The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians | with Damon Albarn and Guests

Africa Express, which has been hailed as the most revolutionary force in popular music for two decades, is all about cross cultural collaboration. It brings together musicians from different cultures, genres and generations to break boundaries and offer a new perspective on Africa and its music.

The latest venture presented The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians joined by performers from Britain, Syria, Algeria, Lebanon, Mail, Mauritania, Senegal, Tunisia and the United States. Performers included Damon Albarn, Baaba Maal, Bassekou Kouyate, Bu Kolthoun, Eslam Jawaad, Faia Younan, Malikah, Mounir Troudi, Noura Mint Seymali, Paul Weller, Rachid Taha, Seckou Keita and TALA.

The concert was a rare showcase of Syrian and Arabic music and aimed at highlighting and celebrating the remarkable culture of Syria and, by so doing, offering an alternative perspective to events as seen in the news. The concert, produced by Pulse Films and sponsored by Google, was live streamed from Royal Festival Hall via YouTube and archived on Africa Express’ YouTube channel.