Brixton's jazz, funk and soul feast, Cross The Tracks, announces its first wave of acts for 2021. The festival will host an eclectic mix of music legends and exciting new talent
Acts gracing the South London stage this September include The Cinematic Orchestra, the hugely influential Nu jazz collective who’ve been wowing audiences for over 20 years with their blend of classical orchestration and electronica; R&B superstars En Vogue, whose trio of 90s platinum-selling albums spawned countless classics; Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge, everyone’s favourite disco family, responsible for some of the genres biggest hits including ‘We Are Family’ and ‘Lost In Music’; as well as Australian multi-instrumentalist Jordan Rakei, a frequent collaborator with Loyle Carner and Tom Misch.
Elsewhere on the lineup, some of the UK’s most exciting young talents will be performing, including innovative drummer Yussef Dayes, whose music melds together everything from 70s funk and Senegalese percussion to UK grime; saxophonist, composer and frontwoman Nubya Garcia, whose incredible Tiny Desk performance has been viewed over a million times; and psychedelic soul artist Greentea Peng, who has gained global momentum and was longlisted for the BBC Sound of 2021.
Other acts across the day include the father of British neo-soul, Omar; broadcaster, DJ and influential record label owner, Gilles Peterson; jazz virtuoso and Sam Smith collaborator, Reuben James; legendary ‘Good Times’ DJ Norman Jay MBE; world-famous dub reggae sound system, Channel One, and the London Africa Gospel Choir, who will be performing Graceland in full.
There are also many more acts still to be announced, including a special guest headliner.
Commenting on the festival’s return and this year’s lineup, Cross The Tracks Director, Jack Robinson, said: “Cross The Tracks had such an amazing debut back in 2019, and now we cannot wait to put on our second edition. We have an incredible lineup of artists, from legitimate music legends to some of the UK’s most exciting new acts, and we’re extremely confident that this year’s festival will be well worth the wait!”
Joining the unrivalled music line-up this September, Cross The Tracks is delighted to welcome Black Minds Matter as a partner to this year’s festival. The partnership will include discussions around a series of topics with BMM and other Black individuals, including some of the talent from the line up, as well as workshops, panels, creative collaborations, anti-racism staff training and more at the festival itself.
Published on 05 March 2021 by Ben Robinson
