Latest 7 magazine

Brighton hosts Europe’s first festival of kora music this weekend. Jeff Hemmings reports.

One of only a handful of specialist kora makers in the UK and the founder of Brighton’s global music instrument shop Adaptatrap, Les Sherwood is the perfect person to create the city’s first festival of kora music.

“I make koras in conjunction with many African players,” says Les.”After meeting a lot of these players it just occured to me and Danny [Horwood, founder of the event’s managers, Harmony In The Community) to organise such an event.”
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Jeff Hemmings chats to Fiona Stewart, MD of the Green Man Festival, to find out what’s in store at this summer’s huge outing

Set in the beautiful Brecon Beacons of Wales, Green Man is one of the most successful boutique festivals in the UK, consistently selling out and attracting a higher calibre of artist each and every year.

I see Green Man has already sold out. What do you put the success of the festival down to?
Green Man always sells out… most people say it’s because they can create their own festival experience there, as there are so many different things to do and see. For me, festivals are all about freedom of expression. It should be a place where you can escape to. It is a homemade festival made mostly at my kitchen table with my friends. In a world which is become overly produced and processed people seem to like this.
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Laura Veirs
Although much of her songwriting inspiration comes from growing up in Colorado Springs, Veirs says she didn’t seriously listen to music until she was in her 20s; instead, she just heard what was in her environment, listening to folk, country, classical and pop music around the house and on the radio during her youth. Her seventh album, July Flame, explores the emotion of mid-summer and is drenched in wood smoke, sunlight, pollinators, pastoral dales, fireworks and warm nights. Always a heart-warming, life-affirming delight.
Sunday 15 August, Komedia
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The Hundred In The Hands
Excellent Warp signing consisting of Jason Friedman and Eleanore Everdell, who have evidently been listening to Giorgio Moroder, French house and minimal techno, avant-pop, post-punk, vintage hip-hop, ’60s garage, Trojan-era ska and dub… and put them all into a blender. The result oscillates between light and dark, as on their forthcoming debut album.
Thurdsay 5 August, Freebutt
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