Continuing our exploration of the multi-faceted music scene of London we encounter record producer and guitarist Simon Emmerson. After a life changing trip to Senegal to produce 3 tracks for Afro pop-star Baaba Maal, he felt similarities between African and Celtic music and went on to found the Afro Celt Sound System in 1995. This is a track from their 2018 album Flight called Sanctus:
Simon Emmerson was also one of the main organisers of The Imagined Village, a collaborative work from many roots musicians intended to produce modern folk music. They produced a self-titled album in 2007, from which this song is taken, where Emmerson plays the bouzouki and featuring Billy Bragg on guest vocals: John Barleycorn:
London based music collective Kefaya based around Giuliano Modarelli and Al MacSween collaborates with musicians from all over the world, including the UK, Italy, Cuba, India, Spain, Kurdistan and Afghanistan. The result can sometimes be a confusing mix of styles as on their 2016 debut album Radio International, which includes a rendition of Bella Ciao alongside classical Indian, Flamenco, Maghreb sounds and electronica. Their second album with Afghan pop singer Elaha Soroor called Songs of Our Mothers released in 2019 is a bit more focussed. Their name means 'enough' in Arabic and is used to describe the grassroots liberation movement in Egypt which lead to the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011. This is a song off the second album called Charsi:
Folk musician and fiddler Peter Knight left Steeleye Span in 2013 to forge a career mostly with his band Gigspanner. He is way more than just a fiddler, but is a classically trained violin virtuoso as is demonstrated on this tune called The Water is Wide, which features on his 2011 live album Doors at Eight:
Folk band Blowzabella was formed in 1978 in Whitechapel, East London who play bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy and an array of acoustic instruments to produce a driving, drone-based sound influenced by English and European folk. Here's a song from their 2018 album Two Score called Adam Was A Poacher:
Folk singer/songwriter and fiddler Nancy Kerr was born in Plaistow, East London, but has since moved to Sheffield. She has been impressively productive both on her own and as part of numerous collaborations since her emergence in the early 1990's. This a song from her 2016 album Instar called Gingerbread:
I think we'll leave it there for today and spend a 3rd day in London as to not overwhelm you all. As usual you can follow my virtual trip on my tripline map.
Folk musician and fiddler Peter Knight left Steeleye Span in 2013 to forge a career mostly with his band Gigspanner. He is way more than just a fiddler, but is a classically trained violin virtuoso as is demonstrated on this tune called The Water is Wide, which features on his 2011 live album Doors at Eight:
Folk band Blowzabella was formed in 1978 in Whitechapel, East London who play bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy and an array of acoustic instruments to produce a driving, drone-based sound influenced by English and European folk. Here's a song from their 2018 album Two Score called Adam Was A Poacher:
Folk singer/songwriter and fiddler Nancy Kerr was born in Plaistow, East London, but has since moved to Sheffield. She has been impressively productive both on her own and as part of numerous collaborations since her emergence in the early 1990's. This a song from her 2016 album Instar called Gingerbread:
I think we'll leave it there for today and spend a 3rd day in London as to not overwhelm you all. As usual you can follow my virtual trip on my tripline map.
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