Bristol’s month in World Music – March 2026

Plenty to get excited about this month, including Queens of Lovers Rock, top salsa-jazz action and an Indian classical virtuoso concert, but first there’s the eagerly awaited line-up news for WOMAD’s 2026 festival. After taking a year off to re-strategise the festival organisers announced their new site in Neston Park, Wiltshire (July 23-26) and now the first names have been released including reggae legend Barrington Levy, Malian dance diva Oumou Sangare, contemporary Afrobeat pioneer Mádé Kuti (son of Femi, grandson of Fela) and South Korea’s only bluegrass band Country Gongbang. There’s info about these and many more on the WOMAD website. Now, back to March in Bristol …

If you saw Steve McQueen’s splendid Small Axe film Lovers Rock you’ll remember the heart-stoppingly brilliant scene when a roomful of dancing people pick up the song Silly Games and sweetly sing it all the way through. It rightly brought fresh attention to the original singer Janet Kay as well as fellow Lovers queen Carol Thompson, British born artists who defined a new genre in reggae that was firmly rooted in the UK. You can celebrate both amazing artists’ timeless music at their joint concert at Lost Horizon (Sat 28).

Port-O-Ska bring a brassy tribute to the roots of ska at Canteen (Sat 21) where veteran skankster Ya Freshness (Sat 28) aims to prove that you can “ listen to ska and live a better life in seconds.” Roots reggae band Mizizi are at The Bell that same night (Sat 28) and Mr Wolf’s have the hip-hop flavoured reggae sound of Dub Catalyst (Sat 21). And for DIY reggae fans there’s the Riddim jam session at Canteen (Tue 3).

No Latin music gigs in the early part of the month – they all come in a rush starting with a brilliant double bill of Afro-Latin stars Soma Soma and Brazilian-roots percussion and voice ensemble Safrela (Jam Jar, Sat 21). That same night there’s Dave Betts’ Latin Jazz Collective (Crafty Egg, Fishponds) – a star-stuffed outfit led by powerhouse percussionist Dave.

Hot on the heels of that Jim Blomfield brings his awesome salsa-jazz SAOCO Collective to The Bell (Mon 23) and then Canteen welcomes it’s monthly Bossa Nova session (Tue 24) when Zubieta and the Suaves will welcome special guests. There’s the rootsy samba sound of Casa de Samba (Canteen, Thur 26) and again, for DIY Latin fans, don’t forget Canteen’s superb Descarga jam session (Tue 17).

You may have seen the Cretan three-string Lyra played before, but possibly not in the unique ‘under the chin’ style of contemporary Greek singer Georgia Dagaki (Moor Beer, Sat 7). Her impassioned vocals and rhythmic sense are both steeped in the traditions of her Cretan heritage. Similarly Kurdish singer Aynur Dogan (St George’s, Fri 27) seeks to bring the musical heritage of her people to a wider audience, both through her really impressive vocal performance but also through the distinctive twin-necked saz, the long-necked traditional lute of the region. St George’s also host an evening (Sun 29) of virtuoso classical Indian performers – Carnatic flautist Shashank Subramanyam and sarod pioneer Prattyush Banerjee, the latter joined by mighty tabla player Sukhvinder ‘Pinky’ Singh (who famously joined Ry Cooder for their A Meeting By The River album). All three musicians have a reputation for innovation while respectfully adhering to traditional musical values and the evening should be spellbinding.

Cameroonian percussionist Alphonse Touna‘s Afrobeat-meets-jazz outfit Helele (The Bell, Wed 11) has been around in various forms for decades, consistently providing glorious instrumental performances with irresistibly danceable grooves. Senegalese kora player Amadou Diagne is appearing at the Bristol Jazz Club night (The Architect, Wed 4). Always willing to extend his own sound through new collaborations it will be interesting to see who he appears with. And for a more generic good time ‘world dance’ session there’s Shallow Roots’ Afro-Latin melange at Grain Barge (Fri 6) and the irrepressible Mr T and The Minions klezmer-ska meltdown (Jam Jar, Sat 14).