News

John Billett and JBGB Events are thrilled to bring to the intimate St.James Studio venue, their first Festival of World Music.

Over four consecutive evenings in March, we showcase many of the finest musicians, groups and ensembles from across the globe performing indigenous melodies, rhythms and harmonies in the most compelling ways.

The opening Tuesday night features from Jamaica the superb reggae band Legend performing their tribute to the finest musician ever to emerge from the Caribbean, Bob Marley and The Waders. Don’t hold back from drenching yourselves in this rhythmic festival.

Portugal has a long tradition of its own classical music Fado. On the Wednesday evening of the Festival you will hear emotive songs of passion and unrequited love accompanied by Portuguese and Spanish guitars, performed by distinguished vocal stars The Russian music tradition of choral and folk music finds an expression on The Thursday of the festival with a 24- voice choir followed by folk music from an outstanding trio of musicians, all under the direction of maestro Polina Skovoroda. And on the final Friday evening, it’s Brazillian party night with Gaio de Lima and his Choro music band playing the original samba infused dance music.

We look forward to your company across these four evenings celebrating the wide range of international music at this Festival.

15 March
Jamaica: Reggae Music of Bob Marley
Singer, musician and songwriter, Bob Marley was a world ambassador for reggae music selling over 20 million records. Legend are seven great musicians and singers dedicated to Marley’s life and music. Legend’s show covers the best of the reggae classics: Is This Love, No Woman No Cry, Waiting In Vain, Exodus, I Shot The Sheriff.
‘When music hits you, you feel no pain’ Bob Marley
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16 March
Portugal: Fado & Country Music
Fado, Potugal’s own, almost operatic, classical music is characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics infused with sentiments of love, life, resignation and fate. Making their UK debut, Isabel Noronha and Cristiano de Sousa outstanding Fado singers, with their musicians arrive from Lisbon specially for this festival, having built reputations for style and performance sensitivity
‘Fado stories, and deep music style live inside the soul’ Correio da Manha
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17 March
Russia: Choral and Folk Music
Polina Skovoroda leads The London Russian Choir in traditional lyrical and epic songs, ritual calendar music for pagan holidays, wedding songs and other folklore. Playing Russian folk songs, her trio play folk song arrangements, embracing a range of cultural influences, incorporating improvisation and spontaneity, weaving a sound that moves the listener physically, emotionally and spiritually, with lyrical songs, ballads and dance music..
‘With virtuoso vocal talent and raw emotional delivery, Polina extracts energy from the same sources that make Blues so powerful’ Portuguese American Journal
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18 March
Brazil: Choro Music
From 19^th century Rio de Janeiro, Choro is the cheerful, melodic, real party music of Brazil. The coupling of European waltzes and polkas and fusing them with the syncopation and flair of Afro-Brazilian music, created that distinctive, compulsive samba dancing sound. Gaio de Lima from Rio, playing the 10-string mandolin, leads his Club do Choro UK group playing mandolins, piccolo, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and a variety of energetic percussion instruments in a tour de force of musical variety, with lead parts and improvisations tumbling around to ensure an evening of lively foot tapping and body swaying entertainment.
‘Choro is the ultimate must get up and dance music’ Gaio de Lima
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