Afro Celt Sound System: Music, World, Culture and Exchange!

Afro Celt Sound System is a musical group established by the producer and guitarist Simon Emmerson, who by the way, has been nominated for the Grammy Awards. The main approach of the group is to mix rhythms such as techno and hip-hop with African and Celtic influence. Afro Celt Sound System is considered a supergroup due to the success achieved by the members of the band and the fact that they have counted on a great variety of guest artists in their albums.

Afro Celt Sound System is one of the most important world music performers is not only the great accuracy of their sound, but also the way in which outstanding performers have joined in a project intended to get intercultural exchange to its maximum through music. The musicians that have been part of Afro Celt Sound System are Simon Emmerson (guitar and production), N'Faly Kouyate (vocals, balaphon, kora, n’goma), Moussa Sissokho (talking drum, djembe), James McNally (Bodhrán, whistle, accordion), Johnny Kalsi, Iarla Ó Lionáird (vocals), Emer Maycock (flute, tin whistle, uillean pipes), and Martin Russell (engineering, programming, keyboards, producing).

They released their debut album Volume 1: Sound Magic in 1996, which became one of the most important examples of world music as a sign of cultural exchange. In 1997, they made their debut concert in the United States. Thus, in 1999 they released the album Volume 2: Release. Within their third album Volume 3: Further in Time (2001), they released the single “Life Begins Again” with the vocals of the guest artist Robert Plank. Their following albums were Speed (2003), Pod (2004) and Volume 5: Anatomic (2005).