Transglobal Underground's ‘A Gathering of Strangers 2021’ is a collection of 10 songs made while travelling across Europe in search of songs of migration. The album documents travels made by co-leaders Tim Whelan and Hamid Mantu through Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Denmark, Poland and England. The result is an inspired collection of traditional folk songs and world electronica performed with hurdy gurdy, violins, bagpipes, percussion, lap steel guitar, banjo, guitars, bouzouki, bodhran & whistles. Special guests joined the project along the way, including folk musician Jim Moray, Irish singer & instrumentalist Martin Furey, the definitive sounds of Perunika Trio and Stuart A Staples of Tindersticks. Initially the album was released in 2010 as U.N.I.T.E. (Urban Native Integrated Traditions of Europe) funded by an EU arts grant and is being re-released with re-mixes on ‘I Left My Sweet Homeland’, ‘Lisbon’, ‘Keranka’ and ‘Van Diemans Land.’ The album is a plea for unity beyond borders; an important statement from Transglobal Underground in these times of political transition and uncertainty..
