A great choice of music all weekend long in John Roberts Square, with three days of some wonderful acts including Irish trad, rockabilly, blues, gypsy jazz and good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. You could spend your entire Spraoi Festival weekend just soaking up the great sounds on the square.
The mellow sound of Waterford Gypsy Jazz get things going on Friday, and then comes the highly original sound of Propellor Palm. Foul Play storm the stage
next. Headlining on Friday night is Baraka, a unique combination of musicians from Ghana, Senegal, Dominica and Ireland.
Saturday’s line-up includes spoof merchants The Everly Pregnant Brothers from Sheffield, and the acoustic groove of the Tyneside group The Tenth Avenue Band. Cork based Cosmic Funk Band are up next, followed by Sam and the Womp, performing high-energy Balkan, ska and dub material. The very popular rockabilly band Swamp Stompers are the first band up on 
Saturday night, and headlining on Saturday are the unique Irish trad act Fidil. Described as “simply stunning” and “mind-blowing”, this Irish group are rapidly forging a reputation for exhilarating and challenging music that draws on the rich heritage of fiddle music from Donegal. This is traditional music for the 21st century – mindful of its origins but breathtakingly exciting in its ambition and delivery.
Sunday kicks off with the exciting sound that is Baraka. They’re followed by Radio Friction, tight rhythms with a killer brass section. Also on
Sunday are The Kalukata Millionaires – expect blistering brass, stunning harmonies and an explosive rhythm section. This afro-Latino-Funk orchestra has taken the UK by storm. Headlining on Sunday are Zubop Gambia. a collaboration between London-based worldbeat and jazz music group Zubop and West African master musicians, with a style that is influenced by many musical cultures from around the world.
Baraka
Once again Waterford Spraoi presents something really special for lovers of world-music. Baraka features musicians from Ghana, Senegal, Dominica Northern and Southern Ireland. The band is edgy, experimental and innovative without loosing sight of entertaining its audience. Each of the musicians brings individual influences to their multi-cultural party including: Reggae, Township, Calypso, Hilife and Blues.
Everly Pregnant Brothers
It began as a dare, and the success of the dare prompted band members Pete McKee and Richard Bailey to draft in a bunch of disparate members. These chaps have three things in common – a love of beer, ukuleles and having a laugh. A national treasure in their native Sheffield, the Brothers playful tampering of classic songs has won them friends and fans far and wide. This is their first appearance in Ireland, and no doubt they’ll gain new fans with their very different style of music!
The Tenth Avenue Band
From Tyneside in the North East of England, they play an energetic and irresistible blend of music from around the world. Weaving musical threads of Latin America, ska, jazz, African, Balkan and waltz tunes into their own distinctive pattern they are deliciously captivating. A brilliant line-up of street-wise musicians plays saxophones, flutes, trombones, clarinet, trumpet, percussion and guitars.
The Cosmic Funk Band
At Spraoi this year, supplying a brand of Funk & Disco that is guaranteed to have you dancingthe night away are The Cosmic Funk Band. With almost 10 years gigging experience this Cork based 7 piece band has a charisma that wins over any audience. There’s two female vocalists with Mr. Funk himself on lead vocals, a brass section, drum & bass, keys and guitar.
Sam and The womp
For the first time at Waterford Spraoi we have South-east London based Based Sam and The Womp. They cheerfully mix and layer strands of high-energy Balkan, ska, dub and gypsy influences to produce a sound that’s unashamedly dance orientated. Their punchy big brass-lines are working audiences into a lather at major festivals in the UK and continental Europe this summer and immediately after Spraoi they fly to Italy for a major tour. In short, a classic Spraoi party band.
Radio Friction
Appearing at Spraoi this year are Radio Friction, formerly, Shane Barry and the Distractions was formed in the summer of 2010. Radio Friction ventures into the left field of alternative country and electronic indie. The Waterford five-piece has spent the last year building their own studio and begin work on their debut album this Summer. Radio Friction’s exciting live performances see band members switching between trumpet, saxophone, piano, synth, guitar, bass and drums (often in the same song!) in an effort to achieve the necessary soundscapes for each song.
The Kalakuta Millionaires
This Afro-Latino-Funk orchestra has taken the UK by storm with their dirty mix of Fela
Kuti-inspired brass lines, Latin percussion section, afro-psych organ and JB-style funk riffs and make their debut at Spraoi Festival in Waterford this year. Fusing tunes from the heart of 70’s Nigeria, the carnivals of Cuba, the back streets of Brazil and beyond, expect blistering brass, stunning harmonies and an explosive rhythm section from the Kalukata Millionaires.
Zubop Gambia
Zubop Gambia is a collaboration between London-based worldbeat and jazz music group Zubop and the West African master musicians Mosi Conde and Njega Sohna (vocals, kora, balafon, guitar, djembe) and Njega Sohna (djembe, talking drum, vocals). South African born Philip Clouts is the keyboard player and a major composer in Zubop, and extends his heritage with this fusion with West Africa. For the past nineteen years, Zubop have been performing throughout the UK and in continental Europe, playing their unique blend of original music, which is influenced by many musical cultures from around the world. They have released four widely acclaimed CDs and played many major festivals including WOMAD and Glastonbury.
