Double Bill: Silvia Balducci & Adam Beattie - a Centenary and a Birthday

One hundred years ago Ada and Alfred Salter were transforming the environmental and social conditions of the poorest in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey. Singer songwriters Adam Beattie, with his “A Song of One Hundred Years”, and Silvia Balducci, with her passion for songs about the working conditions and human rights of the poorest, are both invited for the occasion. Rome-born, London-based Silvia is a super talented, passionate musician. Guitar in hand, she has collaborated with many international artists, and has made it her mission to keep alive the New Chilean Song Movement. Her two albums dedicated to the work of authors such as Victor Jara and Violeta Parra are considered to be some of the best tributes in existence. Scottish born Adam Beattie has become a celebrated musician of the London scene with 5 self-penned albums to his name. Drawing on Scottish folk music, his years of collaboration and travel, his melodies and lyrics transport us with his “carefully crafted, gently affecting songwriting' (BBC Radio Scotland) and “uplifting reveries of love and loss through smoky jazz and romantic balladry” (Mojo Magazine). One hundred years since Ada Salter became Mayor of Bermondsey, as we navigate amidst a climate emergency, a housing crisis and a global pandemic, her passions for environment, housing and public health show she was a fore-runner for today's leading activists.

Tickets are available from the Tuned In London website.

Silvia Balducci on Youtube

Adam Beattie's website

Doors open 7pm. There will be a cash bar at the venue, which is a 5 minute walk from Bermondsey Tube Station.
Buses: 188, C10, 381, 47, P12

Check out the full Salter Centenary programme.

More info about the artists:

Silvia Balducci is a truly international musician who is also an arranger-producer who has spent most of her musical career studying and performing the repertoire of the New Chilean Song Movement. Her interpretations of the Latin American greats are original and emotional, packed with passion and imbued with love. There's been no looking back since the night she saw Chilean band Inti-Illimani in concert in Rome. She has collaborated over three decades with many international artists, appearing in numerous cross cultural fusion projects embracing Indian, electronica, Italian, Arabic music genres, and performing and touring extensively abroad and in the UK. Silvia's music is also very linked to her social commitment; her music speaks of real struggles and dreams but also of hope. In 2021 her latest CD "Calle Esperanza" (Hope Street) was released in Chile by the popular label Alerce.

Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist Adam Beattie has been active since 2003 and has released 5 self-penned solo albums. Adam recently released a new solo album titled 'Somewhere Round The Bend' on 12" vinyl and CD which has received praise from the likes of Line Of Best Fit calling it "Stirring Folk Balladry" and Loud And Quiet Magazine awarding it 8/10 and claiming "The album is mesmeric". It was also championed by BBC Radio Scotland presenter Roddy Hart, who featured it as his 'Record Of Note' and invited Adam to speak on the show and curate a selection of songs as his 'Me-In-3' guest. Recently Adam recorded an Under The Apple Tree live session for Bob Harris where he performed 2 of his originals plus a cover of Beeswing by Richard Thompson.

'Somewhere Round The Bend' came fresh off the back of his Rough Trade Records release with PicaPica, a collaboration album with Grammy nominated producer Sonny Johns, BBC Folk Singer Of The Year Josienne Clarke, and singer-songwriter Samantha Whates, as well as his Scottish super-group Band Of Burns’ latest release being named ‘Album Of The Month’ in Mojo (4 stars) and BBC Music Magazine (5 stars).
Over his years of extensive European touring and festival appearances, Adam has played opening shows for many of his musical heroes; Bert Jansch, Jolie Holland and Sean Hayes. As a multi-instrumentalist accompanist he has recently played guitar, double bass and vocals for global singer-songwriter star Birdy (Atlantic Records). And recorded with and accompanied many acclaimed artists on the local London scene; Fiona Bevan, Garance Louis, Gabriel Moreno, Leonie Evans, Brooke Sharkey and The Bonfire Band. Adam’s new album features drums from Mercury nominated Seb Rochford (Polar Bear, Patti Smith, Adele), double bass from Fred Thomas (ECM Records), backing vocals from multi-platinum singer-songwriter Fiona Bevan (Lewis Capaldi, Billie Marten, Aurora), as well as Adam’s regular world-class bandmates Marco Quarantotto, Zac Gvirtzmann and Filippo Ferazzoli.