Lorraine Ayensu
Lorraine Ayensu has been making independent music for over 10 years. Her music transcends established categories, she is passionate about all music particularly British and American music, traditional as well as modern and popular. This passion is no less diminished when it comes African and other music from all around the world. Her music draws on soul and folk traditions as well as rock and jazz, with underlying African and Latin rhythms.
The songs are about many aspects of life: from the stark reality of being the 'outsider' to celebrations of life and love. They are distinctive, telling stories and asking questions about roots and belonging through the use of words, rhythms, harmonies and visual imagery. Ayensu's guitar playing evokes rhythms from around the world: her forceful, clean strumming and strongly percussive finger-picking bring forth rolling melodies and counter melodies from the strings. Her voice is a combination of strength, tenderness and honesty.
Lorraine Ayensu previously performed under the name sweet lorraine and has two EP CDs ('The Truth Is', 1999; 'I Believe' 2000). These are now available on one album called 'Remembering', along with some live tracks. (See the audio gallery for sample tracks and the CDs page for further info and online purchase.).
Norma started her music career playing in Keith Tippet's Seedbed Jazz Orchestra, since then she has become a well respected composer, arranger and player on the Bristol music scene. She has extensive performance experience, this includes her long standing contribution to Lorraine's live and recorded work. In addition Norma has her own septet Paraty. Norma studied at The Royal College of Music and Drama with Paula Gardiner and Andrew Wilson-Dickinson. Her music draws on broad interests in jazz, latin and dance rhythms as well as contemporary classical music. www.myspace.com/paratyuk 
Tim Robinson is a drummer who is always in demand. He has great timing impeccable tone and taste and an extensive knowledge of many musical styles. As well as being regularly employed by Lorraine, Tim has toured world wide with various other bands perhaps most notably Baka Beyond, Jim Moray and Daily Planet. In addition, as well as teaching drums, Tim is also studying for a PhD at The Guildhall, London. 
A chance hearing of a recording by Viennese virtuoso Ludwig Streicher led Ben to taking up the double bass. Ben made rapid progress, drawing on a lengthy musical apprenticeship playing electric bass in several bands (most notably Automatic Dlamini with John Parish and PJ Harvey). Since then became professional he has played in a large number of national tours and West End shows including West Side Story, Miss Saigon, Chess, Chicago, working with artists as diverse as Tommy Steele, Alison Moyet, Elaine Strich and Hayley Westenra. Ben has also taken up studying with noted virtuoso and teacher David Hayes, the fruits of which are evident in Lorraine's recorded and live performances.
Nii Tagoe was born in Accra, Ghana, into a royal family made up of master drummers and dancers, from whom he inherited his talent for drumming, dancing and singing. His experience ranges from 15 years of travel, learning and performing throughout the African continent as well as touring productions and workshops around the world. Nii has toured and performed as percussionist, singer and composer with world music chart toppers: Baka Beyond, African Headcharge, Martin Cradick, Osibisa amongst others and also runs his own band - Frititi Afro Funky Jazz Band.
Mike cut his teeth playing with all manner of London bands in the 1990s, from Ghanaian Love Isaacs' Afrobeat band "Maha" to various Irish groups and Latin bands, to Jewish heavy metal band Guns and Moses (with Jim Tavare, Al Murray and Dave Cohen). Mike is a founder member of groundbreaking Celtic/World music fusion band Sin é, with whom he worked as MD on a collaboration with dance group the Jiving Lindyhoppers at New York's Lincoln Center (featuring leading UK jazz musicians Mark Lockheart and Alec Dankworth). Mike has national and international perfomance experience and has been involved in making three critically acclaimed records, the last - Deep Water Dropoff - on Paddy Moloney's Wicklow/BMG label. Mike has also been a live and recording collaborator with Celtic Soul singer and guitarist Jackie Leven for several years, a relationship that has also brought work with Pere Ubu instigator David Thomas and, bizarrely enough, author Ian Rankin. In addition to his regular touring work with Jackie, Mike recently joined Bath based Bluegrass/Jam band Daily Planet, and is very much looking forward to stirring up this pot of diverse influences once more and bringing the results to Lorraine's forthcoming album and touring band.