Afro Celt Sound System
Simon Emmerson, a British music producer, collaborated with African musician Baaba Maal in 1991 to experiment with the music they had grown up playing. They found similarities between the types of melodies used in both African and traditional Irish music and decided to bring each other’s music together.
Musicians were brought in from across the world music spectrum to discover what kind of music they could create, which was difficult because they did not all speak the same language.
Afro Celt Sound System officially formed in 1995, releasing their first album, Volume 1: Sound Magic in 1996.
Although Afro Celt Sound System has four fixed members, they regularly use guest artists and additional members on albums and in live shows. Release is an example of the band’s collaborative ethos - Sinead O’Connor was invited to write and record the song with them.
