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WATCH: Ipswich’s global musical community gather for ‘extraordinary’ recording project
Ipswich Community Media's Cad Taylor and Bruce MacGregor with Phill Minns from Best Foot Music and some of the musicians who recorded at South Street Studios Picture: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK - Credit: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK
A Zimbabwean marimba player, Syrian singers and an Eritrean performing with a self-built instrument were just some of the Ipswich musicians gathered for a unique recording project.
Ipswich Community Media organised a host of global musicians to perform at its South Street Studios in the town as part of a British Library funded scheme to document international musicians, living in the UK, for a national archive.
Organised by Phill Minns, of Best Foot Music in Brighton, the project has collated recordings of community musicians from diverse backgrounds, including refugees, asylum seekers and migrant bands.
ICM’s Cad Taylor said it was an “extraordinary project”.
Syrian musician Ammar Awtani listens back to his recordings with Phill Minns of Best Foot Music Picture: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK - Credit: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK
“It’s all about celebrating the fact that right here in the town, and in the county, we have musicians who have brought this incredible cultural diversity through music and yet sometimes we don’t always get to hear it.
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“Sometimes you don’t know that hidden within a community, when you dig deep, you can find wonderful and extraordinary music that’s happening behind closed doors.
“This is all about celebrating these musicians, who live in Ipswich, but have come from all over the world.”
Zimbabwean musician Nqobile Khoza performed as part of the global musicians recording session for Ipswich Community Media Picture: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK - Credit: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK
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Mr Minns, who had been self-funding his recordings for the past decade in Brighton, recently received financial support from the British Museum to expand the project to feature in its national archive.
“We work with musicians who have come from anywhere in the world,” he said.
“We just document the music, make recordings, organise gigs, try to promote social inclusion and celebrate the diversity that people bring with them when they come to live in the UK.”
Nqobile Khosa plays the marimba Picture: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK - Credit: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK
Nqobile Khoza, one of the musicians who took part in the recording, has been living in Ipswich for around two years, performing professionally. His marimba recordings included pieces from his home country of Zimbabwe, as well as South Africa and Mozambique.
“I started playing the instrument in 1993,” he said.
“I didn’t look at it as a career, I just did it for fun. As time went by I enjoyed the music more and I now do this professionally. I’ve been travelling to share my music.”
Syrian singer Ammar Awtani in the studio Picture: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK - Credit: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK
Visit www.bestfootmusic.net/ for more about the project.
Guitar player Adilson Cando and singer Gapa Alvaro perform for the recording Picture: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK - Credit: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK
Singer Gapa Alvaro Picture: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK - Credit: SPIRIT OF SUFFOLK
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