#weareinternational
‘a stunning, virtuosic, internationalist show’
says BBC Folk Singer of the Year Nancy Kerr
Rafiki Jazz are nine native and migrant folk remixing roots music and telling modern day stories
with a glance back to the ancients. Celebrating unity in diversity with their latest CD release Har Dam
Sahara (Riverboat Records) Rafikian music is ‘a love-letter to this intricate world in all its beauty and
complexity’ and features the compelling vocal quartet of Sufi Sarah Yaseen, Hebrew-Hindi singer-
songwriter Avital Raz, Egyptian Coptic master-musician Mina Salama and Senegalese griot Kadialy
Kouyate at its heart.
Up Close! in performance reaches out with new songs of migrations & memories and the chance to get up
close & personal with this acclaimed world music collective & some intriguing guest vocalists. Expect a
masala of rich and mesmerising new music traversing continents, languages and cultures and set within
hypnotically looping digital animations from award-winning Islamic geometric artist Zarah Hussain.
Enchanting, soulful, exquisite!
Talkback! a lively & topical post-show discussion brings together audiences, musicians & team, hosted
by a guest MC from a select roster of prominent cultural changemakers including Javaad Alipoor, Andrey
Rosowsky, Emily Churchill-Zaraa & Syima Aslam.
‘Rafiki Jazz.. the best of British’ (Songlines: Top of the World)
voices : Urdu, Hebrew, Punjabi, Mandinka, Hindi, English, Gaelic, Coptic
onstage: kora, oud, ney, violin, steelpans, bass, berimbau, tabla, guitar, tanpura, derbuka, santoor
singers & players:
Sarah Yaseen: Urdu & Punjabi vocals, percussion
Avital Raz: Hebrew & Hindi vocals, tanpura
Mina Mikhail Salama: Coptic vocals, oud, ney & kawala flutes, duduk
Kadialy Kouyate: Mandinka & Wolof vocals, kora, sabar
Cath Carr: guitar, steelpans
Tony Koni: bass guitar, sabar
Johnny Ball: tabla, derbuka, santoor
Guery Tibirica: berimbau, pandeiro, gumbe
Vijay Venkat: Carnatic violin
plus special guest vocalists