TalkingGigs are the brainchild of my friend Charles Ritchie. They plug a gaping hole in the way music is usually presented and consumed. The idea is to marry a paired down, often only acoustic performance by an artist or band with conversation, stories, anecdotes, reading of lyrics, cultural insights, images, video. The ultimate aim is to create a kind of musical theatre, where music is enveloped by its context in an engaging, insightful and entertaining way.
Over the last few years Charles has been busy building TalkingGigs into a popular live music format, especially in his hometown of Sheffield. I’m thankful to him for giving me the chance to host some inspiring TalkingGigs with Abdallah ag Alhousseyni from Tinariwen, Bassekou Kouyate, Vieux Farka Toure, Dobet Gnahore, Souad Massi and Songhoy Blues. Plans are afoot to do a TalkingGigs UK Tour sometime in the early spring of 2020.
If, like me, you’re someone who’s spent time at gigs asking yourself questions like ‘what are they singing about?’, ‘where does this music come from?’, ‘what do these musicians believe in?’, ‘what stories can they tell?’, then TalkingGigs are for you. I really believe in this genre; the way music, especially music from other culture, is normally consumed ignores so many of its nuances and dimensions. No to say that music can’t just speak for itself, straight to the heart. Of course it can. But the earth it grows out of, the thoughts, beliefs and stories that reverberate beyond the sound it makes, are also worth exploring. Always.
This the full length film of TalkingGig starring Songhoy Blues, that I hosted at the British Library in London in November 2016. It illustrates some of what the genre can deliver. I believe there’s a lot more. But ‘little by little, the bird builds its nest,’ as they say. Enjoy!
Andy Morgan.
DONATE! If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read, or have learned something that might be useful for your own work, please consider making a small donation. Any amount – £1, £2, £5, £1000! – will help to keep the words flowing and the stories coming. Thank you so much!
SIGN UP! If you’ve enjoyed reading or looking at my work, please sign up to my newsletter. You’ll get updates every month or so with new articles, photo essays and other content relating to global music, Africa, the Sahara and more….
Related Links
- Songhoy Blues: http://songhoyblues.com
- TalkingGigs: https://www.talkinggigs.co.uk
