a world music jam (should that be renamed a world music chutney? – Ed) at Sol House, 117 Fairfield Street, Manchester on Monday 14 May from 9.30 pm until midnight.

Whatever your instrument or genre – come and join us - you never know who you might meet for future gigs! Entry is free to musicians taking part.

Do you love to sing? Would you like to learn some new songs?

Then come down to Unique on Sunday, 13 May for a free workshop where you can learn songs from South Africa, Jamaica and Paraguay.

We have professional musicians from all three countries wanting to share their culture with people of all ages. It doesn’t matter if you normally just sing in the bath, everyone is welcome to join in and we’d also like families with children to come along.

The event takes place between 2pm and 4pm at Unique, the former Platt Chapel in Fallowfield.

Check the festival website for details and directions.

Unearthing the Musical Treasures of Diverse Manchester

Anyone For Chutney?

Organisers of Manchester’s Cultural Collage World Music Festival have come up with a fresh idea for finding local acts for next year’s festival: they are asking community leaders and organisations in Manchester and Salford to nominate musicians and dancers to show the festival team what they can do.

“Over the first three years of the festival,” explains Artistic Director, Geli Berg, “we have had quite a lot of approaches from musicians wanting to take part in the festival, but most of these are coming from overseas or other parts of the UK.

As our festival sets out to unite cultures through music, it is really important that we represent the cultures in our own region.

Organisers know that language and written application processes get in the way. One local African musician suggested to organisers why local people weren’t getting in touch. “In Africa we just go to a promoter with our instrument and show him our music, if they like us, they book us.” The new approach has been set up with the intention of making this type of application possible.

One of the stated aims of the festival, which is once again being supported using public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, is to provide a platform for professional musicians and dancers

from the diverse communities of Manchester and Salford. Geli Berg hopes that this new initiative may unearth some hidden musical treasures: “We are looking for dancers or musicians who are inspired by their cultural heritage. They may be amateur performers ready for their first paid professional assignment, or more experienced artists who would like their talent to be seen by new audiences.”

The showcase, which will take place during the festival, is scheduled for Monday 14 May.

If you know of any world music performer or dancer you think should be included, email [email protected] with details.

Uniting Cultures Through Song

If you trade in crafts or other products from around the world, we’d like to hear from you.

We are holding our first festival world craft market at Unique, the former Platt Chapel in Fallowfield, on Sunday, 13 May.

The world craft market is aimed at bringing products from around the world to our doorstep and we hope to establish the event as a regular part of the Cultural Collage World Music Festival in future years.

Tables are limited, but inexpensive, so do get in touch with us at [email protected] phone Jenny on 07816 648 288 for further details.

World dance is taking over the North West, you just need to know where to look.

Our region has regular classes in salsa, raqs sharqi (Egyptian belly dance), tango, soca, flamenco, kizomba, djembe dance, bhangra and many, many more and we feel the tutors and businesses should be promoted through our festival. So for the second year we have invited some of the region’s finest world dance tutors to take you through the basic steps of their chosen dance genre, as a taster to joining more regular classes.

Our Taste of World Dance day is taking place at Z-arts (formerly the Zion Centre) on Stretford Road in Hulme between 9.30am and 5pm on Saturday, 12 May. We have introductory classes in Chinese Silk Fan Dancing, traditional Uzbek dance, Flamenco, Bachata and Kizomba.

If you haven’t danced before, you can feel safe in the hands of our experienced tutors which include Susie Lu from the Red Fan Chinese Dance Society, San’at Mahmudova, Gloria Lopez Castejon, Felipe Nicanor Reyes of Salsa Cabana and Velma Dandzo.

Tickets for the event are available through the Z-arts box office on 0161-232 6089 www.zionarts.com.

Kizomba

Kizomba is a partner dance which developed in Angola in the late 1970s. It is known to be very sensual as partners stand close together and move as one.

The word ‘kizomba’ means ‘party’ in the Angolan language Kimbundo, and it is danced to music of the same name, a fusion of French Caribbean zouk and Angolan samba, which combines a sensual melodic flow with African rhythms. The dance form has now become popular throughout the world.

Chinese Silk Fan DanceFans have been an integral part of Chinese culture for between three and four thousand years.Today they are made from a wide variety of materials, including bamboo, silk, feathers, leaves and either painted or unpainted paper. In ancient times, dancers liked to hold fans while they performed and the tradition remains today, having developed into a distinctive art form all of its own.

The Chinese fan dance is known for its graceful and delicate poses. It represents beauty and the expression of feelings of joy. The dance is composed of consistently changing rhythms and body positions. Performed to traditional Chinese music, it is suitable for male and female dancers of any level.

Traditional Uzbek DanceThe traditional dances of Uzbekistan are said to date back thousands of years and are steeped in the country’s history and culture. In the days of the Silk Road, dancers were so highly prized that they were much sought after by the courts of Chinese emperors. Robed in shimmering fabrics, traditional dancers often appear to have just emerged from a fairytale.

Dances typically incorporate the narrative of a story or an event, although others celebrate events such as Nayruz (the spring equinox), weddings or depict tasks such as silk weaving or farming. Dancers need to be both agile and precise as the movements of each part of the body relate to the story being told. The expressive ability of the dancer is considered equally important to technical ability.

Spanish FlamencoWith roots in Indian and Arabic as well as Spanish cultures, flamenco dance (baile) is a highly-expressive, solo dance from the Andalucian region of Spain. It is characterised by hand clapping, percussive footwork, and intricate hand, arm and body movements.

Although there is no single flamenco dance, dancers are expected to follow a strict framework of rhythmic patterns. The steps a dancer performs are dependent on the traditions of the song being played. Perhaps the greatest joy of watching flamenco is seeing the personal expressions and emotions of the dancer, which change many times during a single performance.

BachataBachata is both a form of music and a partner dance that originated in the rural areas of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. The music is romantic, but heartbreak and sadness are particularly prevalent in the lyrics of Bachata songs. Both the music and the dance have been influenced by Cuban Bolero, the Merengue (also of Dominican Republic origin), Salsa and Cumbia.

Bachata music has four beats per measure, and the dance consists of three steps followed by a one-beat pause. The knees are flexed on the steps. The dance is performed in both open and closed positions depending on the setting and mood of the dancers.

A Taste Of World Dance

World Craft Market

11www.culturalcollagefestival.org



However, visitors to one of Manchester’s Congolese churches may be surprised to find a whole range of musical genres being performed, including traditional folk music, Congolese rumba, reggae and zouk music from the French Caribbean, all of which are hugely popular in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This is because, in a country where a massive 83.5% of the population are Christian, gospel music does not describe a specific musical style, but the Gospel message or personal testimony of native Congolese singers and musicians, or the religious context of the music.

Thus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, various traditional genres of Congolese music can be found equally in pentecostal and evangelical churches, as well as more secular occasions, such as parties and funerals.

This is not to say that traditional Afro-American gospel songs are not found in the Congolese churches. Sometimes Congolese Gospel artists sing these in French or other native dialects. Today Congolese Gospel music is recognised as a musical genre all of its own and is influencing African musicians from other countries to use their traditional musics to promote the Gospel.

Pat Mackela

A subset of world music, which is currently popular in London and Europe, is transnational music, otherwise known as world electronica.

This genre is being pioneered here in Manchester by Chorlton-based songwriter, artist and producer, Hafeez Khan aka Nonchalent, through his sound collective, Subglobal Underground.

Subglobal Underground promotes not only the hottest underground acts from the UK, but cutting-edge transnational sounds with the most happening current bass driven dub, dubstep, electronic sounds and global bass music.

Khan believes that if this type of music were to reach a wider audience, it would be warmly received. “For this very reason”, he explains, “I am striving to provide a platform for this style of music and for artists like myself.”

Nonchalant’s tracks are regularly played on radio, including the BBC’s Asian sound, where DJ Bobby Friction compared one to a “Kathak showdown on a spaceship!”

It is perhaps not surprising that Khan chose to follow a career in the Arts. His father Mr Lodhi owned and ran Manchester’s first Asian film and music shop, Anjum Video, in Cheetham Hill, where his young son was exposed to a wide range of music, including 70s funk, disco and soul, classical and pop music, as well as the new wave of Indian music.

Watch out for Nonchalant at one of his regular promotions around the Manchester area.

www.soundcloud.com/nonchalant-uk

www.facebook.com/groups/199327710174037/

Musical Testimony in the Congo

“Kathak Showdown on a Spaceship”

Ingredients1 large white cabbage

1 large onion, chopped

2 tbsp white rice

1 1/2 lb/750g minced meat (beef, pork or mixed)

2 tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

2-3 cups of water

3 rashes of smoked bacon, cut in very small pieces (optional)

Salt, pepper, paprika - according to taste

Bunch of fresh dill

Crème fraiche or sour cream

On Tables In Manchester

This traditional Romanian recipe has kindly been donated to Cultural Collage World by Gui Ada, whose daughter, Raluca, is the manager of the Cuba Lounge in Rusholme. The dish is often served by Romanians to family and guests at Christmas.

Sarmale Cu Varza(Stuffed White Cabbage)

Gui Ada with her grandchildren Carla and Bianca

Mancunians, who can’t help singing along to the catchy Mr Zip tune “Where Me Keys, Where Me Phone?”, made famous on Britain’s Got Talent last month, may be totally unaware that they are singing a type of Caribbean party music called soca.

Soca music originated in Trinidad and Tobago and most experts believe that the first soca song was Indrani by Lord Shorty.

Today two main types of soca music co-exist, power soca and groovy soca. Power soca, like that of the Mr Zip song, is very fast and the lyrics are mainly dance instructions. People at carnival jump, wave and wine (wind their hips) to this type of soca music. Groovy soca music is slower and was made famous in the song Turn Me Onby Kevin Lyttle.

The biggest selling soca song of all time is Hot Hot Hot by Arrow, which has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.

We Got Tickets!Don’t know where to buy tickets for this year’s Cultural Collage World Music Festival events?

Go on to the festival website at www.culturalcollagefestival.org and you can find out where to buy tickets for each individual event. With a few exceptions, you can buy tickets to most of our paid events online through wegottickets.com. Just click on the link next to the event on our website and it will take you straight through to We Got Ticket’s online shop.

Where Me Soca?

PreparationBreak off the cabbage leaves. Boil a pot of salted water and add the leaves. Simmer for 1-2 minutes and remove when they begin to soften. Drain and cut out the hard spines with a knife.

In a bowl, mix together the minced meat, bacon (if used), chopped onion, rice, salt, a generous pinch of black pepper and the paprika.

On a wooden board, lay out one cabbage leaf, and add a spoonful of the meat mixture over the part that was cut out, folding in the sides and rolling the leaf over the meat to form a sausage shape. Repeat until you have used up all the leaves and meat.

Roll up the remaining small cabbage leaves and cut into strips. Slice the tomatoes.

Boil the water and add salt, pepper and tomato paste.

Place the shredded cabbage and a layer of stuffed cabbage in a large casserole dish. Cover with the remaining stuffed cabbage. Add the sliced tomatoes and scatter the chopped fresh dill over the top. Thinly cover with the water mixture.

Cover and bake for one and a half hours at 170°C. Monitor the liquid whilst cooking and add more diluted tomato paste as required.

Serve hot with sour cream or crème fraiche.

When the English refer to Gospel music, they tend to think of traditional Afro-American Spiritual music, recognisable by its swaying choirs and close harmonies..



The Manchester artist behind this issue’s cover image is Akinyemi Oludele, a Jamaican artist of Yoruba heritage.

Thirty-eight year old, Akinyemi, who comes from a family of artists, showed a precocious talent at an early age. He remembers his sister teaching him how to draw images from scribbles, and capture facial expressions in cartoon form. “Looking back at my early drawings recently” he explains, “I recognised that even then my images revealed the emotions of the subject.”

Akinyemi firmly believes that the role of the artist is to communicate the message of his subject through image, recognise the puzzle in which the shapes fit together and create a visual story. He explains further: “With understanding, an artist can ask an object what it would like to say visually. There is too much negativity in the world we live in and people don’t realise that we can find solutions to problems around us if we only made time to look and listen. Creatively we can learn so much, and I feel its my purpose to share the gift of artistic talent.”

Akinyemi has recently been developing his craft digitally using Microsoft Paint to create his images. He enjoys works on Paint whilst listening to music, and can quickly create ideas in response to music and story-telling.

“Drum” our cover image, resulted from his emotional and spiritual response to listening to drum music, He interpreted the sounds of the drum as being the sounds of one’s inner cosmos being played to the outer cosmos. The drummer’s dreadlocks represent Anansi the spider representing the inner self or the drummer’s thoughts playing outwards to the cosmos.

Akinyemi feels that the next step in his artistic career will be to hold his first exhibition. “My work reflects my values and the more I share my work, the more messages I see. I believe that my role as an artist is to communicate that God is the true artist of all our lives and I am merely a conduit for the messages and stories which are all around for everybody to see.

The Positive Images Of Akinyemi Oludele AfroCubism

SundAy 3 June 7.30pm

The makers of Buena Vista Social Club bring the best of Cuban and Malian musicians together to form a supergroup for a thrilling, unmissable night.£29.50 | £27.50 | £24.50

Box Office: 0844 907 9000www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

SPECIAL OFFER: ONLY £4, ON SALE AT THE MERCH DESK OR AT WWW.SONGLINES.CO.UK

SL_CULT COLLAGE 2012 FEST AD.indd 1 20/04/2012 15:30

Akinyemi Oludele


Thanks To...

Our Funders and SponsorsArts Council EnglandLingua Franca World Music AgencySonglines

Everybody Involved in the Festival OrganisationThe directors of Lingua Franca World Music Community: Geli Berg, Jenny Thomas, Terry Brandy, Anne Tucker and Pat MackelaOur team of festival volunteers

Special thanks to...STS Touring Productions LtdThe Friends of Platt FieldsALL FM 96.9 Community RadioTruth Design LtdZ-artsH-PanJasper DittonOur venues and promotersAll our musicians and dancersAnd everyone who loves world music in Manchester!

WWW.CULTURALCOLLAGEFESTIVAL.ORGWWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CULTURALCOLLAGE

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cultural collage world music festival - may 2012

Documents

years festival

world music bus tour

world music trio village

music isnt

world craft market

i s s u e

manchester tour guide

musical director