AFRICA EXPRESS SOUND SYSTEM were nominated for ‘Best Headline Act’ by the UK festival awards following their headline set at Standon Calling festival.

Bringing the two day festival to a close, our uniquely experimental set-up featured a star line up of African singers and MCs including Baloji, M3NSA and Fatoumatou Diawara along with UK based special guests Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers), soul sensation Terri Walker and firecracker rappers Tor Cesay & Mic Righteous.

Vocalists were backed with the outstanding Africa Express Sound System band featuring Senegalese kora virtuoso Diabel Cissokho, master Gambian percussionist Musa M’Boob, Pauli ‘The PSM’ on drums, DJ Richy Pitch and of course Remi Kabaka (latin percussion) and Jesse Hackett (keys /synth) at the helm of the spaceship. Special guests dropped in as always, including Kate Tempest from Sound of Rum – and Kora master Diabel Cissokho surprised us with his beautiful voice and haunting Senegalese melodies.

The music spanned hip hop, Malian folk, grime, calypso and a heavy dose of dubstep.

Photographer Briony Campbell came to take some pictures, and Director Mark Maclaine (The Silence) made a film about it. Here’s what it looked like:

For more info please visit Standon Calling at www.standon-calling.com