Master musicians will tell no lies

This is a concert celebrating their album Tell No Lies where the deep roots of African music nourish the raw electric groove of rock and roll, where Gnawa spirit rhythms come up against Chicago distortion, where snaky N'awlins rhythm has a West London howl, and a Sahel Wail.

Juldeh Camara is an African Master Musician, taught to play by his blind father, who himself was taught directly by the djinn. Playing the ritti, a one-stringed fiddle and West African ancestor of the violin, he participated as a griot (a West African poet, praise singer and repository of oral tradition) in traditional Fula society.

Juldeh has the drive and effortless flow of a great Bluesman. While his instrument brings to mind Delta players like Big Joe Williams, as well as Ali Farka Touré, there is a lilt in his playing that hints at the ancient links between North Africa and the Celtic World. He describes magical shapes on his ritti; one minute it's Blues harp, the next a Celtic fiddle, then a Saharan herdsman's flute.

Justin Adams has been at the cutting edge of world music alchemy since the 1990's with Jah Wobble, Robert Plant (Adams co-wrote The Mighty Rearranger), Natacha Atlas, The Festival of the Desert, and Tinariwen (producing their first and third albums).

Taking influences from African, Arabic and Irish traditions as well as rock and roll and the Blues, his distinctive, driving guitar style is the missing link between Bo Diddley and Munir Bashir.

With Tell No Lies, his collaboration with Juldeh Camara, Adams delves deeper into the African origins of black American music, following the roots of New Orleans and Mississippi soul right back to the Songhai, Fulani and Toureg peoples of West Africa.

Justin and Juldeh have been playing together for two years, following the release of the critically acclaimed "Soul Science" in 2007 (winner of the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award in the Crossing Continents category), touring at festivals in Siberia, Mexico City, Morocco and WOMAD.

The touring experience has clearly brought them closer together as musicians and added to the unique nature of their musical style. Over time the two musicians have naturally fused their styles and begun to create a musical language of their own, where it becomes difficult to see if Justin is becoming more African or Juldeh more Western.

Marine Theatre Creative Director Ian Stephens said: “This is going to be a fascinating evening. People won’t be sure whether to sit back and admire the musicianship of these two wonderful players, or get up and dance to the African rhythms.

We’re looking to develop more original and varied music at the Marine Theatre, and we’re really fortunate to attract two such widely-admired artistes.”

Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara take to the stage at the Marine Theatre on Thursday, March 11th. Doors open at 7.45pm. Tickets cost £12 in advance from Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre on 01297 442138, or online at www.marinetheatre.org.uk, or £14 on the door.

PICTURE: COLLABORATING - Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara

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