BLACK LIVES IN MUSIC

English Folk Exòsition 2023

BLACK LIVES IN MUSIC

preview by Norman Warwick

Our final English Folk Expo 2023 delegate-only showcase to be announced is a very special one. UK-based organisation Black Lives in Music (BLiM) will treat us to a showcase by two artists:

Haiti-born Germa Adan (pictured above) writes and performs a tapestry of ethereal vocal and stringed harmonies influenced by her Haitian, American and British experiences. Folk On Foot says of her, ‘Germa is a rising star on the folk scene with a beguiling and original style’.

British-Ugandan Daudi Matsiko carefully crafts modern albeit reverent folk. After receiving a standing ovation at this year’s The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, Matsiko’s much anticipated debut album is expected early 2024.

The showcase will be introduced with a panel hosted by BLiM Director of Operations Roger Wilson and featuring artists Angeline Morrison and Lady Nade.

Black Lives in Music stand for equal opportunities for Black, Asian and ethnically diverse people to be able to work successfully in the UK music industry without being the subject of discrimination.

Brit Awards Stars Boss Morris To Perform at EFEx ’23

They transformed London’s O2 into an off-kilter folk paradise for the performance by Wet Leg at the 2023 Brit Awards and put English morris dancing front and centre in contemporary British pop culture, so we’re delighted to say that Boss Morris will be doing three very special performances on Cutting Room Square, in The Northern Quarter of Manchester as part of English Folk Expo/Manchester Folk Festival 2023 on the afternoon of Saturday 21st October.

The Official Folk Albums Chart for August 2023,

The CHART BELOWt is produced by English Folk Expo in partnership with The Official Chart Company, sees a quiet month for new releases making the top 40, with just three new entries including a new number 1

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‘Morning Walking Club’ (Land Pirate) by West Country’s Gaz Brookfield lands at number 1 on the new chart as well as reaching number 1 on the Bandcamp Folk Chart. Gaz says the album was inspired by walks with his friends: ‘Over the last few years, especially during the pandemic, walking has become a real source of therapy for me, and for a lot of my friends. We used to laugh about how we used meet and go to the pub, but now we have this very rock n roll, ‘morning walking club’ instead. It may have been a bit of a joke, but it really helped.’ 

New in at number 3 is ‘Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake’ (Chrysalis), a project helmed by Chrysalis CEO Jeremy Lascelles and Nick Drake estate manager Cally Callomon which features covers of Nick Drake material as well as a never-before-released recording of Drake playing Bob Dylan’s ‘Tomorrow Is A Long Time’. 

Other artists featured across the twenty-three tracks include Emeli Sandé, Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Fontaines D.C., David Gray and EFEx’s mentee graduate Katherine Priddy.

The final August 2023 chart new entry is the Bandcamp-only release by the Eliza Carthy Trio, ‘Conversations We’ve Had Before’ (Eliza Carthy). Tradfolk declare it the best album Eliza has made in years. The album is dedicated to the much-missed Paul Sartin and is the first album recorded with the trio, a wholly traditional material album bar one track ‘Love Lane’, an Eliza original tune. Folk Radio UK says, ‘it is to be hoped that such an enigmatic and compelling album receives the attention that it deserves.’

English Folk Expo (Charity no 1192064)is a sector support organisation and a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England. It has a growing portfolio of initiatives designed to support the English folk, roots and acoustic sector including its annual English Folk Expo Showcase for UK and international industry, showcasing a broad range of English folk, roots and acoustic artists in Manchester, England each October. To find out more go to englishfolkexpo.com