Cymraeg Mandinka Connections
Cymraeg Mandinka Connections aims to highlight the similarities between the sharing of ancient folklore stories through music in Wales and Gambia. The project sees Welsh singer Mari Mathias and Gambian kora player Sura Susso come together in a unique collaboration that harness’s both artists deep respect, knowledge and experience in musical storytelling, that merges the ancient with modern stories and musical styles. Introducing the listeners to an insight into Welsh and Gambian folklore that can be relatable to contemporary times.
Sura comes from a griot (in Mandinka language known as Jali) family that are traditional West African storytellers, oral historians and musicians who preserve/share their history/traditions through praise, songs and stories. Griots have been around for centuries, their origins traced back to the 13th century Mande Empire. Sura’s music shares traditional folk songs of West African Mandinka culture and he composes new works, he has collaborated with many artists from all over the world. Sura’s passion for continually pushing the boundaries within his musical practice has led to the development of this collaboration project with Mari Mathias who is a young Welsh artist who draws on folklore and Welsh mythology in her music. Her musical style ‘alternative folk’ represents a fresh and modernised take on the rich traditions of Welsh music, aimed at bridging the gap between past and present, cultivating a sense of deep Welsh cultural identity and belonging.
Both artists perform in their first language Welsh/Mandinka, this being a huge part of their identity as people and artists which also shapes the identity of the stories that have been passed down from oral traditions for centuries of which they perform. Sura and Mari are passionate about the preservation of their native languages and want to share this with new audiences to continue to promote Welsh/Mandinka as widely as possible.
Watch:
Kaira – Sura Susso and Pete Josef – Click Here
Book a table for pre-concert dining
Acapela Studio provides pre-concert dining between 6.00pm and 7.30pm from our pizza oven. To view the current menu visit here.
BOOKING A TABLE FOR AN EVENT IN 2026
Please purchase your concert tickets first before booking a table. We will not accept any table bookings that do not have a corresponding ticket purchase.
Then return to the event page to book your table, by selecting the date of your event, number of diners and time you require table. The times shown are the only vacancies left. Please complete your email and phone number as this is required to ensure your table is allocated. You will receive confirmation of your booking by email and text.
If on the date you have chosen no tables are available - no times will be shown and the booking system will revert you back to todays date - PLEASE ENSURE YOU BOOK THE CORRECT DATE!
PLEASE NOTE THE VENUE RELIES ON THE INCOME FROM DINING TO ENSURE WE CAN BOOK ALL THE GREAT ACTS PERFORMING.
Income from the provision of pizzas is very important to the venue and if you have booked a table it is a requirement that all people sat at tables order food - a salad alternative is available to pizzas. Please do ensure that all individuals will be ordering on your table - if this is not the case please cancel your table so others who are looking to dine can do so. Our apologies to raise this but recently we have had many tables (some very large) where less than 50% of those sat at tables have ordered food. Financially this is a real problem to the sustainability of the venue.
- All seating at tables must purchase a pizza - so please do not book a table if everyone is not eating.
- Please ensure that you arrive 10 minutes before the time slot allocated to order your pizzas prior to your booking time.
- Tables not seated within 15 minutes of the allocated time may be lost and allocated to other audience members wishing to order pizzas.
- If you wish to book a table for 6 or more please email info@acapela.co.uk
BOOKING A TABLE FOR EVENTS IN 2027
From the 1st January 2027, all tickets for table dining will include the price of the pizza included within the ticket price. When purchasing table tickets you will have a choice of purchasing tickets to dine at certain times.
If you wish to join your booking with another table so you are sat at the same table then please email info@acapela.co.uk requesting the tables to be joined.
If you arrive 15 minutes after the time booked your table may be given away to other ticketholders who have purchased pizzas on the evening.
As with all out tickets – the venue has a no refund ticket policy
Please note that all of our pizzas are made fresh to order and cooked in an authentic wood-fired oven. It may take up to 45 minutes to be served during busy periods.
PLEASE NOTE:
Please note that no alcohol or other drinks not purchased on the premises are allowed to be brought into the venue. Thank You.
Please note that all of our pizzas are made fresh to order. It may take up to 45 minutes to be served during busy periods.
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO BOOK A TABLE YOU CAN STILL ORDER PIZZAS ON THE NIGHT (USUALLY ON BUSY NIGHTS NO LATER THAN 7.15PM) AND WE WILL SERVE THEM TO YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE SAT IN THE VENUE - IN A PIZZA BOX.