Funded by the Arts Council of England, Reverberations was the very first of its kind to be held in Devon writes Fiona Evans.

Artists took to the stage and ran workshops at TR2, the Theatre Royal Plymouth, the Barbican Theatre and Plymouth Arts Centre.

Reverberations offered a unique opportunity for African and Asian artists to perform to industry people including producers, promoters, venues, art centres and the general public. Raising their profile and hopefully securing work or helpful new contacts.

Ripton Lindsay

The event had a very diverse and full programme showcasing artists such as Ansuman Biswas, Angus Brown, Sekou Keita, Kwesi Johnson, Ripton Lindsay, MC Dread and Baljinder Bhopal alongside Devon's own stars Abimbola Alao, Ayodele Scott and Chartwell Dutiro.

Bangra, theatre, new Asian writing, Afro-caribbean dance, rap poetry were all served up as part of this Arts Council initiative.

Kate Sparshatt joint co-ordinator of Reverberations considers Plymouth perfect for this type of event.

"The cultures a lot of these artists are working from and influenced by are quite relevant because Plymouth has a connection with the slave trade and all the history of the intercultural mixture that's come through the city," she said.

Devon artists showcased at Reverberations

Abimbola Alao
Abimbola Alao is known to many across the Devon for her storytelling and educational work. A renowned performer, having appeared on TV and radio in the UK, she is able to take her audience into the world of imagination, as she brings stories from distant lands and people.

Using costumes and musical instruments she encourages audience participation in dancing, drumming and singing. Abi has recently published her first book 'The Legendary Weaver' which is aimed at 10 year olds to adults and is inspired by the African art of hair weaving.

Ayodele Scott
Ayo Scott is a professional West African dancer and drummer, experienced in high quality performance and inspirational teaching.

Ayodelle Scott

Originating from Sierra Leone, he now resides in Devon and tours nationally and internationally both as an individual artist, and with the company he co-founded, Kabudu, which specialises in performing both traditional and contemporary works. He also celebrates the musical culture of West Africa with the renowned group Baka Beyond.

Ayo runs regular dance and drumming workshops, summer and winter schools in Devon, that attract participants from both near and far.

Chartwell Dutiro
Chartwell Dutiro is a master mbira player from Zimbabwe. With interweaving rhythms and inspired singing, his music has won the hearts of audiences all around the world.

Chartwell Dutiro

This is the music that calls the spirits to offer guidance in the day to day life, the raw sound that has been calling the ancestors for centuries.

He currently leads his own group Spirit talk Mbira. Chartwell has performed all over the world and has led music workshops in the UK and worldwide for all ages and musical abilities. He is a regular performer and workshop leader at WOMAD festivals.