Asere

Islanders of all ages will be moving to the beat of sounds influenced by Africa, the Andes, Quebec and Cuba during this years Collins Stewart World Music Series.

Audiences in Guernsey, Alderney and Sark will be treated to unique sounds and visual performances unlike any other heard or seen before.

Bailiwick school children will be invited to special daytime performances as part of the programme, which is organised by the Channel Islands Music Council (CIMC).

The series begins in May with Rafiki Jazz playing ambitious contemporary world music featuring a mix of star international singers and music makers. This diverse family of African diaspora musicians is fronted by the fiery Swahili taarab singing of Zanzibari Real World recording artist Mim Suleiman and brings together influences from their individual origins and cultures.

Band members are from Gambia, Zimbabwe, Senegal and the UK and produce a rich colourful sound using a combination of iconic cultural instruments including kora, marimba, tabla, steel drums, atabaque and riti.

Rafiki Jazz will be playing at the Island Hall in Alderney on Monday 10 May, at St James in Guernsey on Tuesday 11 May and Sark’s Island Hall on Wednesday 12 May.

Head of Collins Stewart Wealth Management in Guernsey, Charlie Roger, said there was no other event like the World Music Series in the Channel Islands.

‘The reason the World Music Series is such a success each year is that it provides a chance for all ages to be involved in music from around the world.’

The second act to perform in this year’s series is a group who draw their inspiration from Cuba. Asere is seven young musicians who came together in the 1990s to create music with a contemporary edge and have developed a fresh sound with inventive song writing and a soulful groove.

Caliche

From traditional song and guaguanco to salsa and the contemporary ballard Asere, renowned for their powerful live shows, have continued to experiment and evolve and are proof that the future of Cuban music is in very safe hands. The atmosphere created is pure downtown Havana, an expression of young urban Cuba.

Asere will perform at St James in Guernsey on Tuesday 8 June, Alderney on Wednesday 9 June at the Island Hall and Sark on Thursday 10 June at the Island Hall.

In the same month audiences across the Bailiwick can look forward to the South American sounds of Caliche, taking listeners on a unique musical journey through Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Caliche has been promoting South American music and culture in Britain since 1986 and play instruments such as panpipes, flutes, charangos and mandolins.

Performances by Caliche, expressing the joys and sufferings of the campesinos of the Andes and the shanty-town dwellers of the great Latin American cities, will take place in Guernsey at St James on Monday 28 June, at the Island Hall in Alderney on Wednesday 30th June and in Sark at the Island Hall on Friday 2 July.

Le Vent du Nord

Last, but by no means least, quartet Le Vent Du Nord will be performing in the Bailiwick in October. The four talented singers and instrumentalists will be presenting their repertoire of music and French songs from Quebec. With their high-quality renditions the group have performed across Canada, in over 40 US states, and in over 15 European countries.

The group will go on stage at Alderney’s Island Hall on Tuesday 12 October, at St James on Wednesday 13 October and the Island Hall in Sark on Thursday 14 October.

Mervyn Grand, Head of the Schools Music Service and Channel Islands Music Council member, said: ‘It is really important that youngsters have the chance to experience music from different cultures as it not only provides them with the opportunity to appreciate different styles of music but different life styles too.’