Namvula

“… one of the most original newcomers of the year” The Guardian
Saturday 25th April – 7.30pm
ORT Cafe
500-504 Moseley Road, Birmingham B12 9AH
£5 entry
Fusing the folk and urban traditions of her Zambian homeland and her Scottish roots with London’s eclectic music scene, Namvula blends African sounds and rhythms with Latin, jazz and folk into uplifting and emotive songs. Crossing boundaries with a refreshing honesty and evocative lyricism, Namvula’s music transports listeners into different worlds, whilst staying firmly rooted in African soil.
Namvula has collaborated and shared the stage with artists including legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, multi-award winning Zambian singer Maureen Lilanda, and sitarist Anoushka Shankar. She is working with some of the UK’s most respected African, jazz and folk musicians, including Mercury-nominated Led Bib bassist and producer Liran Donin and saxophonist Chris Williams, percussionist Mamadou Sarr (Baaba Maal, Carlou D), and guitarist Jack Ross (Cerys Matthews, John Surman). Her evocative and dynamic live show is enthusiastically received by audiences; the performances bring the energy and rhythms of African music, the lyricism of folk, and the charisma of a world-class band to intimate venues and festival stages alike, and have been described as “absolutely fantastic – lively and life-affirming”, and “vibrant – a cultural pleasure”, delivered with “infectious enthusiasm”.
Namvula’s debut album ‘Shiwezwa’, produced by bassist Liran Donin and mixed by Sonny (Fatoumata Diawara), was tipped to be “one of the major roots releases in the coming months” by fRoots magazine.
To hear Namvula please click here: