Saturday 29th August 2015

 7.15pm/8pm

Tickets £10

BOOKING AVAILABLE SOON

Najma is currently, working on her new ’Five Rivers’ project. It is the perfect follow up to ‘Rishte’ her collaboration with Gary Lucas.

Based on subtle combinations of Delta blues, jazz, western folk music, Celtic music, light rock, North African blues, Najma also comfortably explores a few selected classic covers with an Indian Vocal twist.

‘Five Rivers’ is a musical journey that starts in India with the Ganges, to Africa the River Niger, to the UK with the River Thames on to Ireland with the River Shannon and finally ending at the Mississippi Delta.

During the development of this project Najma has sought and been given the gracious blessing of legendary folk singer, Donovan, to interpret a selection of his songs, such as, Season of the Witch, Young Girl Blues and the Song of the Wandering Aengus.
( A Yeats poem)

Najma, is very excited about this project, as, it is the first time that the poetic emphasis between the Urdu ghazal and Western poetry has been explored and developed using western musical genres.

The synergies that connect them are multifarious. It is the voice that tells the story and ballads of unrequited love are universal.

“Skip James’ Special Rider Blues. This song is probably the most overt  example of what’s going on here, an Indian voiced fusion with the American  blues. It’s incredibly successful, the duo have pretty much created a new genre.”
Nigel Williamson (Song Lines)

‘(Akhtar’s voice) is, quite simply, ravishingly beautiful’
Con Murphy (Asia / Pacific Reviews)

“She really does possess the most gorgeous range of vocals; full of colour and playfulness and flueny.”
Anthony DeCurtis (Rolling Stone)

“The effortless artistry and emotional daring of Najma Akhtar’s  countervocal of ‘’Evermore’’, easily provide No Quarter’s high point;  every time she opens her mouth, the energy level of the piece intensifies  to another worldly degree.”
Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)

“Najma Akhtar is the premier lady Indian (Asian) singer on the planet.”
Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)

Click here to hear more

A fully licensed bar will be available at this event.