Rokia Koné shares new remix of ‘Shezita’ and announces UK tour
Rokia will perform 5 dates this October in the UK with Salif Koné and Yahael Camara Onono.
Tue, 24 September 24
The Breath announce Keep it Safe EP
The Breath, Ríoghnach Connolly (voice, shruti and flute) and Stuart McCallum (guitar, effects), announced the digital release of a new EP containing four songs originally recorded during the album sessions for their third album ‘Land of My Other.’
One track Too Many Have Gone was released in the summer to coincide with their performance at the WOMAD Festival and a new track Keep it Safe is available now. The full four song collection, which also includes the songs Unravelling and Close to the Bone, follows on 1 November.
Keep it Safe denotes the struggle for balance and revisits a time of personal shut down. The beauty of what your mind can do to protect you when your heart is sore.
the only way is for home
Ríoghnach is speaking of her need to return home as things unravel. The piano parts mirroring and symbolising the trickling down effect on other aspects of life, of asynchronous parts, and the ‘falling down’ feeling when you are “out at sea with yourself”.
Let the wind keep you safe, keep it born on your wave
keep it fierce to the flame, let it all burn away
But the guidance is not to remain in shut down, It is to not be afraid to feel it, in your own time. Get to the ocean, stand at the vista – be small, let nature take the helm. Let the waves break on your face, feel the physical sensation akin to helplessness in the face of the elements. It will soothe, and it can heal.
end the light in the way and the shortness of days
in this dark, dark place, let it set in
don’t be afraid of the morn
don’t be afraid of the cold
don’t be afraid of your head
keep it safe
We’ve both had ups and downs with mental health over the years, and the music reflects that with a yearning melancholy. The tempo mirrors the feeling of pushing through - steady, head down, but always moving forward (much like you do under the grey skies of Manchester!) At the same time, there’s an underlying strength that comes from the need to 'Keep It Safe.' Stuart McCallum
Ríoghnach Connolly and Stuart McCallum have already had one of their busiest years of live shows together in 2024, and November seems them return to Ireland for another week of gigs. They have also recently announced a new London show in February 2025 at King’s Place:
October
11 CARDIFF Llais Wales Millennium Centre
November
9 BELFAST, Duncairn Events Centre
10 RUSH, Millbank Theatre
11 DUBLIN, Whelans Live
12 LIMERICK, Record Room
13 CORK, Coughlan’s Bar
14 GALWAY, Taibhdhearc Theatre
15 BRIDGNORTH, St Leonard’s Church
16 NORTHWICH, The Salt Works Sessions
December
7 ULVERSTON, Bardsea Malt Kiln
February 2025
20 LONDON, King’s Place
21 BRIGHTON, Folklore Rooms
RWS168 The Breath – Keep it Safe
Keep it Safe
Unravelling
Too Many Have Gone
Close to the Bone
Available on all digital platforms: https://lnk.to/RWS168
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Released 13 October 2023
Land Of My Other is a place of memories and melodies, lyricism and lore. A place of sunlight, faerie-tales and rowan trees; of grief, incarceration and thunder in darkness. A place where ancestral trauma and colonial injustice meet blazing pride, romantic self-rule and hands held in a circle in the sea. Where songs are sung with feeling, instruments are everywhere and music lives deep in the bones.
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Further reading
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Discovered in the label's archives, the album captures the singer at the height of his vocal powers.
Wed, 19 June 24
Track of the day: ‘AmmA’ by Bab L’ Bluz
'AmmA' draws on music from north-east Morocco and influences from Tunisia and Algeria.
Fri, 08 March 24
Track of the day: ‘Too Many Have Gone’ by The Breath
The Breath reveal their first new music since the release of their third album, Land of My Other. A...
Fri, 19 July 24