FORTHCOMING EVENTS

CHRIS DIFFORD

Thursday 19th April 2018

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CHRIS DIFFORD – SOME FANTASTIC PLACE
MY LIFE IN AND OUT OF SQUEEZE
- with Special Guest Boo Hewerdine

THURSDAY 19th April 2018
HUNTON VILLAGE HALL

WEST STREET, HUNTON (MAIDSTONE)
KENT ME15 oRR
TICKETS £18
DOORS 7.30, MUSIC FROM 8.00

Tickets £18 (plus handling charge) from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/433268

CHRIS DIFFORD

Chris Difford is a co-founder of one of our best-loved bands, Squeeze, whose lasting contribution to music is legendary. Hits such as ‘Cool For Cats’, ‘Up The Junction’, ‘Labelled With Love’, ‘Hourglass’ and ‘Tempted’ have soundtracked so many fans’ lives since the band’s first release in 1977, and the passion for innovation and love of playing still drives him to carry on writing. For over 40 years he has been writing with Glenn Tilbrook and when Squeeze take a break from the road, Glenn and Chris have been touring their ‘At Odds Couple Tour’ both in the UK and the US.
‘Some Fantastic Place, my life in and out of Squeeze’ is Chris’ autobiography, which was published by Orion Books in 2017. This tour is a celebration of the songs and stories that populate this amazing book.
During a 13 album career with Squeeze, it was clear that Chris Difford has few peers when it comes to smart, pithy lyricism. His ‘kitchen sink-drama’ style has drawn plaudits from fans on both sides of the Atlantic. He has influenced the likes of Lily Allen and Mark Ronson, Kasabian, Razorlight and The Feeling who have all recognised the debt they owe to Squeeze’s music and to Difford’s way with words, while journalists dubbed Difford and Tilbrook ‘The New Lennon and McCartney’.
Chris won his first Ivor Novello award when he wrote the lyrics for the fictional band Strange Fruit in the 1998 British comedy film ‘Still Crazy’. Since then he has written and contributed lyrics for the likes of Elton John, Wet Wet Wet, Jools Holland, Paul Carrack, Lisa Stansfield and Bryan Ferry.
Chris has hosted songwriter workshops for over 25 years. In 2014 he formed a partnership with ‘The Buddy Holly Foundation’ to run a week of writing at Pennard House, Glastonbury. Other writing events include Guardian Master Classes held in London and smaller events at The Rathfinney Wine Estate in East Sussex.
Squeeze released their first album of original music in 15 years when they soundtracked the BBC2 TV show ‘Cradle To The Grave’,  based on the life of Danny Baker and starring Peter Kay. They followed this critically acclaimed album with another in 2017, The Knowledge, which once again demonstrated Difford and Tilbrook’s potency as songwriters and performers, this time tackling more thorny politically charged subject matter.
A box set of Chris’ 3 studio albums ‘Chris To The Mill’ came out in March 2017. His fourth studio album ‘Pants’ is due for an early 2018 release, a collection of songs written with long-time collaborator Boo Hewerdine and coming out on Boo’s own label.

Special Guest – BOO HEWERDINE

As a recording artist, Boo’s first steps came with the band, The Great Divide before the formation of the critically acclaimed group The Bible and a career that subsequently bloomed as a musician, songwriter, producer, teacher and performer.
Boo Hewerdine takes us on that journey back in time with a new album ‘Swimming in Mercury’ released in 2017 by Reveal Records, a trip furnished with a glisten and a glint in his eye as he applies style and shapes to his autobiographical memories. In his own words “The album was recorded in the spirit of the first four track recording I ever did… but instead of a chunky cassette deck we were able to use Chris Pepper’s studio. It was an incredibly enjoyable and creative way to work”
As a producer Boo is renowned for his ideas and innovation, for new ways of recording and bringing projects to completion. His latest project “Mobile”, for Devon based artist Peter James Millson, is a unique project of a complete album recorded directly to a Windows phone, capturing the music in a live and intimate setting. Mastered by Chris Pepper it stands out as a modern-day field recording.
Other standout projects include releases for Findlay Napier, Nick Kelly and the longer term musical extravaganza ‘Fancy Pants’ with Chris Difford from Squeeze. His songs have been covered by the likes by k.d. lang, Paul Young, Kris Drever and Eddi Reader (the song Patience Of Angels won an Ivor Novello nomination)

SONA JOBARTEH

Wednesday 13th June 2018

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SONA JOBARETH AND HER BAND
WEDNESDAY 13th June 2018

THE MARLOWE STUDIO
The Friars, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2AS
Tickets £20 *plus booking fee. Doors 7.30pm, Live Music from 8pm.
THE MARLOWE THEATRE BOX OFFICE: 01227 787787
https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/sona-jobarteh/

“Sona Jobarteh is Africa’s first female griot kora virtuoso, and also a fine singer and composer, blending traditional music, blues and Afropop to impressive effect”
Robin Denselow,  The Guardian

The Kora, a west African harp is traditionally played by male griots, or hereditary musicians, and never by women. This is the woman who decided to change the rules. She stands as she plays, demonstrating elegant and intricate musicianship; Sona is also a fine singer, with a cool, laid-back style, fronting a seasoned, four man Afro Beat Group.
The Kora is a 21 stringed African harp, and is one of the most important instruments belonging to the Manding peoples of West Africa. It can be found in Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Only those who are born into a griot family have the exclusive right to take up these instruments professionally. Sona was born into one of the five principal West African Griot families.
Her Grandfather, Amadu Bansang Joberteh was a Master Griot and remains a leading icon in Gambia’s cultural and musical history. Her cousin Toumani Diabaté is also known worldwide for his mastery of the Kora. Taught to play at the age of four by her elder brother Tunde Jegede, Sona started her musical journey at a very young age; later further developing her expertise under the tutorship of her father Sanjally Jobarteh.

The years spent working as a musician in the UK training in Classical institutions such as the Royal College of Music and Purcell School of music, as well as being a permanent member of her brother’s Ensemble allowed Sona to become immersed in a world of musical diversity many could only dream of, Sona was able to work alongside internationally acclaimed artists such as Oumou Sangaré, Toumani Diabaté, Kasse Mady Diabaté and The BBC Symphony Orchestra.
She has won over audiences all over the World with her captivating voice and catchy melodies bringing messages about the issues that she champions – cultural identity, gender, love and respect, whilst remaining utterly faithful to her Gambian heritage.  She is very active on Social Issues representing The Gambia at The World Trade Organisation and starting a
school – “The Amadu Bansang Jobarteh School” where the children of Gambia can enjoy integrated study of Traditional Music  and Acedemia.

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