00:00So thank you both so much for joining me. First of all, I'm going to direct this to you, Alison.
00:05What inspired the Big World Festival?
00:08Well, I met Sarah over a year ago in Folkestone. We both live in Folkestone and we're at an event
00:15and we have a mutual friend who introduced us and we were talking about how amazing Folkestone is now
00:20and how many incredible music events are happening and we're going, well, what's missing?
00:24What do we still need to have? And I was going to maybe blues and Sarah went, well, I love
00:28world music
00:29and then our friend, well, you two girls need to talk and get something organised
00:33and that's kind of how it all started, isn't it?
00:35Yeah, and Sarah, it's such a variety of different artists, isn't it?
00:39How did you come to decide to offer that much space for artists from across the world?
00:44I think what happened really is that we were just so excited about having this new festival
00:49and when we started sharing about the artists that we loved, we were kind of getting spoiled for choice, weren't
00:55we?
00:55And in the end we had to nail it down to a few, but originally one of the first bands
01:00that I absolutely wanted to work with
01:02was a band called Backer Beyond because I went to one of their concerts about 10, 11 years ago
01:06and then they did a workshop and they left such a strong impression on me
01:11because I'm a singer-songwriter and whatnot myself
01:14that my first choice was like, this band absolutely have to come
01:18because one, their music and what they stand for is really important
01:22and also because the workshops that they do are so incredible
01:27and that was kind of it
01:29and then the conversation just kept happening
01:31We started to think who we knew, who do we know, who we'd like to bring down here, who's more
01:35local
01:36and it kind of just organically developed that way really
01:39And it's not just a variety of artists that are going to be there
01:43there's also a lot of different instruments
01:44we can hear a clip now from Santu Sasso, who will be performing at the festival
02:05Now I've been told what he's playing is called a kora
02:08and it's not the only different instrument that will be featured as part of your festival
02:13ones that we haven't necessarily heard of
02:15Can you go through some of the different instruments you've got?
02:17Well, I can tell you, I'll tell you what I know about the kora
02:20because it's a fascinating instrument
02:22So as you saw on that clip, the body of it is made out of a calabash
02:26which is a vegetable which is similar to a pumpkin
02:31so they hollow it out and dry it out
02:32then the neck of it is made from hardwood
02:35and then it's covered with some sort of animal hide like cow hide or goat hide
02:40Are there any other instruments that stuck out?
02:42Yeah, so on the same night, the first of October, it's a launch night
02:45and Santu's headlining that and before that, in the first half, we've got Andrew Cronshaw
02:51who plays a 72-stringed zither, which is a flat-bodied instrument made out of apricot wood
02:58and it's got six chordal sections and then mandolin strings as well
03:03so it gives this very beautiful ambient sound and it can be plucked or strummed
03:08so strumming is like that and plucking is like that, for those that don't know
03:11and he's playing with Tigran Alexanian, who plays the duduk, which is a double-reeded wood instrument
03:18and people might, if people know Gladiator, the film, they'll associate the sound of the duduk
03:25with the theme track of Gladiator
03:28So it's like a flute, isn't it?
03:29Haunting, yes, it's that what played this way though
03:31and it's this haunting sound
03:33so that's a really beautiful night of very special music
03:37and then we've got the London Bulgarian Choir who are vocal
03:42obviously and they play incredible harmonies and rhythms
03:46and tell stories of love and loss, betrayal and life and celebration
03:51and on the Sunday night we've got Alfredo Martin Espindola and his Tango Terra Quartet
04:01teaching and playing Argentinian tango
04:04and Alfredo plays the bandonian, which is a beautiful accordion from Argentina
04:10it was originated in Germany in the 19th century
04:15to replicate the organ pipes for churches that didn't have organs
04:19Wow!
04:20There we go
04:21If any of our viewers want to come and see the festival, where should they go?
04:25How do they get tickets?
04:26Folkestone, of course
04:27Yes
04:28We've got to come to Folkestone
04:29Well, here's the programme, there's the logo behind us, it's beautiful
04:34and the website is bigworldfestival.com
04:38What was really important to us was about the community
04:42and for people to experience something that they haven't experienced before
04:45So not only are we doing that, some of the artists are also running workshops
04:50So the Backer Beyond are running a workshop the day after their concert
04:58and it's, well, is it £5?
05:00£5 to get in
05:02It's two workshops
05:02It's affordable then
05:03You know, really affordable, the Bulgarian choir are also doing a workshop
05:07which you're going to learn incredible close harmony work
05:10and then also with the tango
05:12We've got a tango dance workshop
05:14Oh wow
05:15Are you going to get involved in that?
05:17Oh yeah
05:17Try and stop us
05:19Yeah
05:19Bye
