Making Tracks scheme at National Centre For Early Music in York (From York Press)

Making Tracks scheme at National Centre For Early Music in York

11:29am Friday 3rd September 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

THE National Centre for Early Music, in York, is part of a new chain of 13 music venues that is bonding together under the banner of Making Tracks. This world music initiative will see four concerts being staged at the NCEM between September and May in a project with the subtitle Adventures In Well-Travelled Music.

“Making Tracks is a fresh concept on the British live music circuit: a ‘travelling concert series’ featuring the newest and most exciting music from around the globe in partnership with 13 major venues,” says Delma Tomlin, director of the NCEM.

Replacing the NCEM’s previous four-for-the-price-of-three scheme, Making Tracks has an introductory offer, whereby if you buy a full-price ticket for all four concerts before the first one, you can save £26 as two of the concerts will be free.

What musicians will be making tracks to York under this scheme? First over the horizon, on September 27, will be Le Trio Joubran: three brothers, three ouds, one passion. Inspired by the Arabic classical tradition, jazz improvisation and flamenco virtuosity, the three sons of a Palestinian master luthier will share their profound ideas about history, musical evolution and the beauty of art.

Guitarist Ahmed Dickinson & Trio Mestizo, from Havana, Cuba, made their London debut earlier this year and will head for York on December 12 with their lively combination of traditional Cuban and Latin American music with a hint of jazz.

Lo Cor de la Plana, six a cappella singers from Marseilles, will explore their French Occitan heritage to the accompaniment of percussion instruments on February 19, and Grupo Lokito will fuse Congolese dance traditions with the Latin energy of salsa music on May 14. All the concerts will start at 7.30pm.

Delma can see the mutual benefit for venues and musicians of establishing the Making Tracks chain. “A lot of world musicians are wonderful players but aren’t strong on their marketing, which can make their shows more difficult to market. So KAPA Promotions have been working with the Arts Council with a view to bringing to Britain an attractive mix of European musicians and artists from farther afield with joint marketing to create a package that is easier to promote,” she says.

“All four of the Making Tracks visiting acts will be playing York for the first time and all 13 venues will take all four acts, with The Sage at Gateshead being the nearest to here.”

Further world music concerts at the NCEM this autumn include The TG Collective on October 16 with their gumbo of gipsy hotclub, flamenco, jazz and contemporary music, built around a core of two guitarists, alongside flutes, violin, double bass, trumpet and cajon.

Taal Tarang and the Bradford South Asian arts company Kala Sangam will present an evening of South Indian music on November 27 with Divya Avinash, vocal percussionist Bangalore Prakash, Ghatam clay pot musician PR Prathap and Chithambaranathan on the morsing (a Jewish harp).

• For tickets, phone 01904 658338 or visit ncem.co.uk