Concert Series

DAY ONE Friday 5th June 

Workshop from 2pm (up to 2 hours) in JCR, SOAS Main Building

Afro-Colombian Bullerengue | Bullerengue Circle

Join Bullerengue Circle for this exciting workshop as they share the power of Bullerengue to build community and spaces for mindful creative exchange.

Bullerengue Circle is a London-based collective fostering the Afro-Colombian tradition of bullerengue as a conscious and creative practice. Through their work, they share tools for reconnecting with creative power, self-expression and joy, approaching bullerengue as a pathway to self-awareness and a way to tune into inner rhythm and collective connection. “Rather than approaching it as a technique to master, we explore it as an invitation for play and self-expression…The focus is on participation and presence rather than performance.”

Its founders, Valeria Pacific and Esteban Cardona, have been actively involved in the city’s Latinx community since 2019, promoting bullerengue as a practice for wellbeing, community building and healing. They co-direct Akolá Tambó, the first bullerengue ensemble in the UK which has been central to the development of the bullerengue scene in London.

Bullerengue Circle maintains close relationships with bullerengue maestros and practitioners in Colombia, collaborating on cultural exchanges and supporting semilleros (educational groups for children) in various territories, focused on preserving and transmitting this ancestral tradition.

EVENTS WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED

*10% OFF DAY TICKETS AVAILABLE*

DAY ONE Friday 5th June 

Workshop from 5pm (up to 2 hours) in DLT, SOAS Main Building

Cuban Comparsa | Sarabanda 

Join Sara, Jimmy and Bill from Sarabanda in this introductory workshop on the uplifting party music of The Conga, the rich carnival tradition of Cuban Comparsa.

The Conga is the carnival music of Cuba featuring horns, percussion, singing and dancing. If you have a horn or melodic instrument, please bring it, play percussion and/or sing and dance. “We are going to pack music into this 2 hour workshop and we are going to have fun!”  

Sarabanda play extensively on the London live circuit and have built up a strong following. They regularly pack the house out Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts and host regular Descargas at Hootananny, Brixton. Sara, Jimmy and Bill from Sarabanda are all specialised workshop leaders, with vast experience of teaching a range of styles both in the UK and Cuba. 

As a musician and academic primarily in the worlds of Cuban and Congolese music, Sara McGuiness leads two bands alongside Sarabanda - Grupo Lokito and community big band Orquesta Estelar – as well as teaching a range of educational projects. She was recognised as the UK Lukas Awards Latin Musician of the Year 2018. 

Sara namely runs annual Cuban Music Holidays, taking cohorts to stay and learn in Matanzas in partnership with Jesus Bello and various Cuban musicians, while supplying medical and other essentials in the face of the ongoing imposed economic situation. 

EVENTS WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED

*10% OFF DAY TICKETS AVAILABLE*

DAY TWO Saturday 6th June 

Workshop from 2pm (up to 2 hours) in JCR, SOAS Main Building

Brazilian Percussion | Lizzie Olge 

Join Lizzie in exploring the rhythms of northeast Brazil with this percussion workshop for beginners to intermediates looking to enrich their understanding.

DAY TWO Saturday 6th June 

Workshop from 5pm (up to 2 hours) in DLT, SOAS Main Building

Trinidad and Tobago Steel Pans | Damoi Morgan 

Join Damoi, in partnership with Tottenham based Pan Nation Steel Orchestra, for this amazing opportunity to engage with Steel Pan instruments and practitioners, and celebrate 75 years of Steel Pan performance in the UK!

Damoi Morgan is a MA Music Student that has played Steel Pans for 7 years with steel orchestras and ensembles in Miami, New York, Virginia, and London, alongside traveling with the instrument in 11+ countries. “I have been inseparable from the Steel Pan for 7 years. I have undergone utilising the Steel Pan to explore decolonial teaching practices, transnational communities, and critical embodied practice.”

EVENTS WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED

*10% OFF DAY TICKETS AVAILABLE*

DAY THREE Sunday 7th June 

Workshop from 2pm (up to 2 hours) in JCR, SOAS Main Building

Senegalese Kora | Kadialy Kouyate 

Join Senegalese griot Kadialy Kouyate for a masterclass on storytelling through the Mandinka tradition of kora and song.

Kadialy Kouyate’s mesmerizing kora skills are deeply rooted in his ancestral lineage of Kouyate griots. Born in southern Senegal, within the rich cultural tapestry of the Mandinka people, he naturally absorbed the traditional griot repertoire from an early age. Embracing this art of Senegalese storytelling, he soon forged his own path as a musician, singer and songwriter.

In his late twenties, Kadialy moved to the UK, where he became a vital force in London’s music scene, blending his griot heritage with a wide range of collaborations. He has worked with artists such as Mumford & Sons, Baaba Maal, Abel Selaocoe, Shabaka Hutchings and Camilla George. Kadialy also co-wrote Greentea Peng’s hit single Downers, performed on Later with Jools Holland alongside Mahalia and Pa Salieu and joined Afrobeat star Adekunle Gold at Wembley Arena and the BBC’s Live Lounge. His latest album, Terri Kunda – House of Friendship, a collaboration with Chinese pipa virtuoso Gao Hong, earned five stars from Songlines and won two gold medals at the Global Music Awards for ‘Best Duo’ and ‘Instrumentalist(s)’.

Whether performing solo or as part of an ensemble, Kadialy has graced the stages of prestigious venues such as The Royal Festival Hall, The Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Royal Albert Hall. His music has taken him across the globe, with performances at festivals throughout Europe, Canada, Australia, and the Americas.

EVENTS WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED

*10% OFF DAY TICKETS AVAILABLE*

DAY THREE Sunday 7th June 

Workshop from 5pm (up to 2 hours) in DLT, SOAS Main Building

Moroccan Gnawa | Sìmo Lagnawi 

Join Sìmo Lagnawi, Ambassador of Gnawa Culture in the UK, for an incredible masterclass on Traditional Gnawa here in the heart of London!

The Moroccan musician Simo Lagnawi was raised in the Gnawa tradition and is an award-winning ambassador for Gnawa music. Never afraid to blend non-traditional elements into his work, he always remains true to his musical heritage. Richard Marcus was highly impressed by his latest album, The Gnawa Berber 2014. “A wholehearted expression of devotion”.

Sìmo was nominated for 2 Songlines Awards for 2014 Best Newcomer, and Best Artist, leads different bands around the world, and runs School of Gnawa London. With 7 albums online, 4 as a solo artist and 3 with band Electric Jalaba, he has been heard on global radio services such as CNN World, BBC World, Vox Africa and at festivals like Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Latitude and Boom Town.

EVENTS WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED

*10% OFF DAY TICKETS AVAILABLE*

Wednesday 29th April, 2026

BGLT, SOAS Gallery

Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start (see below for workshop timings)

María Mónica Gutiérrez, known as Montañera (Mountainess), has established herself as one of the most intense and unique voices hailing from Colombia. Her latest solo album A Flor De Piel was released in November of 2023 via the Austin, Tx-based label, Western Vinyl, with the support from Help Musicians Foundation. It has received glowing reviews from Pitchfork, The Guardian, Iggy Pop (BBC Radio), David Byrne, amongst many others.

Her previous solo albums Encarnación (2017) and Salvadora (2020) have both received Honourable Mention by the Ministry of Culture of Colombia, and she is a Marca Colombia Artist.

This evening at SOAS, as part of La Linea Festival 2026 will be a sonic immersion, where, from 7.30-8pm, audience members are invited to participate in collective exercises, using singing as a tool for social healing. Join us at 7.30pm if you would like to participate in or observe this workshop, or from 8pm if you prefer only to hear the concert. Both parts of the evening will take place in the BGLT.

SOLD OUT

This concert has now officially sold out. Thanks to all of you who have bought tickets. If you have not been able to book, you can see the Warsi Brothers on the last date of their tour at Kings Place

https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/folk/warsi-brothers/

Wednesday 15 April, 2026

Doors and bar open 7pm for 7.30pm concert

Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT)

The Warsi Brothers are widely regarded as among the finest living custodians of traditional qawwali in the subcontinent. Trained under their grandfather Padma Shri Aziz Ahmad Khan Warsi, they represent the classical rigour and devotional depth of the Delhi Gharana. Based in Hyderabad, their family has long served as court musicians for the erstwhile Nizam.

Honoured at the prestigious Aga Khan Music Awards 2025, the jury recognised the brothers for their “energetic preservation and onward transmission of the spiritual and musical legacy of Amir Khusrau to multigenerational audiences at the highest level of musical excellence.”

Whether you're a qawwali afficionado or this is your first ever taste of this extraordinary uplifting South Asian genre of vocal music, do not miss this incredibly special evening, organised in collaboration with SAMA Arts Network.