Following the release of their critically acclaimed album Black To The Future, Mercury-nominated quartet Sons of Kemet have announced a gig at The Roundhouse in London on February 26, 2022. Known for their dynamic, high-energy live sets (“Are Sons of Kemet the best live band in the UK right now?” asked the Evening Standard) the 1700-capacity venue will host their biggest headline show to date.
Pre-sale tickets for the Roundhouse will be available this Thursday, May 27, while general sale tickets will be available this Friday, May 28. Visit Sons Of Kemet’s official website for further information.
With special guests such as grime emcees D Double E and Kojey Radical and UK poet Joshua Idehen amongst others, Black To The Future is a bigger affair than previous Sons of Kemet records. The dynamic album begins and ends with powerful lyrical and musical statements of rage and frustration, expressed outwardly in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the subsequent BLM protests. The album flows inwards from the start and finish to deeper, inner journeys – looking to forgotten cosmologies and searching for new ways of existing.
Shabaka Hutchings says, ‘Black To The Future is a sonic poem for the invocation of power, remembrance and healing. It depicts a movement to redefine and reaffirm what it means to strive for black power.”
“The meaning is not universal, and the cultural context of the listener will shape their understanding,” he continues. “Yet in the end, the overarching message remains the same: For humanity to progress we must consider what it means to be Black to the Future.”
The band also recently announced a North American tour for Spring 2022. The dates include Washington DC, Philadelphia, NYC (Webster Hall), Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Minneapolis, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco.
Sons Of Kemet are a jazz and experimental band from London made up of Tom Skinner, Eddie Hick, Shabaka Hutchings and Theon Cross. Their musical style frequently spans jazz, rock, Caribbean folk, and African music with a revolving cast of two drummers, saxophone, tuba, clarinet and more.