Neil Spencer 

Various Artists: London’s Calling – review

There are winners and losers in this collection of multicultural versions of classic songs celebrating the Cultural Olympiad, writes Neil Spencer
  
  


This celebration of the capital for the Cultural Olympiad presents a slew of local acts with multiculti versions of classic songs; an Ethiopian translation of Lily Allen's LDN, say, and a flamenco take on Elvis Costello's Chelsea. The Clash's London Calling proves beyond the grasp of Transglobal Underground's world fusion, but among the successes are Brixton's Soothsayers morphing Ralph McTell's Streets of London into a reggae lament and Lokkhi Terra's Indo-psych take on the Small Faces' Itchycoo Park and Turkish torch singer Cigdem Aslan firing up Bert Jansch's Soho. Though Sam Lee's traditional London Lights takes gold.

 

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