Discover more about the incredible creative groups and artists performing at Wemba's Dream: Join the Journey - a free festival performance of music, dance, poetry and carnival arts that celebrates the unique and diverse communities of Brent.
Featuring new music by contemporary composer Dani Howard, join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahogany Carnival Arts, spoken word group Word Up, the Sujata Banerjee Dance Company dancer Keira Martin, guitarist Trevor Brown and the St Michael and All Angels Steel Orchestra for free performances in Wembley Park this September.
Discover all the performers and collaborators below:
Sujata Banerjee Dance Company
What inspired you to collaborate with us on this exciting project?
It has been a dream for quite some time to work with a large orchestra, playing for Kathak, particularly since our Swan Lake production in 2018. So when we were asked to put a proposal for Wemba's Dream - as a choreographer, I started to dream too.
What impact are you hoping to see by performing at Wemba’s Dream?
It will definitely raise our profile as a company and, hopefully, a good rapport with RPO and other local artists, and also all our dancers are so looking forward to the project - which always excites me hugely.
What do you hope to gain from working with the RPO, composer Dani Howard and all the other collaborators?
Develop connections, possibly influencing their thoughts and understanding of Classical Indian dance. It has been a wonderful positive experience collaborating with Dani Howard so far
How would you describe Brent to someone who hasn't visited?
One of the most global boroughs, where within 5-7 miles you can be in different parts of the world - Jamaica, India, Afghanistan or Ireland, and get the most authentic music, spices, food, clothes, excellent football and pubs.
The Sujata Banerjee Dance Company (SBDC) was founded in 1985 by artistic director and choreographer Sujata Banerjee. SBDC is at the forefront of promoting and developing South Asian dance in the UK and internationally. We create, produce and tour new choreographic works, develop artistic partnerships across genres and through our training and mentoring programme, education and outreach projects and the SBDC dance academy, nurture the next generation of artists and promote access to and awareness of, South Asian music and dance in all its forms.
Dani Howard
Dani Howard is a British composer and orchestrator, known in particular for her orchestral writing, she has had her compositions performed by ensembles including the London Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and Ulster orchestras, and most recently received her BBC Proms debut. In 2021 the premiere of her Trombone Concerto was greeted with critical acclaim: “an instant classic… lush… riveting…” (The Times), which went on to receive a Royal Philharmonic Society Award, a nomination at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, and saw the London premiere given by the London Symphony Orchestra in April 2022. In 2020 she was commissioned by the Antoni Gaudí building Casa Batlló in Barcelona, to compose an hour of music inspired by the spaces throughout the building, which continues to be heard by over 1 million visitors each year. She is currently Composer in Residence with the London Chamber Orchestra (2022–24).
Word Up
Spoken word is exploding, and there’s no barrier to entry. We’re building a space for creatives to share their thoughts through poems/raps/lyrics. Anyone is welcome, virgins or veterans. Together we’ll create a group with open ears and free-flowing words. Expect outspoken, lively words from both newcomers and some established artists. We’ve collaborated with stalwarts such as The Roundhouse, and featured a mix of international and national poets to create a unique and welcoming event. We were awarded funding as part of the London Borough of Culture 2020 (Brent) initiative, and were commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to create a piece for Wemba's Dream in 2021 as well as for Wemba's Dream: Join the Journey.
St Michael & All Angels Steel Orchestra
What inspired you to collaborate with us on this exciting project?
We first met members of the RPO in 2021 where we quickly found out that we share a love of music that is universal, eclectic and seamlessly complementary in sound. This is a wonderful opportunity to show the world our true colours and how community cohesion in Brent sounds.
What impact are you hoping to see by performing at Wemba’s Dream?
A groundswell of interest in, and awareness of the wealth of music and arts in Brent that is accessible to all and the opportunities therein. In particular, within Carnival Arts and Steel Pan music.
What do you hope to gain from working with the RPO, composer Dani Howard and all the other collaborators?
A positive learning experience and a wonderful time working with professional musicians and artists who share our love of music and love of our local community.
Describe the London Borough of Brent in a couple of words:
Community Cohesion In Action
The St Michael & All Angels Steel Orchestra (SMAASO) is considered to be amongst the best steel bands in Europe and performs regularly in the UK and internationally. SMAASO is also a household name amongst the black community in London and the south east and is renowned for its valuable community work.
The Orchestra takes part in the Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world’s biggest street carnivals, each year. The carnival attracts up to two million people to enjoy the multi-cultural atmosphere and the different arts disciplines. The carnival is also a major tourist attraction. Over the past three years, SMAASO has been the only steel ensemble to be featured on the national & regional news both BBC & ITV during Notting Hill Carnival. The Orchestra in performance is as sophisticated as it is exuberant, playing classical music and opera as well as popular, reggae and soca music, so it is not surprising that it gains a lot of media attention.
Trevor Brown
Trevor Brown, aka Trevor Starr, was born in Kingston Jamaica, and is a self-taught musician. Trevor came to the UK at the request of the Trojan Record Company and the Jamaican government, for the development and promotion of reggae music in the UK. Trevor came with the band Dave and Ansell Colin, as they had a No. 1 hit in the British Charts (Double Barrel) in the seventies. Since then Trevor has played and toured with numerous reggae artists including Jimmy Cliff, Cimerons, Dennis Brown, Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, Max Romeo, Pioneers, Toots and the Maytals, The Mighty Diamonds, Typically Tropical, plus many more!
Mahogany Carnival Arts
Mahogany is a group of multi-disciplinary artists who design and create large-scale kinetic sculptures/carnival costumes utilising the human body in the art form of “Mas Making”, Masquerade or Street Theatre.
Formed in 1989, Mahogany has gone from strength to strength and its success in design is now recognised worldwide. Mahogany has been instrumental in introducing the art form of Mas Making across the UK. They are the seminal force in educating European communities in the development of Carnival. Their award-winning collaborations have been featured in the Caribbean, London, Paris, Nice, Sweden, the United States and Trinidad and act as a catalyst for bringing together people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Patrick Bailey - Conductor
Patrick Bailey is a conductor, composer and presenter who has worked with lots of the UK’s best orchestras including the finest of them all, the RPO! He has conducted all sorts of music in all sorts of places, including operas in sports halls, musicals in farm sheds, orchestras in car parks and bagpipes in Norfolk.
Unfortunately, due to injury, Keira Martin will no longer be able to perform at Wemba's Dream: Join the Journey. Everyone at the RPO and Wembley Park wishes her a speedy recovery.
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