World Music Night: Diáspora

Making their Hexham debut, this London-based Latin band brings you a one-way ticket to the music of the Americas. The 12-piece lineup (4 vocalists, 3 percussionists, 3 brass, piano and bass) lends itself to an expansive big band sound without losing the dynamism and spark of a small group, and combines sensuous vocals, sophisticated horn lines and explosive percussion solos. With their vision to unite the rhythms of the Americas, their music is uplifting, inspiring and unifying, celebrating the diversity of cultures that arose out of the African Slave Trade, whilst focusing on the Cuban, Brazilian and globalised salsa sounds which have become significant musical languages and forms of solidarity and cultural exchange among communities throughout the world.

Diáspora is not your regular salsa band… it’s a Latin band, in the wider sense; freely mixing salsa with jazz, funk and contemporary popular music styles to create an explosive mix of sounds… it’s a big band by its very nature; equipped with all of the credentials to make for an exhilarating live outfit – engaging vocalists, a burning hot rhythm section and a big fat brass section… With their critically acclaimed fusion of rhythms, Diáspora is one of the most exciting new projects to emerge on the UK Latin scene today.

“Diáspora… The word has a universal meaning in many languages – it is all about dispersed peoples coming together, and the amazing musical fusions that this has created. Our sound has the spirit of salsa, but the swing of samba, and we combine these rhythms with jazz, funk and infusions of contemporary popular music styles from around the world – it is a real melting pot…” Rory Duffy (saxophonist and producer)