Songlines Encounters Festival: Monsieur Doumani + Gisela João

Monsieur Doumani are a dynamic trio playing original and traditional Cypriot music with a twist. Featuring Antonis Antoniou on tzouras (small bouzouki), Angelos Ionas on guitar and Demetris Yiasemides on winds, they combine impressive musicianship with humour and panache. 2013’s album Grippy Grappa was a Songlines favourite and their new album Sikoses arrives in the spring.

Gisela João, aged 30, is the new fado singer now making waves in Portugal. She released her debut album in the summer of 2013 and it went straight to No. 1 in the national charts – extremely rare for a fado record. Her music is raw and authentic. 'I’m very intense and I believe that real fado is that way too,' she says. 'It’s very extreme.' In her UK debut, you can expect traditional fado at its best.

Songlines Encounters Festival is co-curated by Songlines magazine and Ikon Arts Management