Black History Event at Nailsea Tithe Barn with Suntou Susso

Nailsea Town Council and Nailsea Folk Club support Black History Month

Tickets for the event are £14 and can be booked through https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/nailsea-folk-club

Nailsea Town Council is delighted to be involved in a Black History Month event with Nailsea Folk Club. This is part of the Black History Month celebrations across North Somerset. The event will be held at Nailsea Tithe Barn on Sun 6 Oct 2024 at 7.30, featuring Suntou Susso, a multi-instrumentalist, kora player, percussionist, singer and composer from The Gambia.

Suntou is a very engaging performer. His performances are both delicate and entrancing. The music is truly beautiful. This year has seen Suntou performing at major festivals in the UK and it is a privilege to have him play at Nailsea Folk Club to as part of North Somerset’s Black History Month.

Born a Griot in a 700-year old tradition, the kora – a harp-lute with 22 strings – is unique to the Griots of the Mandinka people. Griots have a unique societal role as oral historians, transmitting and preserving a people’s culture through the generations in song, music and poetry.

Suntou’s family includes some of the world’s most highly respected West African musicians. His musical abilities are outstanding, perhaps unique for his generation. An in-demand and charismatic performer, he attracted attention as soon as he arrived on the UK music scene.
Suntou has collaborated with celebrated jazz singer Sarah-Jane Morris; Guitarist Tony Remy – Ronnie Scott’s; Ghazalaw – an Indian-Welsh fusion project on BBC Radio 2, 3 and 6, bass player Davide Mantovani, modern jazz fusion opera singer Pumeza Matshikiza – and has performed on ITV’s This Morning.

In the UK he also performs classical kora as a solo artist at sizable theatres, with orchestral productions and across the festival circuit including WOMAD, Hay Festival, Beyond the Border and more. In The Gambia, Suntou has a huge fan base and has released successful singles and music videos. These continue to receive daily exposure on national TV and radio.

He also runs fun and engaging drumming and kora workshops in schools, colleges and universities to pass his rich culture and knowledge on to the next generation, for example Project African Experience for Black History Month.

Tickets for the event are £14 and can be booked through https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/nailsea-folk-club

Ben Kushner, Nailsea Town Councillor, who is involved with organising the evening says ‘I would like to give a big shout out to David Francis of the Nailsea Folk Club and his team for doing a brilliant job in signing up Suntou Susso for the Black History event this year. It will be an amazing night!”

David Francis Trustee of Nailsea Tithe Barn Trust, who also runs Nailsea Folk Club says ‘we are delighted d to hold this Black History Month event at the Tithe Barn in Nailsea. The Nailsea Folk club has a strong reputation for our concert programme which features top names from around the world. Over the years the club has become a family of linked activities and projects which develop and change over time. We hold most of our concerts in Nailsea Tithe Barn and more traditional folk club nights, including feature nights, at the Ring of Bells in Nailsea which has a lively atmosphere. The Nailsea folk Club welcomes new members. If you are interested in our events or joining the club please see our website https://www.nailseafolkclub.co.uk/ or contact us on https://www.nailseafolkclub.co.uk/contact or call me on 01275 540231 or mobile 07757 505551. I will be delighted to talk to you’