New Accents

A collaboration between musicians from NW Live Arts and Freedom from Torture’s Write to Life group present a dynamic programme of song, instrumental music and new writing.

In this concert, world-renowned musicians Sidiki Dembele, Kuljit Bhamra MBE, Laura van der Heijden and Alice Zawadzki, bring influences from the West African Griot tradition, Indian Punjabi music, Western European classical music and folk music from Europe and the Middle East. Write to Life’s writers, who met as clients of Freedom from Torture’s unique writing and performance group, add their lived experience on the journey from an unspeakable past to new lives, and new voices, here in Britain. The resulting 70 minute programme of solos and ensemble pieces brings the two groups together in an unforgettable musical conversation.

Programme

Trad. West African Aramata
Trad. Scottish Black Is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair 
Trad. Ukrainian Oi, U Vishnevomu Sadochku
Poem The wonder of my voice
Trad. West African Faso des Nou
Poem I lost my voice
Sidiki Dembele Tama
Coleridge Taylor Perkinson Calvary Ostinato Movement lll from Black Folk Song Suite
Alice Zawadzki China Lane
Poem When I grew up
Kuljit Bhamra Himalaya
Poems I had a voice; In my mother tongue with Ali Tajvidi Raftan and Trad. Armenian (arr. Mohen Karbassi) Zepyr Nasim
JS Bach Allemande and Sarabande from Cello Suite No.4 in Eb major, BWV 1010
Poem This voice is not my voice
Trad. Sardinian Tancas Serradas a Muru 

Performers

Alice Zawadzki voice/violin
Laura van der Heijden voice/cello
Kuljit Bhamra MBE tabla
Sidiki Dembele djembe, kamelen n’goni, calabash
Writers: Shahab, Tanya, Nalougo and Yamikani Tracy

Read about the creative process here and read about the writers here.

Tickets £12/£10 (students)

For audiences aged 14+

Part of Bloomsbury Festival 2022