Kabantu: literally translating as “is a person by a person through other people” or “I am what I am because of who we all are”.

Reimagining global sounds, rewriting the rulebook - winners of the Royal Over-Seas League Competition 2017. Kabantu unravel new marriages of music from around the globe to celebrate the space where different cultures meet.

The Manchester based ensemble, which was formed in 2014 includes

Katie Foster: violin/whistling/vocals

Abel Selaocoe: cello/vocals

Ben Sayah: guitar/vocals

Ali McMath: double bass/banjo/digeridoo/vocals

Delia Stevens: percussion/vocals

Vocal harmonies from South Africa coalesce with everything from Celtic reels and Brazilian samba to Balkan folk music and beyond. Kabantu use music to bridge countries and cultures, creating an exuberant and joyful sound.

Performance highlights include the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, live sessions for BBC Free Thinking Festival at The Sage Gateshead, BBC Radio 3 In Tune, World on 3 and an array of festivals and venues across the UK including Celtic Connections, Greenbelt and Cambridge Folk Festivals.

As well as winning the coveted Royal Over-Seas League Ensemble Award the quintet is delighted to be selected for Making Music 2016-17 and BBC Introducing Artists; they are also being mentored by the Young Concert Artists Trust (YCAT) and are supported by the Hattori Foundation.