"Mansur Brown is Balancing Innovation and Perfectionism" ~ Notion

Mansur  Brown  is  the  definition  of  a  prodigy:  a  classically  trained  guitarist,  curator and  multi-disciplinary artist whose music balances virtuoso precision with deft expressions of emotion. Born in Brixton, still a resident of the South London sprawl, Mansur’s distinctive compositional approach finds him blending his intricate, flamenco-influenced guitar with his own original production work, informed by the rhythmic snap of early ‘00s Timbaland, the swing of Afrobeat and the melancholic sound design  of  Burial. “Sometimes my music has a club feel, other times it’s more introspective,” he explains. “But running through all of it are feelings of happiness, of gratitude. I want it to feel rejuvenating.”

TOUR DATES:

6 March 2024 – Sala La Nau – Barcelona – ES
7 March 2024 – Sala Villanos – Madrid – ES
8 March 2024 – River Loft – Rome – IT
20 March 2024 – Musicbox – Lisbon – PT – TICKETS
21 March 2024 – Auditorío CCOP – Porto – PT – TICKETS
10 April 2024 – Gannet – Basel – CH – TICKETS
11 April 2024 – Cully Jazz Festival – Cully – CH – TICKETS
25 April 2024 – Bimhuis – Amsterdam – NL – TICKETS
26 May 2024 – Cross The Tracks – London – UK – TICKETS
6 July 2024 – VIJAZZ Festival – Vilfranca del Penedés – ESP – FREE
14 July 2024 – Copenhagen Jazz Festival – DK – TICKETS
15 August 2024 – We Out Here – WImborne St Giles – UK – TICKETS
11 October 2024 – Jaou Festival – Tunis – Tunisia

Guitar remains at the centre of Mansur’s music, but it’s by no means the only component. Straddling the roles  of  songwriter,  producer  and multi-instrumentalist, records like 2021’s Heiwa find him reaching for keyboards, flute and saxophone – even singing, pitch-shifting his voice in honour of his favourite R&B tracks. This spirit of self-sufficiency cuts through everything Mansur does. It’s why he decided to found his own label AMAI (‘sweet’ in Japanese), an entrepreneurial venture through which he plans to release music, film, artwork –even technology and code. “In the music industry, people really like genres –they like to define things, put things in boxes,” he says. “Being able to start a label, in this climate where everything’s in a box, it gives me the freedom to innovate and explore concepts. To do it my way.”

A collection of club heaters that set Brown’s melodic guitar to a set of rich, filled-out dancefloor productions, NAQI Vol.1 finds Mansur exploring the influence of ‘00s hip-hop innovator Timbaland and Afrobeat artists like Burna Boy and Wizkid. “I like my music to have a club feel at its core, but to keep hold of that sense of musicality,” he explains. “Having that sense of movement, but with guitar melodies, keyboards and strings over the top –that’s always been a dream of mine”.