Half the World
Half The World is a new venture for London, an occasional season of live world music gigs being staged at The Pizza On The Park on Knightsbridge, in association with fRoots magazine.
With a capacity of just 100, an intimate, elegantly comfortable atmosphere, excellent sound and lights, and good food at affordable prices, this is the ideal venue at which to see first class world music artists up close. We intend that this kind of season and other short residencies by associated artists will become a repeating feature here, and that audiences will enjoy coming back regularly.
Shows in February 2007
Thursday 8th February: Jaune Toujours. The pulse of today’s multicultural Brussels, show-stealers in the last Half the World season, a wild mix of accordion, brass and Piet Maris’ gruff vocals. (A track from their new live album Club is on the fRoots 28 CD that comes with the Jan/Feb double issue of fRoots).
"The lineup is dominated by that most Belgian of instruments, the accordion, along with an impressive brass section, while the songs manage to switch constantly between moody European balladry, frantic Gypsy jazz, slinky riffs, fairground music, and echoes of reggae and ska. Surely destined to become one ofthe great European party bands." - Robin Denselow, The Guardian, Jan 19th.
"The combination of trumpets, saxophone and Piet Maris's high-spirited accordion generates irresistible joie de vivre." - Clive Davis, Sunday Times, Jan 21st.
Friday 9th February: Liu Fang. World-leading virtuoso of the pipa (4-stringed teardrop-shaped lute) and gucheng (long zither), from Yunnan, China. Acclaimed at Womad 2005, she's a performer of extraordinary intensity of focus. (This show will be recorded for BBC Radio 3's "World Routes" programme).
Saturday 10th February: Andrew Cronshaw and…. Meetings with remarkable musicians: zitherist multi-instrumentalist Cronshaw plays with Armenian duduk master Tigran Aleksanyan, Iraqi oud virtuoso Attab Haddad, Syrian ney master Louai Alhenawi, cello ace Jenny Adejayan, exceptional mbira player/singer Zuzana Novak, and a special guest vocalist...(Hear a track from Cronshaw and Aleksanyan, and one by Novak too, on the fRoots 28 CD).
Sunday 11th February: Thierry 'Titi' Robin. Generating a big buzz at Womad 2006, oud, guitar and bouzouki doyen Titi has deep experience of playing Middle Eastern, Breton, Indian, flamenco, Rajasthani and European Roma musics, and with his trio he creates his own distinctive tradition.
"...an appreciation that keeps on growing stronger. Titi is playing (with his daughters Maria and Coco) in London at the Pizza on the Park on Feb 11 and 13 as part of the strongly recommended Festival promoted by Half the World." - Charlie Gillett, BBC World Service, Feb 3rd
Monday 12th February: Ellika & Solo. Boundary-crossing winners of BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music. The vocals and kora of Casamance griot Solo Cissokho intertwine with Ellika Frisell’s masterly Swedish polska fiddling. (This show will be recorded for BBC Radio 3's "World Routes" programme).
Tuesday 13th February: Thierry 'Titi' Robin. See Sunday 11th.
Shows in April 2007
Sunday 1st and Monday April 2nd: Natacha Atlas
Tuesday April 3rd: Eliza Carthy & the Ratcatchers
Bookings via the Pizza on the Park, 020 7235 5273 and www.pizzaexpresslive.co.uk
Tickets for all shows in the February season are £15. (The Eliza Carthy & the Ratcatchers show in April will be £20). You can book without any obligation to eat, but most people do dine - it makes for a pleasant evening out to combine food and music, and means you don't have to rush a meal before it. Service is sensitive, quiet and unobtrusive, so eating doesn't distract from the performance. The first set begins at 9pm, but most people arrive around 7.30-8pm so they can begin their meal before the show.
The Pizza on the Park is very close to Hyde Park Corner tube station, and there are plenty of free parking spaces nearby in the evening.