Abel Selaocoe Presents Chesaba

Chesaba is an electrifying trio of African celebration - an eclectic blend of cello, kora, n’goni, African percussion, electric bass and voice, accompanied by the languages of Bambara, Zulu, Sotho, Tswana and more. Embroidered through the music are improvisations influenced by African, jazz and classical music. 

Chesaba has a vibrant and virtuosic rhythmic expression coupled with powerful traditional melodies. The music is made of a raw and colourful blend of African cultures, from Griot music – a tradition spanning centuries of civilisation in West Africa, being passed down through the generations, carrying with it an ancient culture of story-telling and musical celebration – to the soulful South African township music that expresses its powerful history.

As award-winning artists, they have played in many prestigious venues and festivals including the London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wonderfeel Festival, Through the Noise at Oslo Hackney, and Machynlleth Festival, Amsterdam Muziekgebouw’s Cello Biennale, Opéra de Lyon, WOMAD, Bimhuis, The Bridgewater Hall, Lockenhaus and Ryedale Festivals and Kings Place with Manchester Collective. Chesaba made their BBC Proms debut in August 2021 with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and have performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The trio also has a passion for instilling diversity within its community through education and workshops.

BCUC: Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness. Indigenous funk, hiphop consciousness and punk rock energy from Soweto, South Africa.

From humble beginnings, rehearsing in a shipping container a stone’s throw from the church where Desmond Tutu organised the escape of the most wanted anti-Apartheid activists of Soweto, BCUC have grown to become one of the world’s most celebrated bands, playing the biggest stages at some of the most important festivals in the world: Glastonbury West Holts, Roskilde, Afropunk Brooklyn, Dour, Worldwide, Womad, Fusion, Sziget, FMM Sines, Beaches Brew, Boomtown, Colours of Ostrava, Couleur Café.

Like its elders, Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness sees its music as a hedonistic trance, but also as a weapon of political and spiritual liberation. 2023 even saw them win the prestigious Womex Artist Award, an accolade usually reserved for much older artists, in recognition of their fearless work ethic and prodigiously transformational live shows.

The seven-piece band has been mesmerising audiences both locally and globally with its indigenous funk and high-energy performances that have fast made it one of South Africa’s most successful musical exports. Artistic heirs to Philip 'Malombo' Tabane and Batsumi, they give contemporary voice to the ancestral traditions of indigenous peoples. Jazz sounds of 1970s and ‘80s productions replaced by hip-hop influences and punk-rock energy, taking the listener on an intriguing epic journey, sharing their controversial yet interesting views on modern Africa. They tackle the harsh realities of the voiceless, especially the plight of the uneducated workers at the bottom of the social food chain. BCUC taps into the elusiveness of the spirit world of ancestors by which they are inspired. The Africa portrayed by BCUC is not poor, but rich in tradition, rituals and beliefs.

'We bring fun and emo-indigenous Afro psychedelic fire from the hood,' says vocalist Kgomotso Mokone.