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"An infectiously feel good set" The Scotsman
Fresh from a whistle-stop tour of the UK this summer, New Zealand five-piece Kora return to Europe this November to do things even bigger and better than before. Having wowed crowds at sell-out shows and festival appearances at the likes of WOMAD, the mash-up maestros have firmly cemented their position as New Zealand’s hottest export.
Made up of four Maori brothers and their adopted musical sibling, Kora are currently destroying the charts in their homeland on a scale not seen since Fat Freddy’s Drop emerged. Hailing from Aotearoa, the four Kora brothers are Laughton on vocals, guitar and keys, Francis on bass and vocals, Stuart on guitar and vocals, and Brad on drums, alongside the only unrelated member Dan MacGruer on keys and bass.
Melding together influences from across the musical spectrum, including dub, funk, breakbeat, rock and blues, the band are renowned for their phenomenal live performances, oft described as The Prodigy meets Bob Marley and the Wailers, where solid vocal harmonies ride a powerhouse rhythm section, creating a sonic boom that can be heard as far away as Fiji.
Set to continue the ascent of NZ artists in Britain’s consciousness led by the phenomenally successful Salmonella Dub and Fat Freddy’s Drop, Kora will no doubt titillate anyone with any fondness for roots music, whether roots rock or roots reggae, or anyone with their finger on the pulse of dub innovation.
The band are now set to bring their inimitable ruckus back to the UK in November, stopping off for gigs in Germany, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and France en route.
» www.myspace.com/koraroots
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