Grand Union Re:Generation Band – GUO 40th Anniversary Special

The Grand Union Re:Generation Band is a collective of musicians who met, grew and trained through The Grand Union Orchestra – The acknowledged pioneer and leading exponent of cross-cultural music making in the UK.

What to expect

As part of the Grand Union Orchestra’s 40th Anniversary celebrations: Grand Union Re:Generation Band’s residency culminates in this winter showcase featuring all of the musicians we’ve worked with this year at a party night – swinging bhangra brass blended with reggae basslines and african polyrhythms all night.

We are a hybrid of non-standard instrumentalists featuring Tabla, Ghuzeng and Kpanlogo players with jazz players who share a love of traditional music forms. GUO musician’s are expert in their own global musical traditions – South Asian, African, Caribbean and Latin American. Re:Generation band members are the experienced musicians of the Grand Union Youth Orchestra, who on the threshold of a professional career and continue to compose pieces divined from the music and ethos of GUO in its ever-evolving traditions, from which we are rooted.

About Grand Union Orchestra

There is no musical organisation on the planet quite like the Grand Union Orchestra. For nearly 40 years, we have brought together musicians & singers born or brought up in all major musical traditions worldwide to create spectacular live shows, combining music and theatre to reflect vividly the society we live in today. Grand Union Orchestra is the acknowledged pioneer and leading exponent of cross-cultural music-making in the UK.

Once memorably commended for ‘making cultural diversity an art-form’, Grand Union continues to blaze a trail unrivalled by any other organisation, characterised by its story-telling and the authentic lived experience of its artists. Our music encompasses Indian ragas, Latin American salsa, Chinese harmonies, Bengali songs, reggae basslines, West African and South African drumming, Bhangra and Samba rhythms, Eastern European styles and big band Blues. Many Grand Union musicians are first-generation migrants.

As well as inspiring Tony Haynes’ gloriously original music for the Orchestra, they have unique skills and experience to pass on to the second and future generations. This has always been an important part of our artistic practice, and is a central feature of all our work. In Britain today it is more important than ever to bring people of all ages and cultures together to create work that reflects and responds to our country’s ever-widening demographic, creating unity and healing division.

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