Bristol’s month in World Music – April 2026

But first … looking ahead to the summer, WOMAD (Neston Park, July 23-26) have announced a second tranche of artists appearing. A collaboration with global radio platform NTS will bring a swathe of ultra-hip club DJs with a range of specialities including Cuban – Cami Layé Oyún – North African – Cheb Mimo – and Latin – Coco Maria. Is this a return to the fondly remembered Whirligig dance nights from the old Rivermead days?

Back to the month in question, and contemporary Afrobeat star Femi Kuti brings his rocking Positive Force band to Electric Bristol (Thur 23). Now in its 40th year the band’s new album Journey Through Life is another helping of politically charged Afro-rock fusion from one of Nigeria’s greatest showmen. Keyboard player Deems Ioratim-Uba brings a more complex development of Afrobeat roots to the Jam Jar (Fri 10). Deems Experiment Presents: Afrobeat Allstars hooks up his instrumental Afrojazz quintet to vocalist Luna Kali for a fusion night of improvised music always grooving from a Nigerian core. Over at the Attic Bar – and sadly on the same night – Cardiff’s Afro Cluster collective bring their fusion of Afrobeat and hip-hop.

Similarly, Moroccan gnawa musician Mohamed Errebbaa’s driving bass guembri roots the music of Tagna Groove (Jam Jar, Fri 3) in his North African heritage alongside elements of funk, reggae or Afrobeat. The Jam Jar’s African theme is capped by the annual return of  Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness aka BCUC for a two night residency (Wed 22/Thur 23). Their live show is a truly ecstatic roller coaster fusing punk, funk and hip-hop with South African harmonies and relentless energy – they may well be sold out by the time you read this. New trio project Kumari Kandam brings together jazz bass player Riaan Vosloo, multi-instrumental composer Ross Hughes and tabla demon Jeevan Singh (El Rincon, Fri 3/Spirited Bristol, Sun 19) for an innovative fusion of Ethiopique and Indian flavours.

You can catch Jeevan’s percussion in his longstanding role as part of RSVP, Bristol’s original bhangra band. The guaranteed party starters, fronted by the exuberant Dildar Singh, will be shaking the rafters at The Bell (Sat 18). The Jam Jar has Persian-psych funksters Ababa 5 headlining an Erratic Batting night (Wed 29) while El Rincon has an altogether more reflective Middle Eastern music night with Turkish singer/songwriter Özcan Ates in a duo with guitarist Charlie Groves. Özlan is master of the baglan, a traditional Turkish lute. As well as being Small Days’ jazz guitarist Dave Merrick has devoted himself to the Native American flute for some years, visiting communities in the States to learn more. Inner Voice is his duo with guitarist Clive Mills and their Adventures with Native American Flute and Guitar is at The Folk House (Mon 13).

Devotees of samba – and there are very many across and around Bristol – will need no reminding that this month sees the annual Tambor Drumming Festival, an amazing Encontro (meeting) of Afro-Brazilian percussion ensembles. The event begins with a Welcome Party (Fleece, Fri 24) featuring Bloco B that’s followed by two days at Trinity (Sat 25/Sun 26) packed with workshops and live performances.

The Tambor rounds off a month that also features Bournemouth’s brass-heavy reggae-Latin outfit Pachango (Canteen, Sat 11), popular contemporary cumbia exponents Baila la Cumbia (Jam Jar, Fri 17) and bossa nova revivalists Zubieta & The Suaves (Tobacco Factory, Sun 19/Canteen, Tue 28).

El Rincon adds a lunchtime Domingo Duende session (Sun 24) to their otherwise sold out flamenco calendar for April and just up the road at the Hen & Chicken the Bebop Club welcomes superb Latin-jazz pianist Jim Blomfield’s powerhouse SAOCO Collective (Thur 23). Jim is also one of the core musicians for Canteen’s monthly Latin Descarga (Tue 21) jam session.

The Exchange has a knack of snaring unexpectedly big names and this month sees reggae singer Barrington Levy rock up on Old Market (Thur 30). A massive star since the seminal Under Mi Sensi hit the decks in the early 80s Barrington has effortlessly ridden the new waves of dancehall and ragga and even released a highly acclaimed acoustic album Acousticalevy.

Canteen has reggae and ska band Hekatones (Sat 25), a spin-off of dub-wise outfit Resonators. Marathon skanksters could go on there from Lost Horizon’s day party, also on the 25th, featuring CGC Soundsystem in a meeting with Dharma HiFi. And Canteen has their monthly Riddim reggae jam session (Tue 7).