30 Dec 2015

On tour next: Russian post-folk with Otava Yo


Steaming out of St Petersburg in white vests, peasant dress, and ushankas on head with ear-flaps akimbo, Otava Yo bring the abandoned traditions of Russian folksong to the 21st century. They offer a glimpse into life in an old Russian village, replete with romance, melancholy and merrymaking, a fierce sense of pride and a good dose of surreal humour. With lyrical gusil, global guitar, wailing bagpipes, expert fiddle-scraping, pumping bass and pounding drum, their songs of rural passions, heroic sailors, goats and pancakes are delivered with casual wit playful imagination. They don’t care much about convention: “if you find that you hear something you do not expect to hear, that's exactly what we wanted.” They have performed at major European folk festivals and as far afield as Mexico and India, and received an award from the Bratislava Humour Academy; it only seems natural to take on charming British audiences next.
Surreal, humorous and danceable – if you liked the Yiddish Twist Orchestra you’ll love this!

26 Nov 2015

What the audience says: Söndörgö

Utter privilege to see @sondorgo in London tonight. Five *outstanding* musicians, interplanetarily good music.

Fabulous concert @sondorgo @makingtracks_uk superb musicianship. Catch them if you can!!

Blisteringly good gig from @sondorgo @RichMixLondon

Great show tonight at Bury St Edmund's. You are fantastic musicians. Thank you very much.

Another amazing performance. This time in Cambridge. Brilliant musicians.

Hungarian band @sondorgo were brilliant tonight performing at Gateshead Old Town Hall. Catch them on the @makingtracks_uk tour - great!

Incredible concert in Brighton tonight!

Loved the gig last night; thank you! Your musicianship is incredible and you successfully communicated your joy of playing this uplifting music together. Good luck with the rest of the tour.

Thanks for such a great night @RNCM! I can't wait for the next time you're in Manchester. I'm going to love all of my CDs!

Fantastic concert in Gateshead. We loved it!

Hungarian folk band SöNDöRGő were fantastic at NCEM York tonight. See them at @RichMixLondon Friday if you can!

Söndörgö were really great on Friday night, audiences absolutely loved them.Great choice!

Was a great show, loved it!

Amazing Brighton gig. Highly recommend!

We saw you play last night in Bristol, thank you for such a wonderful evening of music, we look forward to your return.

amazing amazing gig. thank you. one song was particularly moving for me...felt like an entire journey in one song...would love to hear it again. thank you! xx

The Bristol gig was amazing, thank you so much!

brilliant gig (...) loving the band!

Great evening / nagyszeru est!

The audience were clearly very impressed with the band who were incredible musicians and clearly very happy to be on tour.

Great evening at @CambJunction listening to @sondorgo (included variations by Bartók and Vujicsics). Now lusting after a hulusi!

Fabulous music happening NOW @sondorgo @RichMixLondon

@sondorgo @RichMixLondon It was a fantastic evening.

Photo: The Orbital Strangers Project

Live review: Söndörgö at NCEM

By David Forsdike

The Making Tracks tours are all about introducing British audiences to music from less-well known corners of the globe, and last night at the NCEM in York the audience was treated to a scintillating live performance from a Hungarian quintet, Söndörgö. These five Hungarians have this music in their blood - there are three brothers in the group, along with a cousin and a family friend – and the father of the brothers, Kalman Eredics was a founder member of the group Vujicsics. Joe Boyd’s label Hannibal Records released a Vujicsics album of Serbian music from Southern Hungary in 1988, and it is this same repertoire which Söndörgö re-create with such panache today.

These musicians may be Hungarians, but there is no violin or cimbalom here. Their instruments are tamburas of various sizes, which they have mastered to a high level of virtuosity. The smallest is the size of a ukulele, but in the hands of the group’s leader Aron Eredics, the eldest of the three brothers, it demonstrated a myriad of emotions, sometimes slow and ever so slightly mournful, but more often than not ending in a joyful torrent of cascading notes across its small soundboard - this is after all music for dancing!

The line-up of instruments was ever-changing. Sometimes there were string only pieces, others featured clarinet, flute, saxophone or trumpet solos; the accordion stole the limelight at times, and engaged in frantic duets with the lead tambura, revealing a tightness of ensemble and infectious energy which was simply breathtaking. Was this the intuitive precision and collaborative musicianship that only fellow family members can provide? Their repertoire included Gypsy songs, Macedonian tunes with an Oriental flavour, and some smaller scale duos featuring tunes collected by Bela Bartok; at times they even added some hearty vocals to the mix.

One of the real joys of the evening was the chance to witness a true acoustic performance. This has become such a rarity in this day and age, and it was a real delight to hear Söndörgö’s music fill the NCEM without any amplification. Lighting was used sparingly, and enhanced the occasion without being obtrusive. These musicians were truly enjoying themselves. A highlight of the evening came after the interval with a magical piece for tamburas alone. This featured slow moving chordal harmonies ending in the most delicate of all pianissimos as the lights faded to nothing. Truly memorable!



15 Nov 2015

Live review: Söndörgö at RNCM (2)

By Ellie Sherwood

Söndörgö’s performance at the RNCM last night marked the start of their tour of the UK. I was completely blown away by the passion and talent that emitted from all five musicians on stage, who kept us entertained by their virtuosic and superb playing right until the last note. Coming from a small Hungarian town near Budapest, Söndörgö create a refreshing and unique Balkan sound which is heavily inspired by Southern Slavic folk music. The band are motivated to preserve musical traditions of the Serbs and Croats as found in different settlements in Hungary, and through this renewal of folklore and heritage, they produce inimitable music that sounds both old and new; an echo of the past heard within the present.
The traditional Balkan instrument, the tambura, was played to its absolute maximum during last night’s gig. Similar to the mandolin, the tambura is a small and agile plucked instrument, and I have never seen or heard a dainty instrument be used in such a powerful and spritely way. Each member of Söndörgö played at least three different instruments during their performance such as the tambura, wooden whistle, guitar, double bass, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, hand drum and accordion. It seemed every piece had a different set-up of instruments, and often a musician would swap instruments half way through a song. It was exciting to see such versatile musicians performing, and what was equally impressive was that Söndörgö’s unique sound did not once falter, despite all these exciting changes. They also enlivened us with singing a couple of traditional Hungarian tunes – whilst playing and swapping instruments, of course.
Perhaps the most impressive part of Söndörgö concert was the musicians’ ability to respond to the musical spontaneity of each other. They were obviously well-rehearsed and extremely tight, but there was very much still an element of surprise and impulsiveness that only comes from musicians who perform from their hearts every time. Söndörgö were playing for us, but they were also playing for themselves, and it was obvious that they were pushing the boundaries of their own music whilst on stage. Part of their ability to do that might come from the fact that four out of five of the musicians are related – three of them being brothers, and one being a cousin – but most of their talent is rooted in their skill of listening and watching each other whilst also listening to themselves. Their musicianship and talent provided the audience with an incredibly enjoyable and remarkable evening, and one also cannot forget Söndörgö’s use of stage lighting, which added an exclusive touch the their performance.
Thank you Söndörgö, and good luck with the rest of your tour!

Live at RNCM

14 Nov 2015

Live review: Söndörgö at RNCM (1)

By Lucie Phillips

On the opening night of their tour, Söndörgö’s exhilarating music entranced the audience of RNCM’s Studio Theatre from start to finish. Their unique approach to Balkan music is incredibly attractive and versatile, tempting the audience in every direction possible with their rapid Southern Slav folk dances and static, atmospheric improvisations. Even within songs their music takes the most unexpected, most pleasurable of turns: flitting between styles and speeds with ease and sophistication.
Söndörgö is primarily a tamburitza band, meaning that they play various types of tambura - a mandolin-like instrument. Occasionally wind instruments appear along with an accordion to add yet another colour to this already vibrant band. Between them Áron Eredics, Benjamin Eredics, Dávid Eredics, Salamon Eredics and Attila Buzás play at least 17 instruments to the highest of standards. The group made the decision on the night to not to be amplified but this did not hinder the balance at all - they are so skilful and such good musicians that when two of them played in harmony it still sounds like one, even without mics. As they ‘rock out’ the brothers challenge each other when soloing which makes the show all the more entertaining to watch. And occasionally they treat us to snippets of hearty singing, adding yet more skill and convincing us of their expertise.
As well as the individual virtuosity of Söndörgö, they are possibly one of the tightest bands you will ever come across. This tightness doesn’t merely come from endless rehearsal; it comes from knowing each other inside out as musicians which is why they manage to sound so organic and are never in danger of coming across as over rehearsed. Even the lighting team were part of this synergy and while the light show was startling at first, the juxtaposition of traditional music and modern technology wasn’t grating or twee but instead, sums up the band as a whole: 5 passionate, incredibly talented musicians who are enlightening the world with their music; not because it’s a niche commodity but because it is what they love. Music lovers will look back on this gig and smile in delight at the incomparable joy and talent consistently presented by Söndörgö. Their passion shines through and the audience cannot help but be enchanted by Söndörgö’s endearing manner and exhilarating performance.

Live at RNCM

30 Oct 2015

New podcast - featuring Söndörgő!

The new Making Tracks podcast is here!
Featuring the amazing Söndörgö, live from their home town Szentendre.
Presented by Colin Bass.

29 Oct 2015

Q&A with Söndörgö

Your music focusses on the tambura (a mandolin-like plucked lute) – can you tell us more about the instrument?
This instrument, the tambura has come from Turkish Persian roots but what we use now is very much related to Hungary. Back at the beginning of the 20th century a Hungarian instrument maker tried to make a tambura sounding like a gypsy violin - trying to have a similar sound but in a picking style.
Now this tambura is a very famous instrument, widely used in parts of Serbia and even more in the Southern part of Hungary, and along the Danube river where Serbian and Croatian people live in Hungary. Hungarian people are now also starting to use this instrument because it goes well with any kind of music, both Hungarian and Balkan styles. It is especially common where we come from, the town of Szentendre (also along the Danube, about 20km from Budapest) as this town is home to the biggest Serbian community since 300 years ago, so this culture is very much at home there.
We also use this instrument because of our family – our father is also a musician so we grew up with these instruments always around the house and we just had to pick one up, and try and do something. Especially me, as I play the lead tambura or tamburitsa: I was 5 when my father bought me a tambura. It was a master’s instrument so he told me, this is your instrument, but you can’t touch it yet, we will put it on top of the cupboard and you can only touch it if there are musicians around from our ensemble who can show you how to use it. So I was always very interested in this, eyeing up the instrument on the top of the cupboard.
So it’s worked out pretty well: my father told me he didn’t want to push us to become musicians, we could just do whatever we liked. But me and my two brothers we all became musicians so my father knew pretty well how to get us started.

You play in your band with your two brothers, a cousin and a school friend - how does it feel to play in a band with your closest family?
In a way it’s a very good thing, especially musically. We don’t have to have words to know what the other wants to do on stage, or just musically thinking, so it’s a very good way. On the other hand it can be quite hard too. I am the oldest brother, then there is the middle one, my brother Benjamin, and the youngest one, Salamon, so it’s not easy sometimes but anyway it has worked very well. We have a special relationship not just because we are a family but we also spend most of our time together, so it can be really hard for others, the other parts of our families. We are touring a lot, we are playing a lot, so we spend much more time together than we do with our wives or children. So it’s not easy from this perspective, but it is working pretty well on stage, I do think so!

There is more family history, your father is a very well-known musician too.
My father is a member of a famous band called Vujicsics, this name comes from a man called was Tihamér Vujicsics. He was the biggest collector of Southern Slavic music in Hungary. He was of Serbian background, but not just a folk music collector, but also a composer, and a pupil of Zoltan Kodaly. He then went on a trip to collect folk music in Asia and his plane crashed and he died, so my father and his brother and some others decided to take on his name and continue what he started.
My father grew up in Pomáz, a town very close to Szentendre, where also lots of Serbian people live. So they started to play for dances and other community events, started playing in a natural way, and then this became a stage performance because they also studied classical music at the academy. But they decided to do just this, trying to arrange this folk music for stages and concert halls, and this is what we try to continue. For us when we think about our father and his ensemble, they are the biggest masters, or biggest idols for our music.

So your music is primarily dance music. Can you describe the dance that goes with it?
It a style of circle dance called kolo (which means round dance). The Southern Slavic tradition is one of couple dances, but with many people in a big circle, and it has asymmetric rhythms – it looks like it is very easy but it’s not. It looks like – oh they just take a few steps, one after the other – but it’s not like that, it’s not so easy to keep up with the music. We started playing for dances when we were young, when we started the band, we were playing for dance houses, and also the local community events around Szentendre and the surrounding country side.

What does the folk scene in Hungary look like today?
I think the scene is really strong, and today a lot of young people are involved with folk music and dances. Hungary is a special place for folk music - it has a very strong tradition. Sometimes it’s too strong – you have to open the borders a bit and sometimes the folk music borders can be too big sometimes. But it is very good that there are lots of young bands doing the folk thing, not just Hungarian folk music but also Balkan music in general is going strong.
We also teach, myself I teach at the Music Academy, I teach the tamburitsa so I have some students who are really talented and I’m really happy that people are getting involved with it and trying to be professional with it. So it becomes not just music for the dance house, it’s about getting to international stages too and about rethinking this music.

What would you like to leave the UK audience with on this tour?
That’s a hard question…. maybe it’s about the energy of what we can do on stage. I think this music has very very special energy, and live it is a totally different experience. Listening just from a CD or recording is really not anything like the experience it can be live. People keep talking about how our brotherly connection is working on stage, and again it’s a special thing – people like it when they see how much we like what we do. So it’s not like, OK, we are professionals and doing this tour for a living – we love to play, and we love to show to the audience what we feel when we play. Sometimes we joke about this – that we enjoy even more than the audience what we do on stage… it’s funny but true!

15 Oct 2015

Next tour: Söndörgö in November


SÖNDÖRGÖ : Band of brothers in celebration of Hungarian roots
Building from delicate filigree patterns of intertwining strings to dazzling displays of furious fingerwork, Söndörgö (say: shoen-doer-goe) bring a vigorous virtuosity to their fresh interpretations of Hungarian folk music. At the core of their sound is the tambura, a mandolin-like instrument in many sizes, embellished through multi-instrumental skills on assorted wind instruments and accordion. The band got together in 1995 when brothers Aron, Benjamin and Salamon teamed up with cousin David and high-school pal Attila. They've been honing their impressive musicianship ever since, gathering international momentum over five albums – the latest aptly titled 'Tamburocket' - and perfecting the art of bringing audiences to their feet with simply brilliant acoustic folk music.
“their music sparkles with virtuosity and foot-tapping joie de vivre” (Evening Standard)
“a world class band” (The Guardian)

14 Oct 2015

Live review: Namvula at RNCM Manchester (2)

By Lucie Phillips

What a privilege for RNCM to host the final gig of Namvula’s glorious 11 day tour! Namvula treats you to an exuberant performance of Zambian afro-folk whilst at the same time radiating peace and warmth over everyone involved.

This warmth was not just felt through the inviting demeanour of Namvula herself, but through the synergy between band members, the flawless music they produce, and through the call to join Namvula on her musical journey.

The evening opened with a prayer to those who have gone before us which succeeded in expressing Namvula’s hope that “we can all find home, if only for an hour or two this evening” within the music. As Namvula explained the inspiration behind each song, it became clear that she is an important voice for those who cannot speak out or who have tried but have not been heard. And this is the essence of Namvula’s music: she transports us to another world, using music as the portal to higher planes of understanding.

Throughout the evening there was a resounding sense of interconnectivity between Namvula herself the band members - guitarist Jack Ross, Mamadou Sarr on percussion, Yuval Wetzler on drums, Liran Donin on bass and alto sax player Chris Williams. Their music is always voiced perfectly, whether it’s the warming vocal harmonies, a daring bass intro or instrumental nuances. And although Namvula’s music is often described as Zambian afro-folk, they expand the boundaries of this label with subtle electronics, an eclectic range of influences and a revitalising approach to tradition, making their music totally unique. Their pioneering style spreads across all tracks from the album and permeates into more recent compositions too. Indeed, how refreshing to hear a band play fresh material live!

As the night, and tour, drew to a close, the audience welcomed the opportunity to praise the whole band as they each showcased their talents through virtuosic solos, often with an injection of humour. The final number summed up the enjoyment and closeness of Namvula as a collective when she welcomed her spellbound audience, including the saxophonist’s niece, to join her in dancing.

There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing the band onstage before you enjoying themselves, having the time of their lives and inviting you to join in the party. Mesmeric and heartfelt; a true celebration of music at its most honest.

Photo by Steve Sweet

12 Oct 2015

Live review: Namvula at RNCM Manchester (1)

By Ellie Sherwood

Namvula’s performance at the RNCM last night marked the end of her two-week tour of the UK, which has consisted of 11 different concerts. If her and the rest of the band were exhausted, then they certainly didn’t show it; in fact, the energy that flowed so naturally and constantly from the musicians was palpable, and it made the evening incredibly enjoyable and exhilarating. Namvula spoke openly to the audience about the fundamental themes that inspire her, such as her Zambian heritage, her mother, her aunt, and the strength and dignity of women, and this brought a very fresh and real meaning to the live music. I discovered that my favourite album track, Nsalamo, was inspired by Namvula’s great-grandmother, who walked across Zambia for a week with her two children to escape her abusive husband. This is the beauty of a good live performance: it creates a space for you to engage with the artist on a personal and human level, and you experience the music in a different way compared to listening to a CD made in a recording studio.

The stories told through her music certainly reflect the afro-folk label that is often used to describe Namvula’s sound, but the excitement and thrill that possessed many of the songs produced more afro-jazz and afro-beat vibes. The musicians performing with Namvula – Liran Donin on bass, Chris Williams on alto sax, Jack Ross on guitar, and Mamadou Sarr on percussion - were individually brilliant, and as a band, they were phenomenal. Each person was on exactly the same wavelength as Namvula, and it was such a joy to watch them having fun on stage. The music would change and gain intensity in such a way that only works if all the musicians involved are following each other, and this enabled us, the audience, to give ourselves up completely to Namvula and let her music take over.

The spontaneity and brilliance of the solos at the end of the gig emphasised the band’s creativity, and the night came to a close with Namvula dancing barefoot on stage with the saxophonist’s young niece. I certainly did not want to the evening to end, and to me, it was everything a performance should be: the music was awesome, the band were tight, and I felt as though I had gained a deeper insight into Namvula’s musical journey.

Photo by Steve Sweet

9 Oct 2015

Live review: Namvula live at NCEM

By David Forsdike


Three years ago Zambian-born singer Namvula returned to the country of her birth on an extended visit. Born to a Zambian mother and Scottish father she was keen to discover the traditional music of her mother’s land.

Even for those of us in the West who enjoy African music, the names of Zambian musicians don’t exactly trip off the tongue, but it turns out Namvula’s aunt, Maureen Lilanda is something of a local singing legend, and was well placed to help her niece in her quest.

Back in London, where she now lives, Namvula has gathered around her a talented group of instrumentalists, releasing her debut album Shiwezwa in 2014. On Tuesday night, in company of five fine instrumentalists, Namvula gave the audience in York’s National Centre for Early Music an evening to remember with a selection of songs drawn mainly from last year’s album. The music was more Afro-funk than Afro-folk - perhaps not surprisingly, as two of the members of her accompanying band, the bass player Liran Donin and saxophonist Chris Williams are more accustomed to playing in a London jazz group called Led Bib. They were joined by Senegalese percussionist Mamadou Sarr, who regularly plays with Baaba Maal, and the session musician and composer Jack Ross on guitar.

The songs themselves were either quiet and reflective in nature, or lively, upbeat numbers which allowed the instrumentalists free rein to strut their stuff, both as a band, and as virtuoso soloists when given a chance to shine. The opening song, a prayer for ‘those who have gone before’, and a later one in celebration of her great grandmother, were fine examples of the first type.

Namvula accompanied herself on acoustic guitar, and sang in both English and the Zambian language of her mother’s province. Her voice is a rich and powerful mezzo, at times reminiscent of Miriam Makeba in style, and the only regret is that I’d like to have heard a little more of her singing, and a little less of the band. But that’s perhaps missing the point here, as Namvula seems to relish the interplay with members of the band, and clearly thrives by feeding off them.

The song Na Ndayeya, written by the aforementioned aunt, seemed to sum up the evening best. It’s about suffering and hard times, but also about resolve, and the capacity to survive those hardships. It began in a gentle, reflective way, but when the instruments came thundering in, the sudden surge in volume and full-blooded playing transported us into a world of optimism as only jazz-funk musicians can.

Photo by Steve Sweet

8 Oct 2015

What the audience says: Namvula

Live at Colston Hall. Photo by Steve Sweet at Eleventhlight

Thank you for an awesome night, you guys were fantastic!! Good luck with the rest of the tour.

Catch Namvula and her amazing band on tour. They are absolutely storming The Stables, Milton Keynes tonight with a fabulous couple of sets, so do go - you won't be disappointed.

She is talented, creative, witty & a dancer. Addictive music in a good way. Well, ended up on the stage dancing. Irresistible.

Astonishingly talented.

Feeling lucky to have seen @Namvula at York NCEM this evening. Great energy, fantastic music, soul-touching themes. Thanks Namvula!

Your gig @RichMixLondon was magical. Your songs reach far into the heart. Thank you.  

It was a brilliant night! Thank you so much.

Fantastic concert @yorkearlymusic tonight! @Namvula has given me a new love for African Folk.

Fabulous sounds from @Namvula and band, very uplifting eve, good luck for rest of tour  

@Namvula was amazing last night @StablesMK. Catch her live on tour now if you can. It's worth it.

It was wonderful, full of soul and integrity. You are very talented. Much luck on the journey x

7 Sept 2015

A new podcast!

 The new Making Tracks podcast is here! Introducing the new Season6 and featuring the wonderful Namvula. Evocative lyrical & refreshing afro-folk : her UK tour starts on September 25th.

4 Sept 2015

Q&A with Namvula


Your roots are clearly important in your music – could you say something of your particular mix of Scottish and Zambian roots?
My mother is Ila-Lenje from the central province of Zambia, and my father is Scottish of Glaswegian parents. His parents moved to Malawi when he and his siblings were still children, and my parents eventually met much further down the line when they were both teaching at the University of Zambia.
Although we moved a fair bit as I was growing up, we always went back to Zambia every year; it has been an anchor in my life, one of the few constants, and feels more like 'home' than any of the other homes I've had. So it's perhaps natural that it would become a big part of my artistic journey, my creative exploration, and my expression as a singer and a songwriter. But, being a child of the diaspora, I've also imbibed from many creative wells, expanding my curiosities, and the ways in which I want – and feel able to – express myself as an artist.

London and its cosmopolitan influences are also clearly a big part of your music – your music is also described as Afro-folk – how does that get reflected in your music?
I've now had an on-off, love-hate relationship with London for 14 years. A big part of the love side of the affair has been what it has to offer creatively. The city has allowed me to explore and delve into different, exciting sonic worlds, from Afro-Cuban, to jazz, to Brazilian. It's allowed me to meet, share with, and learn from incredibly talented musicians. It's allowed me – as a child of the diaspora – to voice myself using different colours, all of which have been part of my growth as an individual and an artist. My love of jazz, of folk, of African music, all gets reflected in my writing and my sound. The fact that I can pick up the phone and call a marimba player, or a kora player, or a jazz saxophonist, or a Ghanaian guitar maestro, and get them into the studio to record on an album is an incredibly special thing, and offers an amazing amount of creative freedom to explore and work with. Some of the edginess of London, its uncertainty, its flux, its grit, is also within the album. At the same time there's the softer, more soulful, more lyrical side of folk music also within my music, the side that's interested in recounting stories, and at the moment these are largely African stories.

You’re a photographer and involved with film too. Does this feed back into your music?
My love of photography definitely impacts the way I write, which is often very visual. Before embarking on my singing career full steam, I first worked as a photographer, and it taught me invaluable lessons: attention to the detail of a moment, editing the unnecessary fearlessly so that you expose the core of what you are trying to show to the world, speaking my truth and how I see the world, using fragments and captured moments and shaping them into a story.
My relationship to film is slightly different, in that I worked in a curatorial capacity rather than being involved in the creative process, but again the strength and power of imagery, of the story, that is central to film, is essentially what songwriting is also about. Actually, one of my favourite songs on the album, Maweo, was inspired by a film that I watched during the selection process of the film festival I co-founded and ran for a few years, so in that sense yes, it has fed back very directly into my music! Essentially, we are all telling stories, and trying to pull people into the emotion of the stories we are trying to tell.

The politics of immigration is all around us – your music is inclusive in its influences – can music be a healing force?
Music has the ability to touch the very core, the very essence of us as human beings. In so doing, it offers us a space in which we can shed the weight of preconception, of prejudice, of difference, and be reminded of our essential humanity, and, by extension, our essential commonality. Be reminded that we all feel – be it joy, sorrow, fear, uncertainty, love, hopefulness; that we all weep and laugh and muddle our way through this life as best we can. In this way, it expands our capacity to love. As clichéd as it might sound, we are all immigrants, and we are all temporary visitors on this earth; the borders that we attach so much importance to and the flags that we swear allegiance to are man-made and upheld by man-made laws; music, art, in its ability to hold so many different cultures and worlds within itself, in its ability to speak to the heart of another, has the capacity to allow us to lay aside, to forget, those walls that we build and those differences that we construct. It offers us a space of contemplation of the things that make us human; a space of conversation: what would I do? How would I react? How do I feel? - it allows us to dance the dance of the present, and feel the extraordinarily simple beauty of a shared moment of togetherness.

Your debut album Shiwezwa came out last year - can you say something about how it came about.
I'd spent six months in Zambia back in 2012, healing from a broken heart, and with the vague thought that I'd devote some time to learning traditional music. In so many ways, the album was born then. I spent time with an aunt, Maureen Lilanda, who is a local singing legend, and who became a musical and personal mentor and gave me the courage to explore my Zambian roots as part of my creative process. That was a big turning point for me as a songwriter, and in my identity as an artist. I also had the time to reflect on and witness life (in a way that the hectic pace of London often-times does not allow); I wrote a lot, and started recording what I intended to be an EP. When I got back to London, Liran Donin, the bass player who is also a wonderful and sensitive producer and who produced Shiwezwa, encouraged me to record a full album. I think of Shiwezwa as a homecoming of sorts, a homage to the places I am from (emotionally and creatively), and an attempt to forge a closer link with my mother's culture.

Perhaps you can introduce the musicians in your band and discuss their contribution to the music?
I'm surrounded and supported by an incredible group of musicians – my band of brothers as I like to call them! Their fantastic musicianship, their sensitivity to the music, helps carry each song to another plane. They've each added their own spice to the mix, and as we've toured, the arrangements have shifted and taken on new colours, making the live show an incredibly dynamic experience. There's a lot of room for improvisation in the show within the arrangements, which is exciting and makes it a lot of fun. Liran Donin (mentioned above), fierce yet tender bassist, and as m.d. and producer of the album has played a huge role in shaping the music and the arrangements; Chris Williams, probably one of the best young saxophonists on the circuit, brings a palette of colours that transports - both are Mercury-nominated musicians; Mamadou Sarr, master Senegalese percussionist (he also tours with international star Baaba Maal amongst many), creates fire and magic; Jack Ross, guitarist of grace and incredible virtuosity; and Yuval Wetzler, one of the most sensitive drummers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I should also pay tribute to Ghanaian guitar maestro Alfred 'Kari' Bannerman, who isn't part of the live band, but was central to the album.

Could you describe Lusaka – your Zambian home town?
I was born in Livingstone, a small town that borders the famous Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Victoria Falls), a small sleepy town that hasn't changed too much over the decades. But I now spend almost all my time when I'm back in Zambia in the capital city Lusaka, because of friends, family and music. When I last left it, at the end of August, the jacaranda trees lining the streets were beginning to throw out their purple haze of flowers, softening the stark bright red petals of the flame trees. It's a pretty relaxed, often dusty city. The city centre itself, with the usual hustle and bustle of traders, street vendors and bus touts, is small and architecturally uninspiring – it was built as an administrative capital by the British colonialists. Most people live and work in the sprawl of the suburbs, which is where you'd also find most of the restaurants and social life. The traffic is atrocious, churches are on every other street, the middle class is re-emerging en force, big money is pouring into the city - though only for some, and the poor stay heartbreakingly poor. The young are pushing change, creating new spaces of artistic dialogue and expression; the young diaspora is starting to come back, realising that there is more space to create a good life for yourself in Lusaka than in, say, London. It's nowhere near the artistic explosion that Nairobi or Accra have seen in the past few years, but it is a time of change. And this includes the music industry, which – though there is still much to do - is seeing a new lease of life, propelled by amazing talents like Mumba Yachi and James Sakala.

Where do you find inspiration for your songs?
All around me. In stories that I hear, events that I witness, frustrations, sadnesses and joys that I feel. I've written songs based on parables, songs about migration, street children, African identity, songs that speak to our current condition as human beings, songs about love or loss, songs inspired by the flight of birds! I've found inspiration in the worlds of jazz, African music, rock, folk, Brazilian... so broad and deep each of these worlds are! And so much life to sing about! At the heart of it all, though, it simply has to be something that moves me, enough to feel that I must speak to it and try to find expression for it in the truest way that I am able.

26 Aug 2015

Making Tracks next: Navula on tour from 24 September

Namvula’s songs are inspired by life - by its beauty and ugliness, its tenderness and cruelty, and the power of the stories that it holds, both simple and complex. Evocative, lyrical and with a refreshing honesty, Namvula draws heavily on her Zambian heritage as well as referencing her Scottish roots and life in the diaspora, to produce an intoxicating and unique blend of uplifting global sounds. One of the few Zambian artists performing in Europe, Namvula has shared the stage with artists including legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and sitar player Anoushka Shankar, before embarking on her blossoming solo project. Dividing her time between Zambia and London, she has honed her musical profile with poise and and intelligence, culminating in the recent release of her well-received debut album. A name to watch!
 “Bright, bold and vivid!” (fRoots) 
“One of the most original newcomers of the year” (The Guardian)

27 May 2015

New season announced!

We are thrilled to annnounce the line-up for the next season of Making Tracks coming soon to a venue near you! Featuring four fabulous artists playing some of the best music you haven't heard of!

NAMVULA: Zambian afro-folk: evocative, lyrical and refreshing.
SÖNDÖRGÖ: Band of brothers in celebration of Hungarian roots.
OTAVA YO: Subversive energy and surreal wit from Russia.
PEROTÁ CHINGÓ: Itinerant voices of raw beauty and magnetic simplicity.

20 Apr 2015

What the audience says: Mariana Sadovska & Christian Thome

Mariana Sadovska & Christian Thome were superb at the National Centre for Early Music in York last night....  We were all captivated.

Astonishing, intense and so versatile!

a spellbinding performance; delicious blend of Ukranian folk roots & experimental
Highly imaginative, innovative & expressive. Not to be missed!

"Emotionally poweful" (review from Ukrainian London)

Quite an experience! Totally captivating... you got to see this!

I still reeling from the great music on Thursday -fantastic.

Mariana Sadovska & Christian Thome gave us complex, involving music. Shame more people weren't there - Bury you missed a treat.

The London gig by Mariana Sadovska @makingtracks_uk was truly magical.

A unique talent!

"a kooky character, juggling impish inclusivity with terrifying vocal intensity." (review from Songlines magazine)

Ideal for lovers of folk, world & contemporary - the 3 genres are expertly woven together.

The show was fantastic!

Mariana Sadovska & Christian Thome were superb in York last night. Mariana's passionate vocal and harmonium interpretations of Ukrainian migrant chants, ancient spring invocations and folk tales were stunning. Christian's electronica and percussion loop station created an amazingly dynamic accompaniment, including fantastic use of an E-bow! We were all captivated.

I had such a nice evening listening to your beautiful music yesterday.

Standing ovation for Mariana Sadovska & Christian Thome @brightondome! 

Photo: Steve Sweet / EleventhLight

9 Apr 2015

Q&A with Mariana Sadovska

Q. In your home country you’re known as the ‘Ukrainian Bjork’ – is that a fair comparison? And what would you say you have in common with Bjork?
Sometimes, I think, such comparisons are needed to help people to find an orientation, to name a ‘shell’; a label to put on somebody.
I do love Bjork and I had a chance to meet her in New York few years ago - I love the honesty in her voice, and I love her braveness in risking new sounds. But for my own work I could find much easier connections to the work of Diamanda Galas or Eva Bittova.

Q. You collect traditional songs and stories from the Ukraine – how important is it to keep alive these folk traditions?
Somebody once said, that if you try to conserve the tradition it will die. There is nothing more moving and changing than tradition. I think it will be such a pity to lose all the richness and variety of our different cultures; it will be so horrible to awake one day in a world of unified fast food culture. In this sense, I think it is very important to study traditional art, in my case the Ukrainian tradition, to keep it alive. Not through conservation, but more through development and dialogue with it. So that tradition can be a powerful source of energy and inspiration, but not a cage, not a prison of new ideas and possibilities.

Q. Can you describe how you first came to hear village singing?
Once, when I was 18 years old, I was in the Carpathian Mountains in the Ukraine for a vacation. We were backpacking through the mountains and we stayed for a rest in a small, remote village up in the hills. We asked for water at one house and sat there for a moment talking to the old lady, who lived there. She sat with us, just relaxing and then suddenly she began to sing. It was not really for us - it was just because she wanted to sing. Her voice was not ‘clean’ and perfect, it was somehow rough, full of mini-ornaments. Everything was part of her song - breath, sigh, sounds of the birds, whisper of the wind, the warm sunlight, the whole nature around us...something in her voice was like she opened a gate to a connection to ancient times. I was mesmerised and I started to try to write down the notes, trying to catch it. This was the first impulse for my whole future work, travels and expeditions, and first step towards singing myself.

Q. How do you update traditional songs and music for a modern audience? Why is it important to do this?
Imagine this situation: one woman is singing you a song, then, in another village, just 5km away, another woman will sing you the same song completely different. Even more, the same singer will perform the same song differently each time, with small nuances, details, pauses, melodic changes. Fedir Rozdabara from the village Kriachkivka once told me: ‘You have to love a song like your beloved. You carry it so long in your heart, till you know how to sing it...’
This is how I work, I’m not trying to change, to arrange the song. I am trying to carry it in my heart and to hear, how I can sing it? I cannot avoid all the influences of contemporary music and today’s sounds. Plus, I am working with strong musician partners coming from various music scenes - jazz or electronic, rock or new music. So all this enters and influences how my song will sound like.
But I must repeat - it is the music, which tells you, how she may be sung. The ‘update’ is coming from inside, from the heart, not from the wish to make it more accessible to a modern audience. This is a very mysterious and amazing creative process.

Q. What would you like to tell an English audience about your music – do you have a message?
In many traditions there is this idea of your own song. In the Ukraine very often somebody will tell me “now I am singing you my own song”. Usually this doesn’t mean that this person composed it, but that the song has become a powerful part of their life, like a talisman, which supports them and helps them to get through the good and the bad times.
Further than that, I am also very interested in the ritual function of song; how people believe in influencing nature and life though the voice, communicating with ‘other words’: where simple words are not enough, poetry and music helps. I love this idea - sometimes I would say I am singing for Ukraine, about Ukraine, I am singing Ukraine… going through a very hard time at the moment...

Q. Would you introduce your partner German percussionist and electronica specialist Christian Thomé?
I met Christian Thomé few years ago, when I was looking for a musician partner to try out something new for me, something not yet explored. When we started our first rehearsals we both didn't know in what way our common music would develop. I was curious to try not to use Ukrainian traditional songs, to work in a more abstract way. Christian was interested to explore possibilities of dialogue between percussion instruments and the human voice. Very soon we both felt how much we can share between us and how much we can open our own borders and perspectives to each other.
What I really appreciate about Christian’s music is that he is not just looking for sound effects, but he is going deep into the meaning of the songs, and trying to find his own answer, his own connection to it. What fascinates me most is how Christian balances on the border between manual and digital sounds. A bit like a master acrobat on the tightrope. Working with him is real challenge for me, it is exciting, and I feel there are lots of possibilities of development ahead of us.

Q. Can you describe your home town Lviv in Western Ukraine?
If you visit Lviv for the first time, you may find a lot of similarity in atmosphere with Prague, Krakow or Vienna. The city was founded in the mid 13th century by a Ukrainian prince who build it for his son, Lev (which means lion). So Lviv is the city of a Lion. We do have lots of stone lion sculptures, and after the legend, they come alive at night and take care of the town. Lviv is a city built by Italian architects, where Mozart use to perform, where Armenian, Jewish, Polish and Ukrainian people use to live together, and where Leopold von Sacher-Masoch used to write. Is this enough advertising for all of you to come and see it with your own eyes!?

Mariana Sadovska (photo by Kluczenko)

6 Apr 2015

Making Tracks podcast no.3

Here comes the third edition of the Making Tracks podcast, featuring the amazing Mariana Sadovska. We play tracks from her new duo album with Christian Thomé (on UK tour from 12 April) and she talks about her inspirations. Music to get hooked on!

12 Mar 2015

Last tour for this season: Mariana Sadovska


In her home country she is known as the ‘Ukrainian Bjork’: in her furious performances the singer, actress and composer Mariana Sadovska crosses all borders: Archaic midsummer night invocations, wedding songs and migrant chants from remote Ukrainian villages transmute into contemporary sound that embraces both folk and avant-garde. Creating innovative compositions in dialogue with ancient traditions, Mariana Sadovska approaches each piece with a fresh and uniquely personal vision. With a voice of impressive power and range her stage presence is a tour de force that oscillates between fragility and defiance.
For this tour she has teamed up with German percussionist and electronica specialist Christian Thomé tocreate an acoustic road movie: a meeting of cultures in poetry and melody, singing tales of love and death, despair and hope, in search of freedom and identity.