Shows

23 March 2010 // Mamer plus guests Tue 23rd March 2010 The Luminaire, Kilburn High Road NW6
Chinagrass artist Mamer plays rare London show

1st 50 tickets at special price of £8 - get yours now!

Mamer, one of China's most innovative and influential young artists, is to return to the UK together with his band for an 8-date tour, starting on 18 March 2010.  Hailing from Qitai County in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Mamer (pronounced "Ma-moor") grew up, like every Kazakh child: on horsebacks and in the strong musical tradition of the Kazakhs  his father and relatives taught him to sing folk songs and play the dombra, a lute popular in Central Asia. 

'Eagle', Mamer's debut solo album, was released on Real World Records in 2009.  The album features songs of the grasslands that are deeply rooted in traditional Kazakh music, while incorporating influences from Western folk and rock.  Mamer's deep voice is combined with dazzlingly fast plucking and strumming on guitar, dombra and other traditional instruments.  This is lyrical troubadour folk infused with an alt.country sensibility.... also known as Chinagrass!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-7hl4Q6IH4
http://www.myspace.com/mamermusic1
http://www.realworldrecords.com/artists/mamer

UK reactions to 'Eagle':

"'Eagle' is terrific, and questions every assumption about "country" and geography in popular music." **** Uncut (no. 76 in Uncut's 2009 top 100)

"Another surprise from the Far East ... unpretentious, open and no-nonsense." **** Mojo (no. 9 in Mojo's World Music Albums of 2009)

"Irresistible." The Independent on Sunday

"A lovely, original and haunting creation." The Observer

"This is music for a road movie evoking endless space and roaming horses." **** The Evening Standard

"'Eagle' sounds undeniably familiar, a record worthy of welcoming into the home each day, like an old friend you miss every moment they are away. An absolute triumph." The Line of Best Fit

"An intriguing album." *** The Guardian

"Other current obsession is Mamer 'Eagle'. Astounding eastern music. Never heard anything like it. Wonderful." Stephen Fry (on Twitter)

"A wonderful record...mesmerizing...a beautiful voice…trance-like melodies." Peter Gabriel

"A lovely and deceptively simple album that reveals ever more of its layered charms with each listen." fRoots (no. 18 in fRoots' New albums of 2009 Critics Poll)

"Another indication that the regional sounds of China are becoming cool." **** Songlines (Top of the World album)

"China may not seem an obvious homeland for Bluegrass, but the plains of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were grassy enough to inspire Mamer." **** Financial Times

"The production on this album is astounding... marvel at the rich sound of this Chinese gem." London Tourdates

"An already well-developed talent with a rumbling, resonant, gravel-encrusted bass voice that could trigger a seismometer several hundred kilometres away." *** R2/ Rock'n'Reel

"There's a gentle dignity to Mamer's incantatory strumalongs, a quality evocative of American Country or even Scottish music." *** The Daily Telegraph

"Immediately accessible combination of programming and organic instruments." Morning Star

"Highly original and accessible music... [An] atmospheric solo debut, which has a vivid sense of place." BBC Music

"Glorious music." Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2

"A stunning album ... really atmospheric." Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music

"'Blackbird' [is] a haunting sing-song Kazakh-folk sing-along with a nagging melody that feels like it's been around forever. You'll find yourself humming it for days after hearing it." Fly Global Music

"A skilful blend of East and West, old and new." The Scotsman