Two of the most talked about and celebrated names on today’s music scene Rebeca Omordia and Gabriel Prokofiev are to collaborate for their next enterprise – a two day Festival ‘Nonclassical X The African Concert Series’. Rebeca Omordia, the founder of the much-acclaimed African Concert Series and Gabriel Prokofiev founder of the independent record label and night club Nonclassical, are joining up to celebrate the diversity of musical styles across the African diaspora, challenging how we define ‘classical music’ and the whole Eurocentric narrative of the genre.
May 4th at 8.00pm at the Iklectik Art Centre
Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, London SE1 7LG
The first of these collaborations will take place on May 4th, presented jointly by Rebeca and Gabriel, and will feature a series of solo, collaborative and electronic sets. Piano works intertwined with field recordings will feature alongside a solo set from kora player and cellist Tunde Jegede, who will be joined by the Nigerian sound artist and violist, Ibukun Sunday for a new collaboration in electronics, and the night will end with a live electronics set/DJ set.
May 8th at 3.30pm at the Africa Centre
66 Great Suffolk St, London SE1 0BL
The second event on May 8th kicks off with a panel discussion at the Africa Centre. This will be followed by a performance by percussionist Bex Burch on the Gyil, a West African percussion instrument, playing her own compositions alongside Dagaare music from Ghana. The two day festival will conclude with the rising stars of the world music community, the Krar Collective, a trio showcasing the traditional Ethiopian krar lyre, with the group’s unique take on Ethiopian music.
BOOK TICKETS https://bit.ly/3iAWoDr
The African Concert Series will continue with already familiar names from the series, Leon Bosch’s ensemble Ubuntu, and Rebeca Omordia herself in a special concert for the young plus a solo concert of Afro/American music:
12 May, 7.30pm, The Africa Centre
African Art Music for Strings – Leon Bosch, double bass and Ubuntu Ensemble
The programme will feature string quartets by African composers from Mali, South Africa and Nigeria and new commissioned works for The South African Double Bass.
BOOK TICKETS https://bit.ly/3tFDVMs
4 June, 11.30am, The Africa Centre
Young People’s Concert
Rebeca Omordia (keyboard/presenter), Julian Rodriguez (violin), Moussa Dembele (kora/balafon). The concert will also feature performances of piano music by African composers performed by students from Piano Maestros music service.
Free Entry
7 July, 7.00pm, St. Olave’s Church, 8 Hart Street, London EC3R 7NA
Chamber Music by African-American Composers featuring Florence Price’s Piano Quintet (with Rebeca Omordia piano) and Lawrence Brown’s ‘Five Negro Folk Songs’ (transcribed for double bass and performed by Leon Bosch). Free entry
For more info visit The African Concert Series
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