Simon Emmerson

English record producer, guitarist, DJ and founder of the group Afro Celt Sound System. Brother of Paul Emmerson.

Born 12 March 1956 in London, England, UK. Died 13 March 2023.

Simon Emmerson was a musical trailblazer who delighted in exploring the similarities between different genres and bring musicians together. He was a bandleader, composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ whose interests ranged from rock, jazz, funk, soul and British folk to musical styles from Africa, Latin America and Asia. According to Billy Bragg, who lived near him in Dorset, he was “a visionary leader of projects that inspired many”. Simon had his greatest success with the two bands with whom he made his final appearances. He first had the idea for the Afro Celt Sound System when he was recording in Senegal and noticed the similarities between a West African melody and an Irish air. In 1995 he brought a group of African and Irish traditional musicians together at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios in Wiltshire. They included the Irish singer Iarla Ó Lionáird and piper Davy Spillane, along with Massamba Diop, the talking drum virtuoso in the band led by the Senegalese musician Baaba Maal. Simon played guitar, added drum and keyboard programming, and produced the resulting album. Sound Magic (1996) was a brave, rousing and unexpected success.

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