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Working in partnership with Live Music Now UK and St George’s Bristol, North Bristol NHS Trust Fresh Arts is delighted to present this performance for Black History Month 2020 by Alain Rouamba – Djembe, Ngoni and Voice, and Josh Doughty – Kora.
Josh Doughty, originally from Wales, began playing the kora (a west African 21-stringed harp) when he was eight years old. As a teenager, Malian kora legend Toumani Diabate spotted Josh’s exceptional talent and took him under his wing, inviting him to Mali to learn about the culture and traditions of the kora, which Josh first did aged 17. Over many future visits, Toumani has become Josh’s long-standing teacher, mentor, and friend.
Josh combines traditional rhythms with modern Western influences, composing pieces with an accomplished individual style that captivates his audience. His passion for this unique, complex and mesmerizing instrument earns him a rightful place amongst the new generation of kora players, and brings joy to all who hear him play.
Over the past decade, Josh has collaborated with a number of from Africa and Europe, including Sampha on his Mercury Prize winning album, Process. He has played at prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall, St James’ Palace, the renowned Le Diplomate club in Mali and several UK festivals including WOMAD, Tribe of Doris, Tropical Pressure and Shambala. Winner of the World music category at the Welsh International Harp Festival in 2018, Josh also has been featured in Songlines Magazine and has delivered a TEDx talk on his life and his music.
Now living in Bristol, UK, Josh teaches, plays and creates his own music. As well as teaching private students, Josh runs a regular workshop at Basel Music Academy in Switzerland and residential workshops in the UK as part of his co-founded venture, Korason Workshops. He also works with Live Music Now, providing music therapy to people in hospitals, care homes, hospices and special schools.
Alain is from Burkina Faso, which translates as ‘the land of upright men’, in the heart of West Africa. As a child, he was taught to play instruments such as the Djembe and Ngoni by a Griot family – those who traditionally hold and pass on musical knowledge and secrets.
The type of Ngoni that Alain plays is often described as the young man’s harp. The Ngoni would traditionally be played as a celebration of life at festivities such as weddings and baptisms. Over many years Alain has developed a distinctive, powerful style when playing both the Ngoni and Djembe – traditional African drums.
Throughout his musical career, Alain has played at a wide range of festivals and events, including Womad, Glastonbury and Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebration at Hyde Park. He has previously worked with Drum Café and Drum Jam and regularly plays at a variety of live music venues in London and across the UK with the band he has co-created. He continues to collaborate with a wide range of artists from around the world to bring us wonderful traditional African music with his own unique stamp.
This project was made possible thanks to the supporters of Southmead Hospital Charity.
We hope you enjoy the performance!
To learn more about the work of Fresh Arts please visit our website at http://www.fresharts.co.uk
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