About
An exhilarating musical journey, where West African and European traditions call out to each other.
Join Manchester Collective’s string ensemble, percussionist extraordinaire Sidiki Dembélé and his band for folksong and storytelling from the Ivory Coast, Mali and Senegal. Born out of his family’s griot tradition of West African oral history and music, Sidiki’s work ‘Teriya’ (‘Friendship’ in Bambara) celebrates where our roots intertwine.
Our destination is the musical meeting point between cultures. Guiding us there and directing from the violin is Rakhi Singh. Hear the old anew with her bold reimaginings of classical and folk tunes, baroque mixed with African percussion and plenty of improvisational magic along the way.
Adding her own colours to this vibrant palette is Nwando Ebizie. The Northern composer and multidisciplinary artist creates a brand-new work filtered through her very own Afrofuturist vision. Drawing from the power of ancestral heritages and rites, her piece looks to the future by calling on the spirits of the past.
Constellations is a human experience of sharing and connection. You can be sure that rhythm will be your friend here.
Constellations is supported by the Radcliffe Trust, the Leche Trust and the Maria Björnson Memorial Fund. Nwando Ebizie’s new work is commissioned by Manchester Collective with support from the Vaughan Williams Foundation.
‘Master of African percussion’ (The Scotsman on Sidiki Dembélé)
‘Full of playful experimentation and atmospheric sounds’ (The Times on Manchester Collective)
