Su Hart
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Su Hart
| image =
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| background = solo_singer
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1959|9|3}}
| birth_place = Gateshead, England
| death_date =
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| origin =
| instrument = Voice, guitar,
| genre = English folk, worldbeat
| occupation = Singer, musician, songwriter, teacher, painter
| years_active = 1980–present
| label =
| associated_acts = Baka Beyond
| website =
}}
Su Hart (born 3 September 1959) is a British choir leader, singer-songwriter and composer, {{As of|2006|lc=on}} based in Bath, UK, and vocalist of the band Baka Beyond. Baka Beyond was formed in 1992, when she and her partner, Martin Cradick travelled to south-east Cameroon to live with the Baka tribe in the rainforest and record their music. Hart founded the Walcot State Choir in Bath, and helped run the Shakti Sings Choir at the Glastonbury Festival in 2013.
The Baka
Hart is originally from Gateshead, and is a musician, choir leader, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1992, Hart and her partner Martin Cradick (formerly of the group Outback) travelled to south-east Cameroon to live with the Baka tribe (hunter-gatherer Pygmies) in the rainforest and record their music. The band was inspired by the Baka,{{cite web |title=BAKA BEYOND (Portugal & Spain) |url=http://www.womex.com/virtual/roots_and_rhythms/baka_beyond_portugal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906171617/http://www.womex.com/virtual/roots_and_rhythms/baka_beyond_portugal |archive-date=6 Sep 2008 |accessdate=13 October 2013 |work=virtualWOMEX}} "one of the oldest and most sensitive musical cultures on earth". The encounter with the Baka was to set their lives in a new direction.{{cite web |title=Baka Beyond: a unique musical collaboration |url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018683972/baka-beyond-a-unique-musical-collaboration |website=Radio New Zealand |accessdate=13 April 2019 |language=en-nz |date=25 February 2019}} "It was the amazing bird-like singing or 'yelli' that first attracted me, ... The women get together before the dawn to sing, enchant the animals of the forest and ensure that the men's hunting will be successful. Song and dance are used by the Baka for healing, for rituals, for keeping the community together and also for pure fun"{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2006/04/07/roots_baka_feature.shtml |title=Who are the Baka Pygmies? And what are they doing in Gateshead? |work=BBC Tyne |date=21 April 2006 |accessdate=30 June 2014}} In 2006 Hart helped to bring the Cameroonian band Orchestre Baka Gbine to Gateshead.
Hart founded the Walcot State Choir in Bath in 2000 and has directed it since.{{cite web |title=Walcot State Choir - A bit about us ... |url=http://walcotstatechoir.com/main.html |access-date=28 April 2025 |work=walcotstatechoir.com}} The choir has collaborated in cultural exchanges with the Ensemble Vocal Maitres Et Maitresses of Auch, France, and choirs in Kaposvar, which is twinned with Bath.{{cite web |title=Mayor of Bath |url=http://www.mayorofbath.co.uk/events/13/06/19/bath-kaposvar-twinning-association-presents-cheque-to-the-walcot-state-choir-at-a-reception-in-the-mayors-parlour |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402114219/https://mayorofbath.co.uk/events/13/06/19/bath-kaposvar-twinning-association-presents-cheque-to-the-walcot-state-choir-at-a-reception-in-the-mayors-parlour |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=28 April 2025 |work=mayorofbath.co.uk}}
In 2013, Hart helped to run the Shakti Sings Choir at the Glastonbury Festival, writing songs to raise ecological awareness.{{cite web |url=http://www.suhart.com/glastonbury.html |title=Su Hart |work=suhart.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102951/http://www.suhart.com/glastonbury.html |archivedate=2015-04-02}}{{cite web |title=Shakti Sings |url=http://shaktisings.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220113018/http://shaktisings.yolasite.com/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2014 |access-date=28 April 2025 |work=shaktisings.org}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.baka.co.uk Baka Beyond]
- [http://www.1heart.org 1heart Charity]
- [https://suhart.com/ Su Hart's website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Su}}
Category:Musicians from Gateshead