Looking ahead

Under the rootsandshootslive! banner, we are planning some exciting events in Exeter. To give you a taster of what's to come, we are working on a series of free concerts (to which you will be cordially invited) with top class local musicians to be broadcast on rootsandshoots on Monday evenings. Watch this space!

We'll also continue to showcase local musicians through broadcasts of music and interviews live in the studio, including the wonderfully talented Gris Sanderson, who'll be playing the Swedish instrument, the nyckelharpa. She'll be joined by compelling percussionist Sam Powerful Yeboah from Ghana. They have an exciting new album out soon, Harpaphonics which we've been playing on rootsandshoots. A donation from each album sale will go to Project Okurase addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis in Ghana. See a video of the Harpaphonics musicians here. Gris and Sam are pictured above. Scheduled for 26 January on rootsandshoots.

And we'll feature events in and around Exeter - one coming up is the IVFDF (InterVarsity Folk Dance Festival) at Exeter University from 27 February to 1 March with a full range of dance events plus concerts by the renowned Kate Rusby, Jim Causley (who sang and played for us before Christmas on rootsandshoots) and Jackie Oates (who we hope can find time to pop in and see us sometime). rootsandshoots presenter Martin Hodge will be leading a workshop, East Meets West: dances from different parts of Europe on Saturday 28 Feb from 17.45 at IVFDF. He's managed to get one of Britain's best border pipers Lawrence Morgan-Anstee plus ace harmonium player Tracey Baker to play for the occasion. Full details of IVFDF, Exeter here.