Splicing dance tunes of old England with the sunny sexy grooves of reggae and lovers’ rock, Edward II transcend superficial notions of “crossover” to forge truly original dance music from their far-flung musical roots. From there the band roamed freely and fruitfully over the expanse of new territory their music opened up, bringing in dashes of soul, rap, and Celtic dancing styles, all laced with Glenn Latouche’s seductively honeyed lead vocals. By finding the shared dancing pulse in the diverse beats they bring together, EII delivered a genuinely innovative fusion. Their set moves expansively from reworked folk standards like “Wild Mountain Thyme” or “La Russe” to Caribbean classics like Gregory Isaacs “Night Nurse”. They were long renowned as one of the freshest, funkiest acts on the circuit, they sent crowds from Shetland to Sri Lanka, Brazil to Bangladesh into a jigging, skanking frenzy with their superlative live shows. 2009 see the return of EII ‘for one year only’ and featuring the original seven-piece line up A handful of selected festivals through the year will see the band return to their live roots after a decade apart ending with this November tour.

• Folk
• Reggae
• Ska
• Traditional
• World Music