Najib Soudani Group and La Banda del Surdo

• Venue: Newtownsmith Main Stage
• Sunday
  14:15 - 15:00 | Free
• Music Events

A m’allim (master) among the Gnawa of Essaouira in Morocco, Najib Soudani brings his eight member group, featuring his two young sons, to the Festival for their debut Irish performance. Possessor of a 400-year-old father-to-son tradition, Soudani is recognised for his unique virtuosic driving of the blues pitched guimbiri (lute). While he is a purveyor of ancient traditions and ceremonies (his father is the leader of the brotherhood and shrine of the Essaouira Gnawa), Soudani is also an innovative composer and collaborator who has released five recordings and toured extensively with his brothers as the National Gnawa Orchestra.

Percussionists, dancers, stilt walkers and street artists, Spain’s La Banda del Surdo are an ensemble of musical acrobats whose powerful rhythms have been known to stop a festival in its tracks. Having collaborated with the world renowned Cirque du Soleil and Comediants amongst many other theatre companies, La Banda del Surdo remain one of Europe’s most popular street percussion ensembles.

In this main stage collaboration, La Banda del Surdo joins the Najib Soudani Group for a Spanish-Moroccan stage party, beating a rhythmic attack on percussion and querqabs (iron castanets).

Like this? Don’t Miss: La Banda del Surdo

La Banda del Durdo supported by