Tongue Fu - Album Fundraiser Launch

In a nutshell

Incredible spoken word, reimagined live with improvised music from some of London’s most versatile and quick-thinking musicians and VJs.

Go on...

Tongue Fu is one of the UK’s leading spoken word shows, asking poets, comedians, rappers and storytellers to re-imagine their material live with brand new soundtracks created by some of London’s top improvising musicians and films-on-the-fly by design crew, Creative R&D.

For this special show Tongue Fu launches a pledge-funding campaign for their first ever studio album, currently in production. It features a fiery mix of spoken word, song and music from an extraordinary cast of collaborators. This show will offer sneak previews of some of the material from Chris Redmond, Joshua Idehen, Rafeef Ziadah, Zia Ahmed and the Tongue Fu band. 

Tongue Fu has been at the forefront of the UK spoken word scene for ten years and is fiercely independent. They plan to raise funds to master the album, design it beautifully and press up tasty vinyl as well as making digital copies. All profits from this show will go towards these costs and if you would like to, you can also invest by buying in advance. There will be all sorts of other incentives too - CDs, books, T-shirts and posters. Or just come and enjoy the show!

Created and hosted by poet and musician, Chris Redmond (BBC R1,2, 4, XFM, CBBC, SKY Arts), Tongue Fu features musicians including Riaan Vosloo, Arthur Lea, Pat Davey, Belle Ehresmann (Bellatrix), Dave O’Brien and Jon Cox, whose collective credits include Nostalgia 77, Puppini Sisters, Beardyman DreamTeam, Mad Professor, Massive Attack and more.

What to Expect

Tongue Fu is part show, part experiment with well crafted words at it's core. It is about artists taking risks together. There is no rehearsal. Performers give musicians and VJs a small hint of what their piece is about, someone starts playing and they see where the collaboration takes them. The music can jump anywhere from weird folk, Brazilian rhythms, experimental jazz to hip hop. Sometimes all in one track. It’s lively and completely fresh each time.

Who's Involved

Chris Redmond - spoken word poet, storyteller and Fu founder, published by Burning Eye with a sideline in music making for the likes of Improbable and the BBC. ‘…a wordsmith wizard’  The Poetry Book Society

Rafeef Ziadah is a Palestinian poet and civil rights activist whose poems ‘We Choose Life Sir’ and ‘Shades of Anger’ went viral within days of release. ‘Rafeef’s poetry demands to be heard’ Ken Loach

Joshua Idehen is a poet, singer and frontman of Benin City and Hugh who have been championed by Edith Bowman (BBC Radio 6), John Kennedy (Xfm).

Zia Ahmed is a Roundhouse Slam Champion, playful and political. Currently working with  Paines Plough on Ch4 sponsored playwright scheme.

What people are saying

‘Spoken Word magicians’ The Guardian

'Tongue Fu is at the high end of the scene' Time Out

'The leading spoken word show' Metro

Why does Rich Mix matter?

'Rich Mix has been our home in London for eight years. It has helped us and many others grow, and has been instrumental in the rise of quality spoken word in the capital.'

Find out more

tonguefu.co.uk / @thetonguefushow

Things you should know

For ages 16+