sHAMA WOMEX2

SHAMA
RAHMAN
BAND
BEAUTIFUL
INTOXICATING
MESMERISING

sitarist,
Award-winning
and singer, Shama
composer
weaves stories that
Rahman
life as poems and take
start
as songs. The sitar is
flight
within a
centre-stage
5-piece band,
brilliant
original lyrically
playing
music with a whole
poetic
of energy - garnering
heap
from the likes of
praise
Peterson. Mixing
Gilles
from English, Bengali,
music
and West African
Bulgarian
traditions, with
jazz/folk
improvisational
jazz
and urban world
textures
she sings over her
beats,
passionately with
sitar
folk-reminiscent
on life, love,
observations
and time.
revolutions

Discography
Albums
Rahman: Album "Fable:Time", 2014
Shama
Dub Foundation: Album "Signal and the Noise",2013
Asian
Malone: LP. "In The Evening", YNR Productions, 2013
Telemachus
of Bengal: E.P. "Doodh Boy",Betel Nut Records, 2014
State
Karoshi: E.P. "We are not there", 2010
Kid
Singles
Covers
Hour Baby Eleanor Rigby
26
Summer Time
Coast
Time
Partial
Warrior
(When)
Jokhon
Bolte Paro Ki (Can you tell my why?)
Collaborations
Dub Foundation, State of Bengal, Bangla, Doves, James,
Asian
Elastique, London Sitar Ensemble, London
Orchestra
Choir ,Kid Karoshi, Telemachus Malone
Bulgarian

F E S T I V A L S
JAZZ FESTIVAL 2015
LONDON
FESTIVAL 2015
MERGE
JAZZ FESTIVAL 2015
MANCHESTER
FESTIVAL 2015
WASSERMUSSIK
IN THE MOUNTAIN FESTVAL 2015
FIRE
FESTIVAL 2015
ALCHEMY
JAZZ FESTIVAL 2014
LONDON
2014
SHAMBALA
GARDEN PARTY 2014
SECRET
MELA 2014
MIDDLESBROUGH
MAN FESTIVAL 2013
GREEN
GARDEN PARTY 2013
SECRET
2013
UN-CONVENTION
SILFEST
FESTIVAL
SPITIFIELDS
FESTIVAL
SUPERSONIX
FESTIVAL
WILDERNESS
LOVE FESTIVAL,
ONE
ELECTRONIC FESTIVAL
EASTERN
FESTIVAL
INDIA
GLOBAL BEATS FESTIVAL,

F e a t u r e d P e r f o r m a n c e s
H E G R E E N N O T E , T H E R I T Z Y , R I C H M I X , T H E P H E A S A N T R Y , C A T C H
T
2 , O L D V I C T U N N E L S , T H E T H R E E C O M P A S S E S ,
2
H E M I L L E R , T H E A L B A N Y , T H E W H I T E C U B E , T H E B A R B I C A N
T
E N T R E , T A T E M O D E R N , T H E S O U T H B A N K , T H E A L L E Y C A T
C
N T W E R P M A N S I O N , T H E R O U N D H O U S E , T H E Q U E E N S H E A D , T H E B U L L S
A
E A D , P R O U N D G A L L E R I E S , W I L T O N M U S I C H A L L , T H E L U X E , T H E
H
M E R S H A M A R M , K I N G S H E A D , P A S S I N G C L O U D S , F L O R I P A , A L L S A I N T S ,
A
A L L E R Y C A F E , C A F E C A I R O , T H E F O R G E , T H E H A R R I S O N , S T P E T E R D E
G
B E A V O I R

eager crowd awaited the Shama Rahman Band performing on the last day of Manchester Jazz
An
2015. In fact the queue stretched around the Thwaites Festival Square to see what was
Festival
to be one of the highlights of MJF’s 2015 programme.
set
Shama Rahman Band, comprising of Shama Rahman herself, on sitar and vocals, accompanied
The
Christopher Lane (guitar), Nicolas Rouger (saxophone), Thodoris Ziarkas (bass) and Oberon
by
(drums and percussion), has developed a strong reputation for original, playful music. It
King
music which draws on Rahman’s Bangladeshi roots, memories, Middle Eastern influences and
is
the streets of London.
even
the very outset, her infectious personality shines through. She is beaming with delight as
From
opens the set with the beautiful piece Time. It’s an ode to how we manage to fall in love
she
and teases the mystical and exotic sounds of the sitar – her beautiful delicate vocals
again
the entrancing sound before the drums, guitar and saxophone join in, kicking the
accompany
up a notch. It builds to a busy and exciting passage as the saxophone takes centre stage
tempo
we are reminded of the thrilling middle-eastern influence with another exquisite sitar
before
leading to a false ending and a delicate vocal passage to conclude.
passage
scene and standard has been set very early and the untimely clock tower chimes and a
The
of feedback are laughed off by the smiling Shama Rahman.
touch
Bengali and middle-eastern influences are common throughout the set. In Bolte Paro Ki she
The
her bilingual abilities, singing in Bengali – her strong vocals over a busy bass,
demonstrates
and sitar platform working perfectly in a track which brings cheers from the audience.
drum
sitar captivates in the striking Matchstick which displays a suspicion of Carribean
The
mixed in with classic jazz and Bengali overtones.
influence
set is filled with variety. Reflections features interesting rhythms and melodies, 26 Hour
The
more of a playful jazz vibe with changing paces keeping the audience hooked; Liquid Blue
Baby
to the slightly punctuated and pacey leading to an outstanding crescendo.
traditional
continues to smile throughout, clearly delighted to be performing and the audience
She
in kind, clapping, cheering and hanging on every sound.
respond
story telling within the songs it excellent, drawing on the mystic, love, poetry and nature.
The
it is exactly this story telling ability which is featured in the closing piece Where Did You
And
From a spoken word track, bursting with drama and intrigue. Fittingly, the dramatic sitar
Come
gives way to beefy saxophone interjections, with the vocal element hitting home
opening
to conclude a set which has been simultaneously calming, exciting and invigorating.
perfectly
In Review: Shama Rahman Band at Manchester Jazz
Festival 2015 – Live Manchester
at a classic rock influence, whilst Ships In The Night from an ‘as yet unrecorded album’
hints
we hope becomes a reality sooner rather than later, moves from the smooth and
which