Afro Celt Sound System (Ireland/ Africa)
nominated by Saskia Molin, Rotterdam, Holland:
'They build bridges between cultures. Iarla O'Lionaird and 'N Faly Kouyate have beautiful voices, full of passion. You can dance 'til you drop with that whirly music and drumming!'
Karen Brummel-Smith:
'Soulful, joyous, uplifting, multicultural and original music. The best damned live performances I've ever witnessed, to boot! '
Don Morgan, Colorado Springs, USA:
'Music for the 21st century. They combine traditional music from Ireland, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere with some of the coolest, forward-thinking grooves and beats around.'
Fiona McCausland:
'They make you dance your shoes off!'
Julie Daly, Catford, London:
'I'm not a category sort of person as a rule, but felt compelled to nominate ACSS for their outstanding "Further In Time" - a truly magical carpet ride of sound and rhythm ... its purity is inspirational, the musicianship unsurpassed and the varied vocals leave me breathless. Music that you feel inside'
Lou Brennan, London:
'A whole Womad in one - they're a melting pot of ethnic influences, races, religions and traditions. A beacon of hope in the light of recent tragic events, inspiring us all to celebrate our differences and individuality through groundbreaking music' .
Phil Nicholas, London:
'It is intelligently thought out composition that is exciting to see and hear live, but strangely ignored in the British music press. Whilst Nitin gets all the attention, this band, whose services to blending multi-cultural music styles are just as broad, gets little attention and is often lumped in with hippy psychadelic trance.
Jonathan Howes, San Diego, California:
'The synergy achieved when you take incredibly talented musicians from radically different parts of the world and see what they'll create together is amazing. ACSS has consistently turned out innovative, brilliantly executed albums drawing in new listeners and delighting world music diehards in the process. "Further in Time" is one of the best CDs I've heard in years.'
Rob Bonstein:
'Nobody can fuse, blend, and break boundaries like these guys. Like all of their previous albums, 2001's Further In Time is a true gem of a record.'
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