Preview: WOMAD Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2018

BCUC, which stands for Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness, are a seven-piece band from Soweto in South Africa who blend African gospel and contemporary rock influences. They state that they make music “for the people by the people with the people.” BCUC are on a mission to shake things up with the sound they describe as ‘afropsychedelic’ and ‘africangungungu’. They were chosen as one of the highlights of WOMAD Charlton Park 2018 by The Guardian and Financial Times for their wild, immersive live show on the Siam tent.

Noga Erez is a Tel-Aviv based singer and producer who creates politically-charged electronic pop music. Early in her career, Erez served as a military musician in the Israeli army, and following her conscription she began working with producer Ori Rousso to develop an atmospheric, beat-driven sound that underpins the strong socio-political messages conveyed through her lyrics. Covering issues such as gang rape, and the guilt of entitlement and privilege living in contemporary Israel, her debut album Off The Radar was released in 2017 to critical acclaim.

Respected as one of the greatest African stars of her generation, the majestic and gifted Oumou Sangare is endearingly referred to as the ‘Songbird from Wassoulou’. Her music is funky and vibrant but her lyrics open people’s consciousness by challenging convention, from bold expressions of sensuality to advocating for women’s rights. Her 2017 album, Mogoya, was her first eight years and marked a major change in direction for the Malian singer. Collaborating with French production team, A.l.b.e.r.t (who previously worked with indie rock band Franz Ferdinand), the album presents Sangaré’s music with a fresh contemporary way, and includes a guest appearance by legendary afrobeat drummer Tony Allen.

Talisk are a Scottish folk trio comprising Mohsen Amini (concertina), Hayley Keenan (fiddle) and Graeme Armstrong (acoustic guitar). Their unique, high-energy approach to Scottish instrumental folk music blends traditional and contemporary elements, and their electric live performances have captured the attention of audiences at major festivals across the world, including Celtic Connections, Tønder Festival, and Cambridge Folk Festival. They released their second album, Beyond, in November 2018.

Delgres are a Caribbean blues trio, a genre mainly sung in Creole nowadays, and they came together four years ago after frontman and guitarist Pascal Danaë met drummer Baptiste Brondy and sousaphone player Rafgee. They essentially represent a personal adventure, an inner journey for which music acts as the imaginary, although vibrant, vehicle of private experience and family history as well as, more broadly speaking, the destiny of a part of the world marked by its rootlessness and identity struggles. The fascinating music they produce is that of a unique power trio, akin to the Black Keys and Hanni El Khatib’s work, somewhere between hypnotised rock, earthy soul and caustic garage.