Let’s move forwards with Leeds/London global beats collective Nubiyan Twist as they look into 2024 with a spotlight on their new music to come. Led by guitarist/producer Tom Excell, the big band who forge afrobeat, jazz, soul, hip-hop and latin while staying way ahead of the fusion cliché, have been defining their own space for almost a decade now. Three fine albums delivered, their last ‘Freedom Fables’ from 2021 justifiably grabbing expansive page and air space, plus a burgeoning performance CV (Glasto, Green Man, Love Supreme, WOMAD etc), goes to prove that Nubiyan Twist are a band you can more than depend on.
Beyond the reliably thrilling grooves, this is a collective who know how to add a tang of surprise to keep things fresh. Down in part to their deft choice of collaborators on their recordings (Soweto Kinch, Mulatu Astatke, Pilo Adami, KOG….) Nubiyan Twist make friends and influence people with their agile tunes made for open minds. So where might they be heading for their next escapade?
Preview track ‘So Mi Stay’ welcomes Sheffield based vocalist Aziza Jaye into the collective to sprinkle some upbeat R n B styling and dancehall energy. It’s a tune with effortless, natural flow, motoring to a soul-jazz sway and smooth soca skip. There’s lush, swirling hook, classic horn stabs and Aziza’s sharp, quick-step toasting to stir things up before the song winds down to that end of the night feel. The singer says ‘So Mi Stay’ celebrates “… being out dancing and getting lost in your zone” and that’s where Nubiyan Twist are aiming to take us in Spring ’24 with their new album and live dates.
Nubiyan Twist UK Tour Spring ’24 – Tickets HERE
12/04: Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
19/04: Cowley Workers Social Club, Oxford
23/05: Band On The Wall, Manchester
24/05: Project House, Leeds
25/05: The Glasshouse, Gateshead
29/05: Concorde 2, Brighton
30/05: Cambridge Junction, Cambridge
31/05: The Globe, Cardiff
01/06: Bristol Beacon, Bristol
07/06: The Leadmill, Sheffield
19/06: Outernet, London
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