The Independent 30 July 1999
WOMAD Reading 24 July 1999

One of the weekend's indisputable highlights was London's Bollywood Band who, despite reeling under the weight of tubas and Indian Dhol drums, turned out to be a Jack-in-the-Box-like bundle of 11 cavorting musicians intent on blasting the genre into the 21st century. With heat necessitating frequent retuning of brass, Bollywood member Johnny Kalsi - whose guest turns with the Afro-Celts steal the show - performed a pared down but incendiary version of his thunderous percussion group Dhol Foundation. Both are names to watch.

Jane Cornwell

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