Justin Thurgur (born 1974) is a British trombonist and composer/arranger.

Biography

He is most well known for his work with the English folk group

Bellowhead Bellowhead is an English contemporary folk band, active from 2004 to 2016, reforming in 2020. The eleven-piece act played traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide range of musical style ...

, who he played with from its formation in 2004 until they called it a day in May 2016. Bellowhead were winners of five 'Best Live Act' awards, two 'Best Group' awards and one 'Best Album' award from the

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music, with the aim of raising the profile of folk and acoustic music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British ra ...

. They were Artists in Residence at the

South Bank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Natio ...

from 2007. In 2014 they signed to Island Records for their fifth full album 'Revival'. Thurgur has been collaborating with the pianist and composer

Kishon Khan Kishon Khan ( bn, কীশোন খান; born 1 August 1970) is a Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a ...

since 1996. Initially Thurgur joined Khan's Afro-Latin Jazz group 'The Bonobo Orchestra', then in 1999 they formed the Cuban-Funk outfit 'Motimba' together. Currently Thurgur is working with Khan in the pianist's Bangla/Latin/Afro/Jazz project ' Lokkhi Terra' and in Thurgur's Afro-Jazz group. His album for this project 'No Confusion' was released in July 2016 on their label 'Funkiwala', which was also officially launched in July. They have also been working on an album with the Bangladeshi Baul singer Baby Akhtar and on a new project, 'Cubafrobeat', which combines Cuban rhumba with Afro-Beat and features ex-Fela and

Femi Kuti Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (born 16 June 1962), popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, women's r ...

pianist/singer Dele Sosimi. Thurgur appeared on a soundtrack of Khan's for the Bangladeshi movie '

The Last Thakur ''The Last Thakur'' is a 2008 British western film directed by Sadik Ahmed, written by Sadik Ahmed and Heather Taylor, and stars Ahmed Rubel, Tariq Anam Khan and Tanveer Hassan. The film is about a lone gun-man who enters a town to take reven ...

', for which Khan won a Grand Jury award for 'Best Music' at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York. In 2010 Khan and Thurgur went to Cuba to record an album in Egrem Studios with Indian percussionist

Pandit Dinesh Pandit Dinesh (born 29 May 1955) is a music composer and percussionist specializing in Indian rhythms. He uses the tabla, conga drums, and more. Dinesh is known for his collaborations with West India Company, Dizrhythmia, The Pax Trio, and Blancm ...

and various Cuban artists, including Giraldo Piloto, Julito Padron and

Changuito Changuito (born José Luis Quintana on January 18, 1948) is a Cuban percussionist. Biography Quintana was born in 1948 in Casablanca, Cuba.Dele Sosimi Bamidele Olatunbosun Sosimi (born 22 February 1963) known as Dele Sosimi, is a Nigerian-British musician. Biography Sosimi was born in Hackney, London, England. His career began when he joined Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's Egypt 80 (1979–86). Sosimi ...

since 1998, first in the group Gbedu Resurrection and then in Sosimi's Afro-Beat Orchestra. For Sosimi's first two albums and one they did together for the Nigerian poet Ikwunga, Thurgur also acted as co-producer, arranger/composer and recording engineer. Sosimi's fourth album, 'You No Fit Touch Am', was released with Wah Wah 45's in 2015. As a session player, he has worked with Tony Allen, Africa Express (which specifically included work with Allen, Cheick Tidiane-Seck, and Fatoumata Diowara),

Tony Kofi Tony Kofi (born 10 July 1966) is a British jazz saxophonist and flautist. He leads a trio and quartet and is co-founder of the Monk Liberation Band. His trio includes drummer Winston Clifford and Hammond B3 organist Anders Olinder. Kofi is signe ...

, Bukky Leo, Wara, Inemo, The Soothsayers, Osvaldo Chacon, Roberto Pla, The Selector and The Levellers. He was in the band for the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

production of ' Fela'.

Discography

Solo albums * 'No Confusion' (Funkiwala, 2016) * 'Many Faces' (Funkiwala, 2022) With Lokkhi Terra * 'No Visa Required' (Funkiwala Records, 2008) * 'Che Guava's Rickshaw Diaries' (Funkiwala Records, 2011) * 'London Calling' (Culture Clash Productions, 2012) * 'Bangla Rasta', with Shickor Bangladesh All-Stars (Funkiwala Records, 2016) * 'Introducing Baby Akhtar', with Shickor Bangladesh All-Stars (Funkiwala Records, 2017) * 'Cubafrobeat', with Dele Sosimi (Funkiwala Records, 2018) With

Dele Sosimi Bamidele Olatunbosun Sosimi (born 22 February 1963) known as Dele Sosimi, is a Nigerian-British musician. Biography Sosimi was born in Hackney, London, England. His career began when he joined Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's Egypt 80 (1979–86). Sosimi ...

* 'Turbulent Times' (Ekostar Music, 2002) * 'Calabash', with Ikwunga (Rebisi Hut Records, 2004) * 'Identity', (Helico Records, 2007) * 'You No Fit Touch Am', (Wah Wah 45's, 2015) * 'Dibia' with Ikwunga (Rebisi Hut and Dele Sosimi Music Ltd, 2015) With

* 'E.P.Onymous' (Megafone Records, 2004) * '

Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

' (

Westpark Music Westpark Music is a German record label based in Cologne, best known for publishing albums by Gjallarhorn, Oysterband, Hedningarna, Varttina, Bellowhead, Stockholm Lisboa Project, Chumbawamba, Lydie Auvray, Garmarna and many others. Mainly c ...

, 2006) * '

Matachin Matachines (Spanish singular ''matachín''; sword dancers dressed in ritual attire called bouffon) are a carnivalesque dance troupe that emerged in Spain in the early 17th century inspired by similar European traditions such as the moresca. Th ...

' (

Navigator Records Navigator Records is a small independent record label in the United Kingdom, specialising in folk and roots music. It is wholly owned by Proper Music Distribution and was launched in 2008. Musicians who have recorded on Navigator Records inclu ...

, 2008) * 'Umbrellowhead' (Megafone Records, 2009) * 'Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire' DVD (Westpark Music, 2009) * '

Hedonism Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decr ...

' (

, 2010) * 'Hedonism Live' DVD (Navigator Records, 2011) * '

Broadside Broadside or broadsides may refer to: Naval * Broadside (naval), terminology for the side of a ship, the battery of cannon on one side of a warship, or their near simultaneous fire on naval warfare Printing and literature * Broadside (comic ...

' (

, 2012) * 'Levellers' Greatest Hits', with The Levellers and Bellowhead on the track 'Just the One' (The Fiddle Recordings, 2014) * ' Revival' (Island Records, 2014) * 'Pandemonium – The Essential Bellowhead' (Navigator Records, 2015) * 'Bellowhead Live: The Farewell Tour’ (Navigator Records, 2016) Others * ‘Monkey Vibrations’, with Motimba (Iris Music, 2003) * ‘Afrobeat Visions’ with Bukky Leo and Black Egypt (Mr Bongo, 2005) * ‘Afro-Funky Beats’, with Inemo (Black Mango, 2006) * ‘Leave to Remain’, with Wara (Movimientos Records, 2013)

Biography

Discography

References

External links