On sale 10am 15th April.
The mighty Krar Collective serve up a mind-blowing feast of exuberant Ethiopian songs and dance tunes.
Led by Temesgen Zeleke, student of jazz legend Mulatu Astatke, the band perform a contemporary take on roots music reflecting the diversity of cultures within Africa’s second most populous country. In the virtuoso hands of Zeleke, the ancient krar lyre becomes a gritty rock guitar, weaving around the stunning vocals of Genet Assefa and the driving rhythms of Amare Mulugeta on traditional kebero drums.
The line-up has recently expanded to include virtuoso Baby Masinko on the extraordinary one-stringed Ethiopian masinko fiddle and Dawit Seyoum on bass krar for added funkiness.
Support comes from Stone Flowers.
Stone Flowers are a refugee torture survivor music collective based in Manchester, funded and facilitated by Guardian Award winners Music Action International.
Stone Flowers members have fled war, torture and armed conflict from across the world including Iran, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Syria, Cameroon and DR Congo. Their original and unique songs draw on traditions and cultures from Congolese Soukous to Tamil folk, in many languages from English to Lingala, Farsi to Kurdish.
“one of the most rousing, reliable new African bands of the year” The Guardian
“one of the grooviest and most hypnotic bands at Damon Albarn’s recent Africa Express bonanza. Expect an ultra-repetitive funky dance marathon.” Time Out
“It’s not often you see a group of just three musicians, playing with two hand-made instruments, who can keep a nightclub crowd dancing, singing, whooping, and ululating for nearly three hours. But that’s what went down last night at the Cabaret du Mile End in Montreal when Krar Collective of Ethiopia gave their debut performance at the 27th Festival International Nuits d’Afrique”. Afropop
“They may use ancient instruments, but there’s nothing arcane about the way that they play them. This is hot ‘n’ hypnotic dance music…Krar Collective rock!” fRoots Magazine
A standing show.