Afro Celt Sound System make their long-awaited label debut on Six Degrees Records with ‘OVA’, the Grammy-nominated group’s eighth studio album and the final one with their late founder at the helm — producer and lead guitarist Simon Emmerson, who lost his valiant battle with cancer last year. As such, this recording stands as both a tribute to, and the final legacy of, the visionary and innovative musician and nature lover who launched the European/African band in 1995.
The new album arrives with the news of an extensive UK tour for the collective this Autumn and wiull be coming to Brighton at the Corn Exchange on Oct 13th.
Already an established presence in London’s music scene, Simon Emmerson was in Senegal to produce a Baaba Maal album when he had an epiphany about the connectedness of Celtic and African sounds, imagining them entwined and combining elements both acoustic and electronic for a powerful, groundbreaking new music. Upon returning to England, after participating in one of Peter Gabriel’s “Recording Weeks” at Real World Studios which gathered musicians from around the world, he assembled the first iteration of the shifting musical collective that has captivated audiences ever since with its exhilarating, beat-laden global dance music.
The group’s string of albums on Gabriel’s Real World label have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and their acclaimed performances in North America, Europe and beyond enlisted thousands of new fans; in the U.S. alone, their successive tours took them from unforgettable gigs in intimate club venues to triumphant spectacles on numerous major festival stages across the country.
The making of OVA was an extraordinary journey, marked by moments of pure creative magic and deep introspection. Each track is the fruit of our camaraderie, our passionate discussions, and our desire to create something beautiful and meaningful. This album is our legacy, a testament to our friendship and our love for music.”
