The Band
During the past three years, The Angel Brothers have established themselves
as one of the most innovative and hard working bands on the World Music/roots
circuit. Now they're turning up the heat with a new line up and a new
album.
The band’s unique sounds marries their love of composers Lalo Schiffren,
Ennio Morricone and David Axlerod with Latin, Indian and African percussion,
acoustic and electric guitars, Hammond organ, piano and English folk fiddle.
Add to this the inspiring vocals of Bombay born Sandhja Sanjana and the outstanding rhythms of German jazz percussionist Volker Zipley and you get the sound of a band grooving on each other's cultural and musical differences. Differences that brought them together.
This summer The Angel Brothers played their debut shows with Sandhja and Volker at Canada's prestigious Vancouver Folk Festival which introduced thousands of new fans to their exotic sound and presentation.
Last summer as part of a 25 date Arts Council sponsored tour, the band headlined at the National Theatre, playing outdoors to a cheering audience of fans packed onto London's South Bank. Knock-out festival performances at WOMAD, Cambridge Musicport, Sidmouth and Glastonbury have cemented the band's reputation as a must see live experience.
A third album is planned for release in Spring 2007 and will be heavily promoted in uk and across Europe, with live dates and a round of the major festivals in Europe and North America.
Beguiling and intriguing, The Angel Brothers' new sounds will captivate and delight both existing and new listeners worldwide.
The Angel Brothers are:
Keith Angel – Percussionist/Producer.
Has worked for many years as a session musician and performer with acclaimed
roots artists such as John Tams, Kate Rusby and John Dickinson. Experienced
community music worker with DARTS (Doncaster Community Arts).
The latest: Has been busy producing and playing on the new album
by Hotel Brown.
David
Angel – Guitarist and Composer.
Former popular music course leader at Doncaster College. Compositions
used for drama and documentary pieces on BBC radio 3 and 4.
The latest: Has been busy playing on the new album by Hotel Brown
as well as an album of acoustic guitar with HB's Rory Garforth.
Harprit Singh Sahota – Tabla, Cajon.
A student of Maestro Ustad Kale Ram Ji of the Punjab Gharana (School).
He has also recieved Ashirvard (blessings) from the likes of Tabla Maestro
Ustad Lachman Singh Seen of the Punjab Gharana, Pandit Rama Kant of the
Punjab Gharana and Prof Hari Dev Ji vocalist of the mighty Sham Chaurasi
Gharana from the Punjab.
Harprit is a graduate of L.I.P.A and is also well versed in the art of
Flamenco Compass, having accompanied many vocalists, guitarists and dancers
from Andalucia.
The latest: Working on an exchange programme with the Angel Brothers
and some of the top Indian Classical artists working in the Punjab today.
Dave
Formula – Keyboards.
Former member of 70’s and 80’s ‘Art Rock’ cult
band Magazine, a master of the Hammond B3 organ and a pioneer of original
electronic synth and keyboard sounds, Dave should, perhaps be regarded
as one of Britain’s national artistic treasures! He now ‘divides
his time’ between composing film soundtracks in his studio in Louth,
Lincolnshire and playing with The Angel Brothers.
The latest: Working on the soundtrack to a new feature film.
And those rumours of a Magazine reuinion just refuse to go away.
Jim
Lockey – Bass/Double Bass.
One of the band’s youngest members; Jim was a music technology student
at Doncaster College where he was co-opted by Dave Angel into joining
The Angel Brothers.
The latest: Has been busy playing on the new album by Hotel Brown,
as well as working on songs and recordings by Leon O'Doherty. Also finds
time to work on a film sountrack with resident video wizard Jim Elliott.
Becki
Driscoll – Fiddle.
At 23 the youngest and newest member of the band, Becki is a rising star
on the folk scene and brings new energy and vitality to the band. She
met Harprit at L.I.P.A. and spent much of her student time sitting in
on sessions on the Liverpool folk scene. Becki also teaches fiddle in
her home town of Bridport in Dorset.
The latest: Has been busy playing on the new album by Hotel Brown.
Can also be seen gigging with her partner Nick Wyke. Look out for their
debut album, produced by Keith Angel, naturally.
Sandhya
Sanjana – Vocals.
The newest addition to the Angel Brothers fold is the fabulous Bombay–born
vocalist Sandhya
Sanjana. We are working closely with Sandhya on the majority of our
new material and she debuted with the band on their summer 2006 Canadian
tour, which started in Vancouver on 14th of August.
The latest: Sandhya has recently moved to London from Amsterdam
and is well known in mainland Europe for her work with such acclaimed
bands as Omri Hason Kadim and Madras Special.
Also featuring:
The
album Forbidden Fruit features lyrics, vocals and vocal textures - a first
for the Angel Brothers. To recreate the sound on the 2005 tour, the Brothers
will be joined by two of the album's featured vocalists.
Lara Lopez-Parra hails from Spain's culturally rich and
passionate region of Andalucia. Lara has been playing guitar and singing
since the age of fourteen and has been composing her own songs since the
age of twenty-one. She's also a mean Cajon player.
Mick Humphrey hails from the less culturally rich, but
still extremely passionate area of Doncaster. A long time friend of, and
collaborator with, many of the Angel Brothers, Mick's soulful, rootsy
voice adds another rich shade to the Brothers' musical palette.
