Musicians in the Spotlight

Spotlight is part of the two-year programme World of Song, which Manchester’s Band on the Wall leads and in which we are a partner.

We’re delighted to announce who has been successful from a field of 19 bands, ensembles and solo musicians who applied to be part of the project.

Guacamaya Latin Band

Guacamaya Latin Band is led by José Mesa. José and fellow band member Joel Rojas Arriaga were forced to leave Venezuela in 2014 due to political repression and social upheaval that impacted freedom of expression.

The band plays a mix of Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Cuban, Calypso, Reggae, Afrobeat, Balkan, Psychedelic Cumbia, Samba, Salsa, Merengue, Drum ‘n’ Bass, and US and UK sounds.

Guacamaya Latin Band is currently composing original material fusing the styles and rhythms of the coastal regions of Venezuela as part of their African heritage. They combine these sounds with lyrics that talk about who they are, how they love and relate, exodus, and speak out on issues facing the people of Venezuela and South America.

The band has played at countless UK venues and festivals, including HOME, The Met in Bury, Freight Island, Manchester International Festival, the British Pub Awards, and the Stockton-on-Tees Riverside International Festival.

Hamsaz Ensemble

Hamsaz Ensemble is a 15-strong ensemble of musicians who have migrated to the UK from Iran.

Established in 2018 as part of an artist development programme at the Sahba Academy, Hamsaz reflects the contemporary Iranian diaspora by combining songs rooted in Iranian folklore with newer stories. Its music features traditional Iranian instruments, including the Setar, Santur, and Daf, alongside Western instruments.

The ensemble, which features musicians of different generations, genders, and backgrounds, has performed at festivals, including Sheffield’s Migration Matters and Didsbury Arts Festival.

Their music depicts tales of adaptation and hope. Sometimes, the ensemble’s music has a political edge. Hamsaz champions the resilience of the Iranian people, as seen in the country’s Women, Life, Freedom movement, and explores the experience of forced migration.

Xaawo Kiin

Xaawo Kiin began singing in Ethiopia as a refugee from Somalia and performed on stage for the first time in 2008.  She composes original music and writes her own lyrics. Xaawo is among the top ten Somalian female musicians, with a huge following within Somalia and the Somalian diaspora.

She moved to the UK in 2010, releasing her first song in 2011 and is now based in Manchester.

Her music is heavily influenced by Somali culture and includes laments, love songs, and empowering songs that explore political and social issues.  Xaawo brings broader Somali culture into her music by wearing different cultural clothing and incorporating dance and crafts within her performances.

Through the Spotlight programme, she aims to develop her UK audience and introduce Somalian styles to the wider UK music scene.