WOMAD

Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara Trio

Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara Trio (UK)
With an encyclopedic knowledge of blues and African music developed through 20 years' performing, Justin Adams is the Ry Cooder of the UK, offsetting ancient rhythms against his prowling riffs that pay homage to everyone from Bo Diddley via the Clash to Captain Beefheart. A voracious collaborator, he has worked with Robert Plant's band The Strange Sensation, produced albums for Saharan desert blues nomads Tinariwen, and worked with Brian Eno, Jah Wobble, LO'JO, Sinead O'Connor and Natacha Atlas, as well as musicians from African, Arabic and Irish traditions. In recent years he has been joined by Juldeh Camara, a Gambian griot and master musician who plays the ritti, a one- stringed fiddle. Juldeh was recorded by Bill Laswell for a CD of traditional Gambian music - a favourite disc of Justin. Similarly, Juldeh was impressed by trance-like rhythms given modern vitality on Justin's Desert Road CD. It lead to their 2007 album, Soul Science, envisioning a modern world where ancient spirits are enlivened by the crackle of rock and roll electricity, and live shows that also featured Adams' long-time percussionist Salah Dawson Miller. At WOMADelaide 2009, Justin will perform with the Trio and also act as Musical Director for Sunday night's All-Star Gala.

Justin Adams Biography

“Justin Adams”

Justin Adams has been at the cutting edge of world music alchemy since the 1990's with Jah Wobble, Robert Plant (Adams co-wrote The Mighty Rearranger), Natacha Atlas, The Festival of the Desert, Tinariwen (producing their first and third albums), LO'JO. Taking influences from African, Arabic and Irish traditions as well as rock and roll and the Blues, his distinctive, driving guitar style is the missing link between Bo Diddley and Munir Bashir. With Tell No Lies, Adams delves deeper into the African origins of black American music, following the roots of New Orleans and Mississippi soul right back to the Songhai, Fulani and Toureg peoples of West Africa.

Juldeh Camara Biography

Juldeh Camara is an African Master Musician, taught to play by his blind father, who himself was taught directly by the djinn. Playing the ritti, a one-stringed fiddle and West African ancestor of the violin, he participated as a griot (a West African poet, praise singer and repository of oral tradition) in traditional Fula society. Juldeh has the drive and effortless flow of a great Bluesman. While his instrument brings to mind Delta players like Big Joe Williams, as well as Ali Farka Touré, there is a lilt in his playing that hints at the ancient links between North Africa and the Celtic World. He describes magical shapes on his ritti; one minute it's Blues harp, the next a Celtic fiddle, then a Saharan herdsman's flute. It is hard to believe all this emotion, range and flexibility comes from just one string.

Justin Adams Products At Our Store

• Soul Science
• Big Blue Ball
• Tell No Lies
• In Trance

Juldeh Camara Products At Our Store

• Tell No Lies
• In Trance

Find out more about Justin Adams at Real World Records

Find out more about Juldeh Camara at Real World Records