JULY 18, 2012
London's Calling
New Compilation Celebrates London's Musical Diversity
by Tom PryorJust in time for the Olympics comes this brand new compilation celebrating London's storied musical and cultural diversity with some of the coolest of the current crop of London-based world music acts covering some of our favorite songs about London.
The album is called London's Calling and will be released on July 30th by the London-based production company Culture Clash. There will also be performances at The Olympic Village in London and at the BT River of Music festival.
The album's boasts 14 classic tracks about London, included a cover of Lilly Allen's LDN from Ethiopian neo-traditionalists Krar Collective, a reggae-fied version of Ralph McTell's "Streets of London" from the Soothsayers, a gypsyfied version of Lord Kitchner's calypso classic "London Is The Place For Me" from Ionel's Roma, a swinging cumbia breakdown of Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue" by Cumbe, and, of course, a dynamite cover of the Clash's "London Calling" by Transglobal Underground with South African rapper Afrikan Boy on vocals.
The only thing missing is "Waterloo Sunset". Maybe there'll be a volume two.
The complete press release is reprinted after the video teaser below. Enjoy!
Released on 30th July London's Calling features a multi-cultural collective of London-based musicians paying tribute to the most international of cities and is unlike anything you've heard before.
An Ethio-jazz version of Lilly Allen's 'LDN' from the Krar Collective sits alongside Lokkhi Terra's Bengali-Cuban take on The Small Face's 'Itchycoo Park'. There are two versions of The Clash's 'London Calling' - an Arabic dancehall banger from Afrikan Boy & TGU and an Indo-jazz-punk belter from Arun Ghosh.
Financed by an Arts Council grant and recorded in London throughout April 2012, London's Calling is the debut project from London-based production agency Culture Clash whose manifesto is a celebration of the new global, cultural mash-up.
"As varied and flourishing as the UK music scene is, it's still predominantly Anglo centric with a mainstream that dozen't scratch the surface of the amazing and culturally diverse musical talent that Britain and its major cities has", says co-producer MC "With all eyes on the capital this Summer, what better way to celebrate the most culturally diverse city in the world than with anemic London songs being re-interpreted by the sort of people that makes this city so great."
LONDON'S CALLING LIVE
London's Calling live @ 'The Bandstand', Olympic Village 10/08
feat Cumbe, Jardares Poe Farra, Soothsayers & AK Holmes & the Hackney Empire
BT River of Music 21/07 & 22/07: Feat Krar Collective (Africa stage),Arin Gosh
(Asia stage), Transglobal Underground (Asia stage)