A TASTE of Africa is coming to Wem next week.

Wem Town Hall will be hosting Shropshire Music Trust’s concert by Moussa Dembele on Friday, February 16 at 7.30pm.

Audiences should expect a thrilling and virtuosic performance showcasing Moussa’s rich musical heritage that will transport them to the African motherland while members of the audience will also be able to enjoy a workshop between 6.30pm and 7.00pm. He is also running schools workshops.

Director of Shropshire Music Trust, Kate Hogwood, is delighted to be hosting Moussa.

She said: “Moussa comes from Burkina Faso and a family of musicians and craftsmen, known as Griots, who have been producing and playing musical instruments for generations. With these unique skills passed down to him

"From a young age he is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, teacher and highly skilled master craftsman of African instruments. Dembele has toured extensively throughout Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and has collaborated with many musicians from varying musical genres including jazz and pop as well as traditional and contemporary African music, and taught in the music department of Ghana University.

"The audience can expect to hear a variety of instruments ranging from harp, lute and xylophone to gourd drums, talking drum and shakers. An exciting evening is promised.”

Dembele is a multi-instrumentalist of African instruments, music teacher and highly skilled master craftsman of African instruments. He was born and raised in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso in West Africa.

He comes from a family of musicians and craftsmen that have been producing traditional musical instruments for generations. Having had these unique skills passed down to him from a very young age, he has been creating high quality, hand crafted instruments for over 20 years.