A Grammy-nominated European-African band is coming to Manchester tomorrow as part of an extensive UK tour.
Afro Celt Sound System are flowing their way across the country on tour at the moment, and perform at Manchester’s Band On the Wall this Friday evening.
They fuse electronic tunes with traditional Gaelic and West African music.
The tour is a celebration of their eighth studio album and their long-awaited label debut on Six Degrees Record – OVA.
The release is seen as a tribute to their late founder – producer and lead guitarist Simon Emmerson – which, sadly, was the last one he worked on before losing his battle with cancer last year.
The record is the final legacy of the visionary who launched the European/African band in 1995.
Already an established presence in London’s music scene, Emmerson was in Senegal in the mid 90s to produce a Baaba Maal album when he had an epiphany about the connectedness of Celtic and African sounds.
He imagined them entwined and he combined elements both acoustic and electronic mediums for a powerful form of groundbreaking new music.
Since then, the group’s string of albums on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
And their acclaimed performances in North America, Europe and beyond enlisted thousands of new fans.
Now, it is Manchester’s turn to experience the global groove and harmony that is Afro Celt Sound System when they perform tomorrow.
The night promises to be a vibrant, eclectic blend of music and entertainment where Emmerson’s vision will be unmistakably present as the group perform his swansong.
The show will start at 7pm and tickets are available here.
Featured Image: Afro Celt Sound System’s Johnny Kalsi and N’Faly Kouyaté (photo: Kees Stravers)
