Based in London, Cape Town and Mbabane, Cara is a South African multi-instrumentalist, composer and researcher. She is a pianist who also plays different southern African musical bows (umrhubhe, uhadi, makhoyane). Cara is currently completing her doctoral research through the South African College of Music (UCT) and SOAS, specialising in the makhoyane braced-bow of Swaziland. A founding member of Inclement Quartet and Pergola, she has performed in numerous ensembles in South Africa, England and Scotland. “Fox” is the coming together of disparate instrumental forces: the umrhubhe mouth bow, sax, upright bass, kit and concertronica. On this album, partially improvised and recorded in one session in North London, she performs contemporary compositions and improvisations on the umrhubhe and uhadi bows with Shabaka Hutchings (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Seb Rochford (drums), Ruth Goller (bass), Crewdson (concertronica), and Dan Leavers (synths/production). Combining original compositions by Stacey and Shabaka, as well as freely conceived improvisations, this recording aims to stretch the boundaries of bow music in an ensemble and create something entirely new.

About Things That Grow, Cara Stacey says: “It is a fluid musical project exploring the sonic possibilities of southern African musical bows within improvisatory contexts.”

carastacey.com

kitrecords.com