Manchester Folk Festival presents: Afro Celt Sound System
Part of: Manchester Folk Festival 2017
An energetic and captivating live music spectacle, innovatively combining folk traditions of different cultures to breathtaking effect.
Afro Celt Sound System are a European and African based collective who’ve been a ground-breaking force in music ever since they started.
They celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a stunning new album, The Source. Described by fRoots as “a colossus of an album”, it has taken their cross-cultural collaboration and acclaimed live performances to another level.
The exhilarating live show celebrates the African and Asian roots brought to the band by long-term members N’Faly Kouyaté (vocals, kora and balafon) and Johnny Kalsi (Dhol drummer), alongside founder member Simon Emmerson (producer, guitars, cittern) and new core member Griogair (vocals, piping, guitars) – winner of Gaelic Singer of the Year at the 2015 Scots Trad Music Awards.
The show will feature contributions from a host of outstanding musicians which together fully demonstrate the eclecticism of the band’s music.
Support From:
The Nightjar
With ethereal close-harmonies, tight-interlocking guitars, deep bass and an intense lead vocal, The Nightjar weave an atmospheric sound. A vibrant collective of multi-disciplinary artists, the band play “lo-fi post-folk songs for the end of time”. Their sound is dream-like and hauntingly beautiful.
This event is part of Manchester Folk Festival – a celebration of English folk in all its forms, from protest song to ballads, familiar names alongside exciting new voices. From 19-21 October in and around HOME, the whole festival takes place in one area of Manchester over one weekend. Indoor gigs and outdoor entertainment, workshops and a festival hub where you can watch the world go by. Friendly, inclusive and full of opportunities for dis-covery, it will have the feel of a greenfield festival in the vibrant heart of the city.
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