Our favorite world music promoters in Bristol, Cactus Jazz seem to have moved up several notches if their next three gigs at Fiddlers are anything to go by. Tinariwen on May 3rd has been sold out for some time, and Lura on 19th May and Culture on 29th June may well go the same way. What kind of Cactus are they on? These are the World Music supergroups who you'd expect to find playing at Colston Hall or larger venues. Indeed, riding on their current wave of popularity Tinariwen may well have sold out at Colston Hall, although both band and ticket holders will surely enjoy the better sound and roots atmosphere of Fiddlers a whole lot more.
| | Thursday 3rd May 2007 |
Tinariwen
Rebellion and rock’n’roll have been strutting hand-in-hand for more than half a century, but only very rarely has their union involved real weapons and a painfully real struggle for survival. Tinariwen fought a rebellion in the early 1990s to win greater freedom and self-determination for the Touareg people of the southern Sahara. The fight was brief and bloody but it gave birth to a whole new style of desert music, powered by rolling camel-gait rhythms and the electric guitars. Tinariwen invented the style and used it to carry their message of desert pride and survival to the four corners of the globe. They are originators, survivors, the Stones and the Clash of the Sahara all rolled into one, and their roots rock rebellion of the soul is one of the most entrancing sounds to emerge from Africa in years. Fidders, Bristol
Tickets £15 advance |
| | Saturday 19th May 2007 |
Lura
Just as Mariza has breathed new life into Fado; a contemporary heir to Amalia Rodrigues, so Lura does to music made famous by Cesaria Evora. Lura brings a street wise, urban sensuality infused with the passionate root of mother Africa to her music. Riding on the tide Cape Verde's rediscovery of its African roots, she has the star quality to bring the music to a wider audience. Lura mixes the familiar morna style with until now unheard rhythms of Funana and batuque; styles brought to the fore by a talented new generation of composers such Tcheka and Pantera. It is the music of women from the remote African interior of Cape Verde, now infused with jazz and Brazilian influences. Tickets are £12.50 in advance. |
| | Friday 29th June 2007 |
Culture
Culture are synonymous with roots reggae from the 70's right to today. Marking the 30th anniversary of the release of the archetypal roots reggae album "Two Sevens Clash," Culture return to the UK. This landmark record is still considered a masterpiece with Rolling Stone recently ranking it 25th on its list of The 50 Coolest Records. Celebrated for its brilliant mix of scorching reggae rhythms, militant protest lyrics and Joseph Hill's passionate lead vocals, the politically-charged album was a major influence on London's burgeoning punk rock scene. Today, the are still making topical, incendiary music as evidenced on Culture's recent output. Fidders, Bristol
Tickets £15 advance |
For full details of all of these gigs visit the Cactus Jazz website.
