Winter Warmer January 2026

Thanks to everyone who came and supported in anyway, a busy event, with lots of great music and audience.

This event would not have been possible without funding from the National Lottery Community Fund

January 31st, Jubilee Library, Brighton.

Photos & Video from the Day

Our 10th and possibly most well attended event at Jubilee Library, Brighton. From the opening set, with Jo Ema, the Library was busy with most seats taken. By mid afternoon, people were sitting in every available corner, sitting on the floor, around the stage area. Every act bought something special, and all were much appreciated by the audience. Jo Ema played their first set together for 13 years, with a mix of folk tunes from Eastern Europe on violin and accordion. Isaac followed, mixing his songs with some stories of growing up in Zimbabwe, playing football in the street and how he learned Mbira by being inspired by his Mum. We met Isaac at an event in Newhaven last year, have been wanting to book him since. A lovely set and a must see. It was out first gig with Peyman (Santur) and Sattar (Frame Drum) playing Kurdish and Persian melodies, they certainly captivated the room, who came down from London to play. Again they were very well appreciated, with a fantastic set

Next up Bashir Al Gamar, with his Oud and Sudanese songs, a regular collaborator. Watching the audience while he sang, you could see people almost meditating to his music. Thanks to everyone who purchased Bashir’s CD’s, every penny will go toward people fleeing the war in Sudan.

Final act of the day, was Polina Shepherd with her Slavic Voices choir, we’ve done lots of gigs with Polina over the years, but this was our first with Slavic Voices, and what a way to end the day, with their mix of folk songs from the Slavic world, topping off the day with their version of the anti war, Roma song, Mesecina (Moonlight).

Thanks to all the musicians, community groups, everyone at the library, and everyone who helped, attended or supported in anyway.

Community Groups

Thanks to all the community groups who had stalls at the event. They help promote our events and do important work in the city, working with people who have sought safety from conflict here and challenging racism.

Sussex Interpreting Services

Refugee Radio

Network of International Women

The Red Cross

BHCC Fostering Team

Programme Times:

Jo Ema	12.00
Isaac Jengwa	12.50
Peyman Heydarian and Sattar Chamanigol	13.40
Bashir Al Gamar	14.30
Polina Shepherd & Slavic Voices	15.20

Polina Shepherd & Slavic Voices

Slavic Voices present a vibrant selection of folk music from the Slavic world, showcasing the rich cultural heritage found in traditions from far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The choir sings in Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovak, Macedonian, Belarusian, occasionally even Romanian or Yiddish. There is freedom and spontaneity in their approach to folklore as well as great attention to cultural context, history and style. Led by Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack and an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist, the choir was established in September 2023 and now features approximately 40 singers from diverse backgrounds.
Slavic Voices has collaborated with various artists, including the Macedonian Folk Duo (Filip Arilon and Stojan Stojanov), Maspindzeli Georgian choir (London), Heartwood Chorus in Bristol and the Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa (Brighton), as well as working with Buffo’s Wake, a UK Klezmer-Punk carnival band.

Slavic Voices

Peyman Heydarian & Sattar Chamanigol

Dr Peyman Heydarian is an award-winning music scientist and santur virtuoso renowned for his innovative tuning
systems and performance techniques that bring a multi-ethnic repertoire to the santur. Peyman has performed around the world in Iran, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Hong Kong, Poland, France, New Zealand, the USA, and the UK, performing solo or with ensembles since 1984. Peyman was born in Shiraz, Iran, with Kurdish roots. He began his musical journey at the age of four, studying Persian music with Mehran Mohtadi, and later deepened his practice in Persian and Kurdish traditions under the guidance of renowned masters such as Mojtaba Mirzadeh, Ardeshir Kamkar, and Pashang Kamkar.

Sattar Chamanigol is a Kurdish film maker and musician from Iran, he plays Daf. He is well known for his film Golnesa

Isaac Jengwa

Isaac Jengwa is a Zimbabwean-born, UK-based singer-songwriter, guitarist, and creative entrepreneur whose music fuses indie-folk, soul, and African roots into a heartfelt sound of unity and resilience. Known for his powerful vocals, intricate guitar work, and socially conscious lyrics, Isaac performs across the UK, often curating intimate events like Soul & Strings, and Acoustic Open Mics through his company Zac J Media Ltd.

Based in Eastbourne, he is passionate about building community-centred art and culture across “Small Town England,” creating spaces where stories, music, and humanity connect. His work reflects his belief that creativity heals, inspires, and brings people together — a philosophy shaped not only by his artistry but also by his role as a child-support practitioner in therapeutic care. Through music and media, Isaac continues to celebrate unity, authenticity, and the power of shared expression.

Jo Ema

Joanna Dziecielska & Ema Pavlakova, adventures with violin and accordion. Playing a mixture of folks songs from Eastern Europe.

Bashir Al Gamar

Bashir Al Gamar was born in Sudan, he came to England in 1993, after being imprisoned for his poem ‘Patience on a beach’ Since then he has lived in Brighton. He is a poet, songwriter and composer, since 1991 he has written and composed more than 40 poems and songs, mainly in Arabic. Most of them are well known in his home country, Sudan. Some of his songs have been recorded by Sudanese National TV and radio. At present he is working on a new collection of poetry called ‘Rhythm and Resonance’ He is also planning to perform his poetry in several countries with a Sudanese singer. Bashir has taken part in several art exhibitions and poetry readings in the UK, in Cardiff, Liverpool & Bristol. Bashir has a new CD release, in aid of people affected by the war in Sudan. Details are here