Amadou & Mariam and
The Beating Wing Orchestra
A proper collaboration for MIF that has been worked on since the end of last year, and it shows. Warm, happy and vibrant **** Metro
Joyful music made with love and excitement – a real Mali-Manchester soul stew **** Manchester Evening News
Following the success of their debut performance at MIF 2007, the Beating Wing Orchestra returned to the Festival in 2009 to present the results of a new collaboration with Malian superstars Amadou and Mariam.
Audiences were treated to two electric performances which saw the orchestra re-imagining Amadou and Mariam’s music, bringing musical influences from countries as diverse as Kurdistan and Cameroon, Bangladesh and Brazil. The performances received 4* reviews from Metro, Manchester Evening News, Guardian amongst others.
Formed in Manchester from musicians of refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, as well as musicians from Manchester’s host communities, the Beating Wing Orchestra speaks a global music vocabulary and forges new connections between the city’s rich mix of communities. Work performed during MIF 09 was the result of a collaboration that saw the orchestra working with Amadou and Mariam through a series of workshops from Dec 2008 to July 2009. For more information on the Beating Wing Orchestra visit their website.
Commissioned by Manchester International Festival.
Produced by Manchester International Festival and Community Arts North West
