Good news for local fans of foreign culture – a new world music night is launching in Bournemouth.
Worldbeat is an evening at the Winchester pub that features sounds, instruments and performers from across the globe. It debuted on Saturday 10th March, with an African themed evening.
One of the event’s organisers, Rupert Southcombe, said he decided to start it because he thought there weren’t enough interesting cultural evenings being run in the town: “We were just sick and tired of having limited options of things to do in Bournemouth. As much as I love the town, there’s just not that much interesting stuff about.
“There was no-one doing, sort of, African music, and it really fires our enthusiasm. It’s just so interesting, you hear sounds or instruments played in such a different way than you perhaps normally would. Yeah, it’s just really fascinating.”
On the bill Saturday night was Gambian solo performer Jally Kebba Susso, who played the Kora, a type of traditional West African harp, and Afro Tallah, a collective of musicians that play a mix of Reggae, Cuban and Latino music.
Rupert says they’re now hoping that the night can become a regular thing: “This particular one was African themed, but we hope to expand it and make it more of a multicultural evening.
“We’re lining up some other artists, for, hopefully, later on this year.”
To hear a selection of the sounds being played on Saturday night, as well as an extended interview with Rupert, click play below.
