 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Artist List:
Amampondo
Amjad Ali Khan
Asad Qizilbash
Bembeya Jazz
Chico Cesar
Clave Y Guaguanco
Eliza Carthy Big Band
Ensemble Kaboul
Jimmy Cliff
Julien Jacob
LoJo
Manecas Costa
Manu Dibango and
Ray Lema
Nitin Sawhney
Ojos de Brujo
Oumou Sangare
Pape and Cheikh
Samba Sunda
Sevara Nazarkhan
Sierra Maestra
Super Rail Band
Temple of Sound
Teofilo Chantre
|
|
 |
|
Profile:
Eliza Carthy Big Band
 
If you're looking for murder, sex, rape, gang warfare, crime, violence and skulduggery then forget all those lightweights like Eminem, 50 Cent and So Solid Crew and cop a load of some traditional English music. The truly shocking and magnetic appeal of Albion's musical roots has long been known to a select sub-culture of folk enthusiasts who have celebrated their common obsession in the cultural closet of folk clubs and folk fests like Cambridge and Sidmouth etc.
It needed someone of the Eliza Carthy to 'out' this scintillating heritage and open the door for a whole 'nu-breed' of young, sexy traditionalists like Kate Rusby, Cara Dillon, John Spiers and Jon Bowden etc. Admittedly Carthy was well placed for the job. First, but perhaps most irrelevantly, she is the daughter of two of the greatest names in the modern history of English Folk; singer-songwriter Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson of The Watersons and Steeleye Span fame. Secondly she plays a mean fiddle, sings a tender tune and changes the colour of her hair on a regular basis, which, considering folk music's long suffered image problem is perhaps more relevant than you might think. Thirdly she's young…..only 26.
When her album ' Red Rice' was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize a few years ago she was unfeasibly young. The album was also unfeasibly good which is perhaps why Carthy has gone on to share stages with artists as diverse as Joan Baez, Cerys Matthews, Byran Ferry, Elvis Costello and Van Dyke Parks, as well as appearing on 'Later with Joolz Holland' and in several TV documentaries. Armed with Topic Records' phenomenal 20 volume 'Voice of the People' collection of traditional British music, Carthy has recently recorded another gem called 'Anglicana' which the Guardian succinctly described as "magnificent".
Style, youth, wit and virtuosity aren't always absolutely necessary for a successful career in showbiz but when it comes to English folk, damn can they make a difference.
Biography by Andy Morgan, July 2003
Elsewhere on BBCi:
World on Your Street musicians's story
Celebrating Sanctuary (Refugee Weekend)
Radio 3 Awards for World Music profile
Official website:
www.elizacarthy.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
