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Kilema (Madagascar)
Continuing our long standing relationship with the wonderful music of Madagascar, we are delighted to announce the first performance in Britain of the group KILEMA, led by Clement Randanantoandro of the original JUSTIN VALI TRIO, a favourite of Peter Gabriel's REAL WORLD studios and of WOMAD audiences worldwide.
Now based in Spain, KILEMA have appeared at many of the great World Music festivals, and are flying to Britain for a single appearance with us between festival appearances in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Sweden.
With its lilting complex rhythms, and passionate vocals, Malagasi music is uniquely accessible, and KILEMA are masters of the form.
KILEMA are our Saturday night headliners.
Bamo (Kurdistan)
Hey they are back, our friends from Kurdistan who got the punters circle dancing to Kurdish folk music knew how to put on a show in 2009 and it was their first appearance ever! You won't stay still.
Bellevue Rendezvous (Scotland)
Bellevue Rendezvous was formed in 2006, as a result of a mutual love of beautiful, quirky and varied tunes from all over the world. They are an acoustic trio featuring an unusual combination of instruments - including the nyckelharpa. The line up is Gavin Marwick (fiddle), Ruth Morris, (nyckelharpa) and Cameron Robson (bouzouki). In their current repertoire they have many original tunes, as well as music from Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, Serbia, France, Brittany, Macedonia, Poland, Canada, Finland and Sweden.
Marc Egea (Catalonia)
Born in Barcelona in 1973, he studied philosophy, flabiol (Catalan whistle), guitar, hurdy gurdy and harmony. He began his career as a professional musician in 1990 with the trio "Musics de Safeu" and later with "Pont d'Arcalís". He is a member of the "BiB" (Barcelona Improvisors' Orchestra). He has composed several works - for brass ensemble, symphonic band, chamber music, choral, etc. He is the author of a method for hurdy-gurdy "Iniciacio a la viola de roda" (DINSIC, 2008).
www.marcegea.com
Masters in France
Alt indi dark groove from north Wales producing some great stuff, roes out of the ashes of Frisbee
Yucatan - our fav Welsh band with a string ensemble
One album already under their collective belt in the shape of their self titled debut, this monumental slice of graceful symphonics is all at once tortured, elegant, tender and masterfully poised. An ethereal heartbreaking sculpture that swells through the soft undulating thaw of cinematic brush strokes, the lyrics in Welsh endow it with a mystery. In all honesty you can do nothing but surrender as the tides of crushing arrangements swell, fall and wrap themselves about you as it grandly unfurls from introspective intimacy to soul sapping jubilation.
Last Chance Saloon
Melodic, funky, rhythm & blues, with a twang of country rock and some cool, soulful grooves. You will have more than likely seen all the various members perform, at one time of another, in some of the hottest and entertaining outfits in Wales and beyond over the years. Some of the more recent bands include: THE ASTRALITES, SMALL MERCIES, THE BLUES HIGHWAY, THE PINDROP BAND, THE HOOCHIE COOCHIE BAND, THE BLUE ZEROS, THE JESTER BAND, THE WILL COBBETT BAND, THE SAINTLY DEMONS, THE BLUE MOUNTAIN BARKING DUCKS, STORMY MONDAY & THE NANCY'S.....to name but a few ! Well used on sessions, gigs and deps with a plethora of other bands...these guys have been around! Their style is across the board, but there's a definite rhythm & blues/country rock feel...it's funky and it's soulful!
Apart from the original compositions that Last Chance Saloon play in the set, they also include songs from artists such as: Little Feat, Eric Clapton, J.J.Cale, Van Morrison, The Band, The Beatles, Steely Dan, Rikki Lee Jones, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Eric Bibb, Ben Harper, Elmore James, Ry Cooder, Charles E. Calhoun, Steve Earle, Junior Wells, Albert King, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Holmes Brothers, Paul Simon......they're adding more all the time!
Last Chance Saloon are a six piece outfit featuring: "Badriff" Billy - Guitars & Vocals. "The Locker" - Guitars & Vocals. "Stiff" - Bass & Vocals. "Doughnut" - Drums, Biscuit Tins & vocals. "Buckweet" - Guitars, Vocals & Percussion. "Dolly" Partridge - Vocals & Frocks.
www.lastchancesaloon.bizGareth Pearson
In less than five years he has grown from a relatively unknown guitar appreciator to a fully fledged professional who now performs in many parts of the world. These opinions of popularity are continuing to grow further as guitar greats including Jan Akkerman and Tommy Emmanuel have invited and requested Gareth's company on tour. Add to this his characteristic vocal signatures and you have one of the world's most developed new guitar players that has fully blossomed.
www.garethpearson.comOmega 66
Omega66 comprises of producer Krik, working with different vocalists and collaborators from his home studio. Krik was co-writer and guitarist in Funk/rock band Dark Chunk who won the Glastonbury unsigned competition 2004 (Dance tent category) and playing a slot in the dance tent.
So far Omega66 tracks have been played on Radio 1, Radio 6, kiss FM, Galaxy 101, Radio Wales and more. In 2007 he recorded his debut album "Essential Fatty Acid".
The first track on the album "Fall in Situation" was remixed by producers Angel Farringdon and Angel De-lux. It was played as a world wide exclusive on Annie Nightingales Radio 1 show. Radio 1, Kiss Fm, galaxy 101, 102, 105 and many other well known DJ's have been playing this and the original track.
Since then Omega66 have played numerous gigs and festivals around the U.K. and have supported "Unkle Jam", "The Egg" and "Subsource".
For the last 2 years Omega 66 has been a studio project, concentrating on releasing diverse music, collaborating with a range of vocalists and artists, mixing various styles with dance music and funk and producing film score tracks.
Krik has recently joined forces with singer Sally Thomas, and Omega66 will be making their live debut of the more recent studio material with a brand new line up at Small Nations.
www.omega66.comSubsource
Subsource's frantic breakbeat electronica has gained the five-piece comparisons to The Prodigy and Pendulum - perhaps unsurprising given that their debut album Tales From The Doombox was engineered by John Davis, who has also worked with their chart smashing counterparts.
www.subsource.co.ukAvital Raz
Besides being a singer-songwriter, Avital Raz is also a highly trained and active performer of both Western Early music and Indian classical music. She was recently introduced, on "the voice of music" radio, during a live performance, as one of the most interesting and versatile artists active in Israel today. Avital's lyrics are daring and eccentric. Her unique composing and singing styles blend the diverse musical traditions she studied rigorously.
Borne in Jerusalem to American parents, Avital studied both singing and composition at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of music and dance. In her early twenties she moved to India and studied Druphad - The oldest form of north Indian classical music for six years under Prof. Ritwik Sanyal of Benares Hindu University. Now she performs her own material which is of mostly dark, alternative, folksy, Indian-influenced nature.. In 2004 she recorded a full album of songs based on James Joyce's Chamber Music poem cycle with Indian and Israeli musicians, but is unable to release it till 2011 due to the copyright protection laws on James Joyce's work. She is the soloist of "Ritmo Anima" early music ensemble, gives frequent concerts and workshops of Indian classical music, is soloist and co-writer in "Voices of the Levites" -an avant garde rock project and is a new member of faculty at "Musrara" - The Naggar School of Photography, Media and New Music. Shortly Avital will release a full length album produced by multi-instrumentalist Gai Sherf entitled "Infidelity".Georgia Ruth Williams
With the name of a Southern Belle, but a haunting voice more deeply rooted in her native West Wales, Georgia Ruth delivers a new blend of soul, folk - and harp.
Memories of childhood journeys in campervans through Portugal, with Paul Simon, Joan Baez and Bach cassettes on loop, provide the backdrop to the 21 year olds musical influences. Her bewitching harp sound owes as much to the finger-picking style of the 60s folk guitarists as it does to the rigorous classical training she underwent from a very young age.
Three years spent juggling an English literature degree at Cambridge with her song writing fuelled a passion for words. At times emotionally raw, at others witty and deadpan, her lyrics deal (mostly) with love and loss. Seaside town living – its ups and downs - provides a constant undercurrent; the tide shifts and rushes beneath the music along with a sense of melancholy which has at its heart the realisation that sadness can be uplifting. The catchy melodies feel like ones that you have always known:
"beautiful love-lorn tunes" [Huw Stephens, Radio 1]
"Such excellent tune age" [Adam Walton, BBC Radio Wales]
