Simon Emmerson

Simon Daniel Emmerson, 12.03.1956 – 13.03.2023

Simon was a supporter of Broadwindsor.Org and he was happy to share his Lockdown experiences and creations 🙂

Local resident, Musician, Band Leader & Music Director, Simon Emmerson has many strings to his proverbial bow. Currently under Lockdown 2021 due to Covid-19, Simon has had his vaccination and is currently exercising in Lockdown 2021 with his dog ‘Pepper‘ and is an avid bird watcher.  When it’s open – he enjoys calling in to The White Lion, our village pub. See further below to read what Simon produced in Lockdown 2020.

Pre-lockdown, Simon is frequently away from the village as he tours around the world with the very successful Afro Celt Sound System.

Formed by our Grammy-nominated musician and record producer Simon Emmerson, Afro Celt Sound System are a European and African based collective who’ve been a ground-breaking force in music ever since they started in 1995.  When sales now topped one and a half million albums and two Grammy nominations to date, Afro Celt Sound System celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a stunning new album, ‘The Source’ released in April 2016 on ECC Records.
ECC Records released ‘Flight‘, the 8th studio album on 23rd November 2018 supported by a major 10 day UK wide tour.

Founded in 2004, Simon is also bandleader of the award winning The Imagined Village (pictured below), recognised as one of the most innovative, radical and best selling groups to have emerged from the English roots revival.  They toured extensively, appeared on TV’s Later, With Jools show and won out at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.  Simon was quoted as saying “Some people refer to this band as a folk super group, which makes me laugh as we only really have 3 bona fide folk musicians in a band of 10, all us would say the real stars of the group are not the individuals but the songs. What unites us all is our deep love of these amazing songs and tunes that have survived and grown, kept alive by anonymous individuals and enthusiasts who we owe everything to. They are the super group, not us.”  Read Simon’s earlier musical biography HERE.

 

Simon is also Music Director for Lush, based in Poole UK.

During the First Lockdown in 2020, Simon produced:

‘Music Will Not Be Cancelled’ series. He was providing a Friday night mix  – which did move to Sundays but then back to Fridays! See Below & Enjoy!

Friday, 29th May 2020 -Validation Facial
Here’s another deep Dorset West Country mix . Let Jackie Oates , Belinda O’Hooley , Eliza Carthy and other members of the Imagined Village and Nightjar Orchestra row you out from the smugglers village of Moonfleet along the Dorset coastline and past Chesil Beach into a sea of petals, herbs and oils.
As the boat drifts west, you pass the moonlit Devonshire hideouts of Start Point and Slapton Sands into an ocean of deep, relaxing, healing sleep full of dreams, love and validation, arriving back on the prom for a jaunty stroll. We’ve even managed to compose a song around the call of the incredible rare Fea’s Petrel. So that’s one for the birders out there.

Part 1, released on Friday, 3rd April 2020 – Peace and Healing in the Orient.

Performed by The Nightjar Orchestra with featured violinist Midori Komachi.

 Part 2, released Friday, 10th April 2020 – Peace and Healing in India.

Compiled from the Karma vinyl album on ECC 100 Records, written and produced by Sheema Mukherjee and Simon Richmond.
Most of the material was recorded on location in India.

Part 3, released Sunday, 19th April 2020 – Peace and Healing in Italy

This composition features Barney Morse-Brown (viola da gamba) and Richard Evans (keyboards, mandolin, electronica) with additional writing input from Simon Emmerson (guitar) and Simon Richmond (keyboards).
It was recorded for the Lush Spa treatment ‘A Meditation on Fragrance’ on location in Florence and the UK before the lockdown and is inspired by the music and philosophy of Renaissance Italy and the birth of perfumery.

May 1st 2020 – Happy Beltane everyone and to celebrate this glorious festival of creativity, fertility and Spring energy Simon and his band are launching Radio Afro Celt on Band Camp: news and views from the Afro Celt crew plus a whole bunch of unheard, world premier Afro Celt and Dhol Foundation remixes and pre-mixes to lift your spirits and lighten your hearts in these dark times. Click HERE.

May 23rd 2020 – The “LOCKED-IN-GORROCH REEL”

Tuesday, June 2nd 2020 – Blackout Tuesday.
“There will be no music today . Today is black out Tuesday when musicians and the music industry shows solidarity across the world with the black lives matter movement . In the silence we can embrace our shared humanity.” – Simon Emmerson. #TheShowMustBePaused

Friday, June 12th – ‘The Spell’
An album based around walking the land that features 2 Imagined Village tracks you almost certainly haven’t heard : ‘Coastal Road’ , inspired by my neck of the woods, The South West Coastal Path and one of my all time favourite IV tracks ‘Walk Back’ . This beautiful traditional Ballard settles into Simon Richmond’s haunting sound scape evoking past memories of healing and solace. It features Jackie Oates duetting with Eliza Carthy on vocals. Check out Martin Carthy’s sublime and minimal guitar solo mid track. On listening back in the studio I remember him saying “Well I never. That’s what I love about the Imagined Village, it takes me outside of my comfort zone and gets me playing in a way I never dreamt I could” . It’s an amazing and evocative journey for walkers , ramblers and nature lovers across the land . Enjoy xx – Simon.

Friday, June 19th – ‘The Sound Bath’
This week’s offering is The Sound Bath . I get to duet with a blue throat AND mistle thrush on this one ! ‘Hand Bells’ (T6) was the catalyst for me rebooting the Afro Celts and features N’Faly Kouyaté and Jackie Oates plus some beautiful choral singing . ‘Let The Bells Ring Out’ (T10) is a stirring Imagined Village anthem beautifully sung by Barney Morse Brown and Sheema Mukherjee. Track 7 features Frank Perry who is not only the grand master of the Tibetan singing bowls but has recently become a FB friend. So take it away Frank!


Friday, June 26th – ‘The Comforter?’
Today’s addition is a collection of cover versions titled ‘The Comforter? Check out Jackie Oates sublime rendition of the civil rights anthem Move On Up plus an English Trad re-working of Up Town Top Ranking. My personnel favourite is the ska classic Double Barrel were I do my best Buster Bloodvessel tribute. Lip Up Fatty!


Friday, July 3rd – ‘A Hard Day’s Night’
If you are going to download one Band Camp album in this series get this compilation of Beatle’s covers. Along with contributions from Eliza Carthy, Martha Tilston, Rosie Doonan, Sheema Mukherjee, Marry Waterson, Barney Morse Brown, Jackie Oates, Angie Pollock, Stealing Sheep and One Eskimo it also has 4 Imagined Village collaborations that went largely under the radar and were the last thing we did as a band. I’m a massive post-rock/shoe gaze fan (Mogwai, Spiritualized etc) so me and Palmy get to trance out on Flying, an overlooked Beatles instrumental from the Magical Mystery Tour EP. Check out Jackie’s sublime version of Golden Slumbers or the spooky psych-folk Steeling Sheep cover. When we were asked to produce an album of Beatles covers by the Hard Days Night Hotel and Lush Spa shop in Liverpool it was a daunting task. I am so proud of the result. Go on buy it, trust me you will NOT be disappointed.

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