London African Music Festival

The Southbank Centre has announced it's schedule for it's eighth London African Music Festival (Sept 10-12, 2010). There's a great line-up planned and several free shows that shouldn't be missed. So, update your calendars and we look forward to seeing you there!

London African Music Festival
Now in its eighth year, the London African Music Festival returns to Southbank Centre to celebrate some of the best in music from across Africa, whether it be the incredible Master Drummers of Africa or the meditative songs of beganna master Alemu Aga. There’s also a host of free events ranging from gospel jazz to East African melodies. 


The Schedule (also available on our Nomad's Calendar):

• *September 10th, Friday 5:00pm: DJ Edu Radio 1 Extra@ The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) FREE A new DJ on the airwaves, DJ Edu of Radio 1 Extra brings his DestiNation Africa to a live audience with a mix of the hottest underground sounds out of Africa - from hip-hop and RnB to dancehall, garage and D&B. 
• *September 10th, Friday 6:00pm: Amira Khier @ The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) FREE Sudanese singer Amira Kheir creates something new with a fusion of jazz styles and East African melodies. (Book tickets online)
• September 10th, Friday 8:30pm: MC Solaar @ Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) £20/£10 One of the greatest names in modern French music, MC Solaar arrives with his distinctive mix of powerful lyrics and inventive rhymes that have taken him from the French underground to international acclaim. MC Solaar is an intensely charismatic performer whose thrilling live show is dominated by his signature smooth flow and linguistic fluidity, backed by throbbing funky beats that mix traditional African rhythms with urban techno. MC Solaar breaks the rules again with this freestyle touchdown, where he is joined by vocalists and a DJ to create an extravagant live show.
• *September 10th, Friday 10:30pm: Sarah Ndagire @ The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) FREE  Uganda 's diva Sarah Ndagire has for a long time been a famous voice on several radio stations in Uganda. She makes her London debut, introduced by DJ Edu. (Book tickets online)
• September 11th, Saturday 3:00pm: Alemu Aga @ Purcell Room (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) £15/7.50 The Ethiopian King David's harp master Alemu Aga brings his spiritual and meditative songs to the festival for the first time. Alemu Aga plays an ancient instrument with ten strings called a beganna, a rare musical instrument of that has survived for nearly 6,000 years and is considered by Ethiopians to be the harp of King David of Israel. This is magical roots music of the ancient world and the closest we will get to hearing music referred to in the Bible.
• September 11th, Saturday 6:00pm: Rafiki Jazz @ Purcell Room (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) £15/7.50 World music's hottest big band brings their exciting mix of global rhythms to the big smoke. Featuring the combined talent of musicians from Zanzibar, Mauritius, Senegal, Colombia, Gambia, Zimbabwe, Brazil and the UK, who effortlessly blend to create big, vibrant, dancing sounds for today's multicultural world. The result is music of astounding power.
• September 11th, Saturday 8:30pm: The Master Drummers of Africa @ Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) £20/10 The world's greatest drum orchestra in full flow is one of the most thrilling and unforgettable spectacles in world music today. The Master Drummers of Africa features ten drummers from ten African nations and draws from 5000 years of tribal rhythms to create ecstatic and freewheeling music straight from the heart of African cultures in a dynamic stage show. They bring us their new show Lighting and Thunder in their first London concert in five years. The Lighting and Thunder suite draws from the rhythms of over 300 tribes of Africa . Using over 100 ethnic drums, the orchestra creates uplifting and infectious rhythms that are mysterious, spiritual, celebratory and utterly compelling.
• *September 12th, Sunday 2:00pm: 4Seasons Band and Temitope Ajayi@ The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) FREE Gospel jazz funk group 4Seasons Band joins forces with new Afro soul vocal discovery Temitope Ajayi to play music from their debut CD, Sound of Light.
• *September 12th, Sunday 4:00pm: Sona Jobarteh@ The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) FREE Sensational new kora player Sona Jobarteh brings freshness to the sound of the kora with modern music.
• *September 12th, Sunday 6:00pm: Laye Sow @ The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) FREE Singer and guitarist Laye Sow is one of the most exciting new musicians from West Africa, who is not afraid to mix mbalax and hi-life with funk, soul and hip-hop.
• September 12th, Sunday 8:30pm: London Community Gospel Choir@ Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) £20/10 For years the mighty London Community Gospel Choir, founded by the legendary Bazil Meade, has produced some of the finest gospel singers in the country, as well as lending their heavenly voices in live shows and recordings from Sir Paul McCartney to Elton John, George Michael and Mariah Carey. With some of the finest singers in London raising the roof and a funky band providing the pulse, the choir performs a show to lift your spirits and soothe your soul.