BEMIS presents Celtic Connections in the Community

6pm GMT*

Featuring Brina, Danny Cliff, Ando Glaso Collective, St. Roch's Trio, and The Cosmic Shruti Box.

BEMIS Scotland are the national, ethnic minority led, voluntary sector umbrella body supporting the development of the ethnic minority third sector. The organisation believes in the power of intangible cultural heritage such as music, song, storytelling and other arts forms can help to make Scotland an inclusive and responsive society to live in. Our concert this evening profiles some of the longstanding and newer artists who reflect Scotland’s ethnic and cultural diversity via colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin. We are delighted to work with Celtic Connections now for 6 years to bring Scotland’s diversity to an internationally renowned festival and build on the 2020 success of the Celtic Connections in the Communities programme. 2021 is different, but our message remains the same. We Are Scotland.

Subrina “Brina” Ward hails from the rural hills of Jamaica and now lives in Scotland. The music she explores and delivers, represents the heartbeat and love of her Jamaican, African ancestry and the true strength and beauty of Maroon blood coursing through her veins. Subrina sings with a contemporary voice of honesty depth and feeling to uplift and motivate the heart, mind and soul of her audience. Her original songs speak to a poetic conviction of self-motivation with a wider reach to those who will find joy in what they hear. Brina captivates and inspire as she encourages positive change, turning one grain of sand at a time. 

Danny Cliff is a 20 year old student based in Edinburgh. He has a Nigerian background, was raised in Austria, and moved to Scotland in 2017. Music has always been Danny's passion, but unfortunately he was not able to pursue music as a career until he moved to Scotland. Since then, he has performed for huge crowds, and released his first singles.

Ando Glaso is a Roma cultural organisation based in Glasgow. Through our various projects we create opportunities for Roma people to nurture and showcase our rich Roma cultural heritage, empowering Roma communities around Scotland. Ando Glaso Collective is a constantly evolving group that brings together Roma musicians from Scotland’s various Roma communities. On this occasion we will be showcasing traditional music and players from the Bihor region of Romania. 

Erin, Calum and Katie have been performing together from a young age as part of the St. Roch’s Ceili Band. Between them, these young musicians hold many Scottish and British titles at the Fleadh Cheoil. This group are now regular performers at Celtic Connections and are delighted to be part of this gig again this year.

Uniting Emma Stout (Voice, Tibetan singing bowls), Alec Cooper (Sitar), Andy Cooke (Endongo), and Sodhi (Tabla), the Cosmic Shruti Box brings together a unique combination Indian and African approaches to melody and rhythm overlaid by shamanic forms of singing. As an eclectic group of individuals and musicians, they are united by their shared love for musical sound – shurti – and our belief in music’s unique power to transcend cultural and material boundaries. As most musicians, they have had to pause their joint musical activities over these last several months, which is why they are delighted to reunite and perform together for the first time in over a year.

Intercultural Youth Scotland is a youth-led movement dedicated to supporting young Black and young People of Colour to share, grow and succeed in their personal lives, at school and at work. We focus on improving the representation and participation of disengaged young people by overcoming barriers to participation and consultation in youth services, wider communities and politics. We bring together unheard Black and POC youth voices in Scotland to take collective action for social justice and sustained impact. We broaden horizons and offer direct, specialist support and vital pathways for young people who face barriers to success. 

Intercultural Youth Scotland works towards a holistic engagement with young people, connecting them through their interests, supporting them into bright futures and fighting for them to have a seat at the table for the decisions that shape their lives.

*This performance will be available to watch for one week after the live date to accommodate different time zones.

This performance is included in the Celtic Connections 2021 festival pass, so you will not need to purchase this event if you have already purchased a pass.