Many of you may recall that Knockengorroch Festival, Scotland’s longest-running greenfield festival, went online for 2020. They followed up with a 20-track compilation from artists who performed at Virtually Knockengorroch (reviewed here). Next week (19-22 May) sees the festival’s return to the hills of Galloway with its long-awaited 2020 line-up and new additions for 2022.
The Knockengorroch site opens on Thursday 19th, before the Festival kicks off proper on Friday 20 May, when Afro Celt Sound System finally take to the Bo Airigh stage after being scheduled to perform in 2020. Founded in the 90s by Simon Emmerson, the band were one of the first to bring together African, South Asian and Celtic melodies and beats. In this Knockengorroch incarnation, long-term member, vocalist, kora and balafon player N’faly Kouyaté and Dhol Foundation drummer Johnny Kalsi will be joined by piper and Scottish Gaelic rapper Griogair Labruidh and a host of other collaborators.
If you’ve not heard it, be sure to check out Simon Emmerson’s recent mix for Folk Radio UK that opens to an unreleased track from the Afro Celt Sound System titled Hawk Owl:
Also on Friday and brand new for 2022 is the 13 piece Chilean orchestra Newen Afrobeat – the first Afrobeat band in Chile, inspired by Fela Kuti. Their latest album is brimming with energy, tackling inequality, migration, feminism, indigenous cultures and more.
Plus, plenty more is happening across the Festival site, including 2020 Scottish Album of the Year award winner Nova; modern electronic Romani club music and rural folk traditions from Don Kipper; tropical grooves from Samedia Shebeen; and the return of Maddie’s Dance Tent after a four-year break.
On Saturday, the party continues with the comeback of elders of the traditional sound system and vinyl culture, enigmatic French duo L’Entourloop, aka “Sir James” and “King Johnny”. With a stunning new live stage set featuring a full AV show, live brass and MC special guests N’zeng, Troy Berkley and BlabberMouf, this set promises to be an explosive performance on the Bo Airigh stage.
The Knockengorroch meadows will be rocked to the core by the desert blues of the guttural, raw force of nature Kel Assouf; hip hop artist and political campaigner Lowkey; award-winning nu-folk from Galloway born and bred singer/songwriter and musician Zoë Bestel; and Plump Djs make their first outing at Knockengorroch.
The gates open on Sunday, 22 May, with the Knockengorroch day pass, and the Festival shows no signs of slowing down as two of Scotland’s most acclaimed musicians, and no strangers to Knockengorroch’s stages, Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton perform original compositions, ranging from high octane jigs and reels to beautifully melodic slow airs to brings things to a close on Sunday evening. They will be appearing with their full five-piece big band and a spellbinding repertoire full of new and original material.
Other names that have featured on these pages include Callum Easter, whose music is impossible to pin down and seems to be in a constant state of glorious flux…from the minimalist nature of his Green Door Sessions on which his accordion is ever-present to a powerhouse sound pitched somewhere between T-Rex and The Cramps.
Also appearing are The Poozies, Moishe’s Bagel, Dolphin Boy, Twelfth Day, Ceitidh Mac and more.
The full programme for Knockengorroch Festival is available on the Knockengorroch website.
Weekend camping tickets are available to buy online from £135 (plus booking fees); day tickets for Sunday 22 May will be available to purchase at the gate from £70.
To book weekend tickets, and for further programme information and artist profiles, visit knockengorroch.org.uk.