Çiğdem Aslan is a rising star in the revival of rebetiko, the bitter-sweet, devil-may-care songs of an exiled underclass, sung in hash dens and music houses of Athens and Istanbul of the turbulent 1920s. Çiğdem toured in Sep/Oct 2014, appearing at Colston Hall (Bristol), Brighton Dome, Union Chapel (London), Sage Gateshead, Junction Cambridge, mac Birmingham, The Stables (Milton Keynes), The Apex (Bury), NCEM (York), RNCM (Manchester) and Pontardarwe Arts Centre.

Accordion-wielding Chilean songstress Pascuala Ilabaca is a favourite on the new scene of young Chilean singer-songwriters, her music is rooted in traditional sounds but effortlessly integrates jazz, pop, rock, and other diverse influences. She toured in November 2014, appearing at Colston Hall (Bristol), Brighton Dome, Rich Mix London, Sage Gateshead, Junction Cambridge, mac Birmingham, The Stables (Milton Keynes), The Apex (Bury), NCEM (York), RNCM (Manchester) and Pontardarwe Arts Centre.

Trio Da Kali hail from the Mande culture of Mali, from a heritage of distinguished griots - the ‘caste’ of specialist hereditary musicians. Showcasing neglected repertoires, they breathe new life back into this ancient tradition. The trio toured in Feb/March 2015, appearing at Colston Hall (Bristol), Brighton Dome, Rich Mix London, Sage Gateshead, Junction Cambridge, mac Birmingham, The Stables (Milton Keynes), The Apex (Bury), NCEM (York), RNCM (Manchester) and Pontardarwe Arts Centre.

In her home country she’s known as the ‘Ukrainian Bjork’: Mariana Sadovska crosses many borders, with wedding songs and migrant chants from remote Ukrainian villages transmuting into contemporary sound that embraces both folk and avant-garde. Mariana toured in April 2015, appearing at Colston Hall (Bristol), Brighton Dome, Rich Mix London, Sage Gateshead, Junction Cambridge, mac Birmingham, The Stables (Milton Keynes), The Apex (Bury), NCEM (York), RNCM (Manchester) and Pontardarwe Arts Centre.