Returning to Dalston Curve Garden for a 12th year, something about Woodburner has clearly caught on.
They’re a team of curators and producers who programme gigs at some of London’s most celebrated live music venues, including Hackney’s Round Chapel, Hootenanny, Jazz Café and EartH. Their unparalleled grasp of the global music scene means that they bus in some of the most interesting and unique acts on the planet to come and play in London, alongside hand-picked homegrown talent.
But of all the esteemed settings they’ve popped up in, it’s the long-running summer series at Dalston Curve Garden that Woodburner’s best known for, transforming the leafy community oasis into an open-air stage where artists can duet with the birds. Every Tuesday night, the garden gates will stay open after-hours, the bar will be serving, and a varied roster of artists will take to the stage, which this year includes:
- Gambian artist Suntou Susso, who’ll share the evocative kora music that’s been carried forth by his family for 700 years;
- East London’s own Bel Cobain, fusing poetry, R&B and mellow jazz;
- Akolá Tambó, the UK’s first ever bullerengue group, who will immerse you in the traditional Afro-Colombian ritual with trance-like percussion and chanting (and yes, you’re invited to join in);
- United Freedom Collective, a trio of meditative musicians (moonlighting as yoga teachers and psychedelic therapists) whose gentle folk stylings have been picked up by the likes of Gilles Peterson and Don Letts;
Bel Cobain
- Nana Benz Du Togo; a five-strong outfit from Togo whose unique sound blends voodoo traditions with home-made instruments and activist vocals;
- Parthenope, who at the age of 22 is already one of the UK’s most hyped saxophonists, having collaborated with Celeste and Kojey Radical; and
- Afriquoi; a cross-generation, cross-country collective combining UK house and garage influences with Congolese and Gambian traditions, who’ll be performing an all-acoustic set for the first time.
Tickets for each event will give you change from a twenty, but you can also get a festival pass which’ll net you access to every single gig in the season.
You know, if you’re feeling really stoked.
NOTE: The Woodburner summer series at Dalston Curve Garden runs from 28th May – 24th September 2024. You can find out more, and book tickets, HERE.
Woodburner | Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, 13 Dalston Lane, London E8 3DF
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