A World of Music on our Doorstep: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2018

Afro Celt Sound System
It doesn’t get much more international than this! Guinean musician N’Faly Kouyate, British Indian dhol drummer Johnny Kalsi and Armagh- (Northern Ireland) born flautist Ríoghnach Connolly perform on stage with Afro Celt Sound System at this year’s Bluesfest Byron Bay.

Juanes
As we waited for the next performer in the Crossroads tent, I realised we were surrounded by people who were not speaking English. “How do you pronounce this?” I asked a neighbour, pointing to the next name in my program. “You-an-ez,” said the gorgeous young man with dark brown eyes. “He is from Colombia! He is a Spanish-singing superstar!” (30March2018)

Juanes
Born Juan Estebán Aristizábal Vásquez, but known professionally as Juanes, this guitarist, singer, songwriter, and activist is considered (alongside Shakira) to be one of Colombia’s biggest musical names.

Juanes
Who knew there were so many people familiar with Spanish-pop-music in Byron Bay? The audience was in raptures.

Ásgeir
We were clearly in the international tent! The accents around us changed and we were soon surrounded by blond heads. Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson is a rising star in Iceland, …

Ásgeir
… performing his sweetly-voiced poetic songs in Icelandic and English. (30March2018)

Youssou N’Dour
On what was becoming a culturally rich afternoon, we changed continents again, and were treated to energetic and passionate Senegalese singer, songwriter, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician Youssou N’Dour. (30March2018)

Youssou N’Dour
N’Dour is known for introducing international audiences to mbalax – a Senegalese popular music form that blends local traditions with Cuban and other Latin American popular styles – and for his incredible vocal range.

Youssou N’Dour
N’Dour and his band were joined on stage by the most amazing dancer/acrobat …

Drummer with Youssou N’Dour
… and a player of the the tama (talking drum), all of which made the set even more infectious.

Jimmy Cliff
Grammy Award Winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Jimmy Cliff lays down some reggae rhythms. (30March2018)

Jimmy Cliff
With almost 50 years on the world stage, this Jamaican master of ska and reggae has had a number of hits on mainstream pop charts. It was impossible not to sing along.

Jimmy Cliff
He and his musicians were just as fresh and infectious when we saw part of their set on the festival’s last day. (02April2018)

Clarence Bekker and Playing for Change
Comprising musicians and musical styles from all corners of the globe, Playing for Change is, by definition, international: it was founded in 2002 to inspire and connect the world through music.

Sound Mixing for Ryan McMullen
Early afternoon on day three, I could appreciate some of the technical people who help the tents fill with glorious sound.

Ryan McMullen
The sweet vocals and beautifully crafted songs of young Irish performer Ryan McMullen soared over our heads.

Harry Manx and Jeff Lang
I could listen to Harry Manx’s Indian-folk inspired slide-guitar blues and husky vocals forever! Because I first saw Manx at The Basement in Sydney many years ago, I didn’t realise he actually lives in Canada. Backed on the Bluesfest stage by Jeff Lang, one of Australia’s premier guitarists, Manx has studied and performed music extensively in Japan and India.

Afro Celt Sound System
Guinean N’Faly Kouyate, Celtic Robbie Harris and British Sikh Johnny Kalsi blend percussion instruments from three continents into high-energy, joyful music that you can’t help but dance to: Afro Celt Sound System were one of my festival highlights.

Robbie Harris on Bodhrán

Afro Celt Sound System
The artists in Afro Celt Sound System are multi-instrumantalists. Here we have Robbie Harris on bodhrán, producer Simon Emmerson on guitar and N’Faly Kouyate on kora.

Ríoghnach Connolly
Add Ríoghnach Connolly on flute and you have pure magic.

Seu Jorge
Brazilian musician, singer/songwriter and actor Seu Jorge looked small on stage, alone with his guitar as he performed his acoustic renditions of David Bowie classics in Portuguese for an enthralled audience.

Seu Jorge
Many of the audience were also wearing red hats in tribute to Pelé dos Santos, the fictional character Jorge played in the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic.

Rag ‘n’ Bone Man
With his deep, bass-baritone voice and his urban hip-hop beats and funky lyrics, London-based Rory Charles Graham – better known as Rag’n’Bone Man – is a musical force to be reckoned with.

The Wailers
The Wailers and their Jamaican reggae sounds are always popular at Bluesfest.

Bali Blues Brothers
Just more proof that they play blues all over the world: in their traditional Balinese udeng head-dresses and sarongs, these young men from Bali, Indonesia …

Bali Blues Brothers
… gave a credible performance of classic blues numbers.