An historic setting

This is where it all took off for ABBA - the Brighton Dome, where the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest took place. Despite the British jury giving it 'null points', they topped the voting with their breakthrough, if rather curious, paean to Waterloo. It was also where the graduation ceremony for my youngest daughter, Adele, was held one warm sunny day in the summer of 2008. I was at the Brighton Dome this afternoon with her sisters, Paula and Jen, for the 'Afrique en Cirque' show  - a high energy display of music, drumming and acrobatics  by a troupe of performers from Guinea. One of them also performed as a contortionist manipulating his body into all sorts of unimaginable positions, so much so that one could hardly look in the end. Some of the tumbling would have looked equally at home in an Olympic gymnastics floor exercise. The music was provided by a saxophonist, bass guitarist and drummer with the troupe adding percussion on larger single drums and oil cans. One of the performers was also an expert Kora player, an instrument that produces an exquisite harp-like sound. Unfortunately, I've run out of extras, so I shall have to back blip the photo I took of the ensemble at the end of what was an excellent show.