A Theatr Mwldan | Astar Artes Co-Production

Visit our new dedicated website to read more about the project:

catrinfinchandseckoukeita.com

It’s been an amazing year for Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita. Recently announced winners of Best Cross-Cultural Collaboration in the Songlines Magazine Music Awards 2014,  winners of the prestigious fRoots Critics Poll Album Of The Year for their debut album Clychau Dibon, nominated for two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Duo and Best Traditional Track, and featured in Songlines Magazine top ten albums of 2013, the sky is indeed the limit for this fearless pair of virtuoso musicians whose ‘heavenly music…intricately realised’ (Songlines Magazine) and infectious onstage chemistry defies categorisation and continues to merge the boundaries between the genres of classical, world, folk and traditional music.

The harp occupies a vital place in the incredibly rich cultures of both West Africa and Wales and, remarkably, both nations share a centuries-old bardic tradition of intricate oral history, expressed through music, song and verse.  Together, Finch and Keita have risen to the tough challenge of blending two completely different musical cultures and creating something coherent, relevant and entirely new.

Their debut album Clychau Dibon has attracted huge critical acclaim and a clutch of 4 and 5 * reviews from National and Industry press:

 "intricate, ethereal and entrancing, an elaborate pas-de-deux... remarkable" UNCUT Magazine’s Neil Spencer

" a sublime duo of two artists who are masters of their instruments...musicality and architecture at work" Simon Broughton, London Evening Standard *****

"remarkable...an elegant, gently exquisite set" Robin Denselow, The Guardian ****

A book ‘Finding The One’, written by Andy Morgan, has also been inspired by the project and the fascinating journey behind it. Both the book and the CD are available to purchase from Mwldan's Box Office.

Don’t miss your chance to see one of the most blissful and exciting music collaborations ever to come out of Wales, and one of Mwldan's most successful projects to date.

PRESS QUOTES:

"an intriguing collaboration that really works...  Catrin Finch is a celebrated harpist...this is (Seckou Keita's) most satisfying work to date.... the interaction is remarkable...an elegant, gently exquisite set".
Robin Denselow, The Guardian ****

“a sublime duo of two artists who are masters of their instruments...musicality and architecture at work" Simon Broughton, London Evening Standard *****

“Blissful” Financial Times *****

“Using every trick in the rock manual to dynamic effect...magical”   David Hutcheon, MOJO ****

'gorgeous, eloquent, elegant music'   Thomas Brooman CBE

"something quite different.. a really intriguing collaboration... it works so beautifully together – a beautiful album." Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2

"intricate, ethereal and entrancing, an elaborate pas-de-deux... remarkable" Neil Spencer, Uncut Magazine

"heavenly music.. that soars, intricately realised, pretty wonderful" Nigel Williamson, Songlines ****

“Some people spend a lot of money on illegal substances in order to attain the kind of mood this music evokes.”  fRoots

“Old Welsh harp songs, Manding kora staples, Latin dashes, Celtic arias and more woven together to create something new that also possessed enough depth to sound sage, even timeless..the marriage of harp and kora seems blessed to be long, warm and fruitful.” Andy Morgan

UK Tour Dates 2014

Supported by the Welsh Government and the Arts Council of Wales, and Arts Council England.