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Tamar Osborn

saxophone-flute-clarinet-composer

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11th October 2012
9pm
 
Floridita
100 Wardour Street
London W1F 0TN

020 7314 4000

 
“if you enjoyed FELA! you’ll love this……………….”
Afrobeat , dub , Ethio Funk and more heavy horn laden grooves
A firing 10 peice band playing uplifting original music in the spirit of great African big bands………………
The Fontanelles, from 9:30pm – 12am,The Fontanelles, a new band made up of established musicians from the world of Jazz, African and Reggae music. Collectively the band have played with the likes of Johnny Clarke, Keziah Jones, Chartwell Dutiro, Aswad, Courtney Pine, Plan B and Dele Sosimi to name a few. The band’s sound can be described as big band afrobeat infused with elements of funk , reggae and jazz
‘a terrific 12 piece band who intensify the music’s seductively repetitive rhythms’
The Independent
‘the on stage band works up a storm as they pound through Fela Kuti’s hits to electrifying effect’
The Metro

Africa Express

I’m very excited to be taking part in the Africa Express UK tour starting tomorrow (part of the London 2012 Festival) – a meeting of  established and up-and-coming African and western artists to create something new and unexpected. Every gig will be a little bit different……..

Here’s a description from the website:

“Africa Express began with a trip to Mali in 2006 and has since bought together some of the best musicians from around the world. Over the course of three more trips to Africa and a series of acclaimed concerts in Britain, France, Spain and Nigeria, Africa Express has evolved into what one national newspaper has called “the most revolutionary force in popular music in two decades”.

At our last major show in August 2010, an audience of more than 50,000 people enjoyed a five-hour show featuring more than 120 artists from Africa, Spain, Britain and the US.

Africa Express Sound System also headlined Standon Calling this summer.

2012…

In September 2012 Africa Express will travel through the UK, bringing together African and Western musicians for an inspirational week for artists and audiences alike. Unexpected gigs in unexpected places. 
Visits to schools, factories, homes and local clubs. Each day, each town, each show will be different.

After a week of magic and mayhem, the tour arrives in London. A united army of musicians armed with new music will be ready for a finale show – a collaborative musical epic that defies musical and geographical boundaries.
All aboard the Africa Express…”

Some of the artists taking part are:

Tony Allen, Carl Barât, Toumani Diabate, Nicolas Jaar, Krar Collective, Kyla La Grange, M1 (Dead Prez), M.anifest, Spoek Mathambo, John McClure (Reverend and the Makers), Nneka, The Temper Trap, Marques Toliver, Gilles Peterson, Rae Morris, Rye Rye, The Very Best (Soundsystem), Rizzle Kicks, Amadou & Mariam, Damon Albarn, Baloji, Charli XCX, Fatoumata Diawara, Jupiter & Okwess International, Kano, Bassekou Kouyate, Baaba Maal, The Noisettes, Jack Steadman (Bombay Bicycle Club), Rokia Traoré, Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Thandiswa, Bashy, Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Maxïmo Park, EL, Eliza Doolittle, Lucy Rose, The Bots, Rachel Unthank, Reeps One, Romeo Stodart (The Magic Numbers), and Rae Morris…..

(For a full list of artists, dates and tickets click HERE)

It’s going to be great – I hope you can join us somewhere along the way!

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Photos from Dele Sosimi @ MAD Festival 2012, Ooty, India

Here are a few lovely photos I’ve just discovered from our trip to perform at the MAD Festival 2012 in Ooty, India,  earlier this year:

For more GREAT photos from ‘What’s the Scene?’ click HERE . Photo Credits :: Om Prakash, Trinadh Rakesh and Uday Shanker – A big ‘Thankyou’ to them!

Festival fun

2012 is shaping up to be a year of festivals, far and near…….

Tea plantation next to the hotel in Ooty

The season started early with a trip to India in April to perform with the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra at the first ever MAD Festival in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. Not quite as warm as it sounds – Ooty is a hill station, and can get surprisingly chilly!

But we were warmly welcomed by the enthusiastic audience and had a great time (thanks also to the promoters, drivers and the staff at the hotel and the festival – amazing food!!). Check out some footage here:        http://new.livestream.com/themadfestival/stage2/videos/425484

With Tony Allen @ Kaya Festival 2012, Wales

Then there came a (equally unexpectedly cold, but we should’ve known really) June festival weekend in the UK, again with Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra – the  inaugural Kaya Festival  on Saturday 2nd in Bangor, Wales, with inimitable afrobeat drum superstar Tony Allen, followed the next day by the lovely Rollright Fayre near the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire. Thanks to the festival-goers for sticking out the cold and rain to dance with us into the wee small hours!

[Keep an eye on the gallery section at  Rhythm Passport for fantastic photos from both these gigs, and while you’re there have a look around – there are some great pics from past gigs with Dele!]

And taking full advantage of the extra long bank holiday weekend, Monday 4th saw another afrobeat fuelled performance , this time with The Fontanelles at Bedroom Bar in London, as part of the first ever Rivington Street Festival. We had a great response from the crowd and hopefully have a few new converts to the ways and rhythms of ‘afrobeat-dub-ethiofunk’…..someone even asked us to play at their wedding!

But the festival fun doesn’t stop there:

Tomorrow (10th June) sees me with The Fontanelles at World City Music Village, a festival taking place across London 6-17 June. We’ll be performing in the gardens of the Horniman Museum (Forest Hill) at about 3pm, and it’s free entry…..Come for the whole day, there are some great bands on!

Then Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra will be at Africa Oyé in Liverpool’s Sefton Park on 23rd June (again, free entry and lots of great music), followed by a trip to Soundwave Festival Croatia in July. All this on top of regular gigs and and a trip to Manchester as part of the We Face Forward series – it’s a busy year, in the best way!

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