North Tyneside Council presents The Imagined Village
Winner- 'Best Traditional Song' BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2008
Nominee- 'Best Album'for 'The Imagined Village'- BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2008
'Englishness is the final frontier of world music.' - Simon Emmerson, head man of The Imagined Village
The Imagined Village is a stunning project spearheaded by Grammy Award winning musician and producer Simon Emmerson. Simon is also a founding member of the Afro Celt Sound System, a daring fusion of musical cultures and an ensemble that remains a festival favourite to this day.
'After travelling the world as a producer and musician I thought it was time explore my own roots,' says Simon, 'to look at the earth under my feet, dig the dirt of the homelands.'
This brings us to The Imagined Village which was formed in 2007 and has gathered together an array of brilliant and challenging voices, and set them in a musical framework that honours the past while updating it with breathtaking confidence.
On stage will be an outstanding cast including Eliza Carthy, Chris Wood and Jackie Oates backed by a band featuring Simon Emmerson, Johnny Kalsi, Ali Friend, Andy Gangadeen, Simon Richmond, Sheema Mukherjee and Barney Morse Brown.
'A joyous celebration of English and global culture.' **** The Times
"It's mischievous and tender, wry and wise, sad and surreal, but a folk that could only have been made in the 21st century" Observer Music Magazine