Creative Composers will debut their multi-genre music this Sunday in Croydon. Pic: Vipul Sangoi

A fusion of afrobeat, Tamil, jazz, soul and Middle-Eastern genres will be performed by a mixed group of students and professionals  in Croydon on December 2.

For the second year running, Croydon Composers, a collaborative project founded in 2017 which blends music from different traditions, will perform at Boxpark Croydon with young and aspiring musicians from the borough.

Croydon Music and Arts  a borough-wide Arts Council backed scheme to promote  music education among schools and young people, is collaborating with the project to promote eclecticism and diversity in the community. Unlike last year, Sunday’s showcase will include teenagers and children.

The organisers say the goal is to fuse together contrasting genres in order to create original, moving musical pieces and give aspiring artists from the younger generation a platform to perform on.

Shirin Sriram, co-founder of Croydon’s Creative Composers, said: “We thought it would be a fantastic addition to get young people involved. Creating communities where hip-hop students meet the Indian classical students– that’s what’s inspiring.

Shirin Sriram, co-founder of Creative Composers

The Indian classical students aren’t used to working in an ensemble and hip-hop artists aren’t used to working with live band or orchestra. This is a challenge even for adults.”

Sriram’s co-collaborator and husband, Shri, added: “The main reason Croydon Composers exists is to find links in the community for people who wouldn’t normally get a chance to work together, so we thought why not start it at a younger level?”

Dave Koor, a 37-year-old professional musician from Croydon and performer from last year, said working on the project was “a real eye opener”.

He also said: “Being paired with someone from a different background, musically, means you’re instantly out of your comfort zone.”

The deputy head of CMA, Jon Regan, shed more light on Sriram’s production technique. He said: “When Shri first put music together with the pupils he was impressed, so he went away to make it harder, that’s how he tailors the writing to his students”.

Croydon-based musician, Unorthodox Kings, is one of the project’s most well-established performers and will be leading the professionals at Sunday’s event.

There will be a second performance at The Front Room on St George’s Walk on March 2.