Hockley music lovers can enjoy two special concerts to mark Refugee Week (18 – 24 June) this week when La Reference Bar & Restaurant plays host to two world music gigs as part of Celebrating Sanctuary, Birmingham’s world music festival.
Internationally-acclaimed griot Diabel Cissokho will take to the stage of Thursday 21 June, where he will share tracks from his new album, demonstrating his skill as a kora player, singer and composer (Tickets £7, £5 concessions). African drummer Steve Yimga will also join forces with Afro Vibe for an evening of popular African tunes on Friday 22 June (Tickets £10, £8 concessions).
Festival director Isata Kanneh said: “One of the joys of music is its ability to cross international borders, overcome language barriers and provide a fantastic medium through which to find out more about the heritage and cultures of various communities.
“We hope this series of concerts will help raise awareness of some of the challenges facing refugees and enable greater understanding between all our communities.”
For further information about Celebrating Sanctuary World Music Festival and its Refugee Week events, visit www.celebrating-sanctuary.org.uk. Tickets are available from www.ticketsellers.com Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham is grateful to Arts Council England and the PRS for Music Foundation for their support.
