Music / world music
Bristol’s month in World Music – August 2025
Well the end of July may have been a little blighted by the complete lack of a nearby WOMAD but August’s interesting visitors should liven things up a little. Plus it’s Jamaican Independence Day (Wed 6) and that’s always a cause for partying…
The official South West Jamaican Independence Day Celebration is a big all-dayer at Lakota (Sat 9) – the third year running the they’ve been given that honour – with DJs, food and games. The big reggae gig, however, must be the return of dub legend Scientist to Strange Brew (Sat 16). His studio credits start with King Tubby in the 60s, Channel One in the 70s, Greensleeves in the 80s … wherever reggae was hot he was there mixing and dubbing.
You can follow that with the Teachings in Dub Day Party at Trinity (Sun 17), then a Courtyard Social featuring Dub Boy at Attic Bar (Sat 23). Reggae Reggae Live part 2 at Lost Horizon (Sat 30) features Troy Ellis and the Hail Jamaica Band while the dub-meets-hip-hop brass outfit Dub Catalyst are at Mr Wolf’s (Fri 22).
Colombian outfit Balthvs (Strange Brew, Sat 2) submerge their cumbia roots in swathes of ambient guitar and psychedelic ramblings. They come with the promise of ‘special guests’ too.
Then there’s Balkan-Latin fusion funksters Los Kamer who actually emanate from Mexico. Think Manu Chao guesting with Fanfare Ciocarlia and you get the idea. They land in The Bell (Wed 6) and rock up at Canteen a week later (Wed 6). There will be dancing.
What to say about Big Pollo (Canteen, Sat 23/The Bell, Wed 27)? They took the offbeat chicha groove of their native Peru, added a four to the floor funk beat and slicked it into a fresh, dance-compelling fusion they call chichafunky.
Multi-instrumentalist Theo Mizú (Canteen, Thur 21) hails from Brazil but seems to have spent his life shuttling between there and Thailand. On the way he’s evolved a complex potpourri of folk, dance and pop that veers from acoustic instrumentals to high energy street dance songs.
Canteen’s Latin offering for August also includes fusioneers Los Gusanos (Sat 16), the monthly Latin Session (Wed 20) and the classic Bossa nova sound of Zubieta and the Suaves (Wed 27).
More Colombian visitors hit the Jam Jar (Fri 29) in the coyly renamed Los F#ckin’ Surfer Smokers. As the name suggests they make a surf-guitar influenced psych thing out of cumbia and salsa ingredients.
Whatever the name Nothing Concrete (Exchange, Tue 26) suggests won’t prepare you for the reality of this highly entertaining French 7-piece band who magpie pick whatever they like from cumbia, swing, Afrobeat and French traditional music with Gallic cabaret suaveté.
There’s an unfortunate clash of African-rooted music on Sat 9 when regular favourites Gnawa Blues All-Stars bring that North African desert groove to Canteen. Over at Strange Brew on the same night there’s the Mark Ernestus N’dagga Rhythm Force from Senegal, a heavily dub-influenced sound rooted in West African percussion.
Malawian acoustic duo Madalitso return to The Bell (Wed 13), complete with that amazingly long babatoni bass instrument and Lost Horizon round off the month with Bailoteka (Sun 31), an Afro-Latin dance celebration celebrating ‘the Afro-Latinx diaspora’.
And let’s not forget El Rincon’s regular Flamenco offering: Sunday Flamenco (Sun 10) and Fab Friday Flamenco (Fri 29). They’re popular and it’s a small place so booking is pretty essential.
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