See below for 2023's great live bands and Djs

In many ways, being knocked off his motorbike by a car was one of the best things that happened to the struggling singer, Alogte Oho. Months spent recuperating in hospital proved epiphanous and he wrote the song, Mam Yinne Wa (God, You Love Me So), which later became a runaway hit in the Frafra gospel music scene of northern Ghana. Together with producer Max Weissenfeldt and the rousing vocals of the two-woman choir driven by super-tight horns and vintage keyboards, Alogte Oho & his Sounds of Joy surprise, delight and inspire wherever they perform. Gilles Peterson spoke of their’s being one the best concerts in 16 years of existence of his Worldwide festival in Sete and the best show of the summer 2022 on 6Music!

Mad Professor is considered one of the leading global producers of dub music's second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He has collaborated with reggae artists such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sly and Robbie, Pato Banton, Jah Shaka and Horace Andy, as well as artists outside the realm of traditional reggae and dub, such as Sade, Massive Attack, The Orb, Grace Jones, and Perry Farrell. Having started building electronic equipment in the seventies, Mad Professor evolved into building mixing desks and sound effect units. He opened his self built Ariwa recording studios in 1979. He then developed the Live Electronic Dub Show, becoming the first engineer to mix live from the stage, sometimes with tapes, or musicians, very often with artists from his own Ariwa label.

Sister Aisha began singing at the age of eight, and through her live performances built a significant following in and around the Midlands. Demonstrating her individualism, she followed in the direction of roots music as opposed to singing soulful cover versions of R&B hits, the latter being the most frequent route for reggae divas. In the late 80s Aisha began recording with the Mad Professor and released the hit ‘Prophecy’ on his Ariwa Sounds label.

Arguably one of the the Uk’s most legendary DJs, Manchester based Mr Scruff is an incredible producer, cartoonist and even manages to spin the odd record or two..  Catch him in the courtyard with the fantastic MC Kwasi for a 4 hours Sunday afternoon session that will most likely cover all corners of his world-beating record collection. Not to be missed!

The most riveting, template-shifting music often comes from a state of displacement or transience, and the Luxembourg-based, Cape Verde-born ensemble Grupo Pilon is certainly no exception. Founded by second generation Cape Verde immigrants, Pilon’s music wasn’t rooted in Lisbon like many of their forebears, but in Western Europe. As a result, the band’s percussive synth-driven kuduro dance music breaks the rulebooks with its raw dexterity and sheer exuberance. Signed to Ostinato Records this is live dance music like no other.

A raving 10-piece who create tropical psychedelic music & buzzing stage shows! Mango performances are high energy & raucous experiences that bring an irresistible carnival atmosphere. The Mangoes integrate powerful Cartagena-esque horn arrangements with Cumbia, Dembow, Ska, Rap and infectious melodies. Catch them in the Marquee on Friday where they'll be kicking off the festival!

Luzmira Zerpa is a prolific Venezuelan singer/songwriter based in the UK who has performed internationally as a solo artist and toured extensively throughout Europe with her band Family Atlantica (Soundway Records). Luzmira has performed at prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall and the Elbphailarmonie (Hamburg) as well as festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Womad and the World Music Festival in Udaipur, India. Luzmira’s music blends traditional, folkloric music from Latin America with world influences, notably Afrobeat, blues and jazz. Her band Family Atlantica was awarded best upcoming band by Songlines Magazine in 2015. She is now presenting her new project mixing Venezuelan, Latin and African music with electronic and psychedelic sounds.

Here from the beginning of Tonnau, the Snowdonia based big band will be back on Saturday night. Fresh with a new set of tunes Drymbago have been helping push the UK emergence of Tropical based music for nearly 20 years. With an ear in particular for the sounds that emanated from the French Caribbean in the late 70s and 80s but with influences from places as diverse as Colombia, Ethiopia and Western Africa, Drymbago bring an authentic and hard hitting energy and know how to move a dance floor. Expect guest appearances from other well known faces.

For those of you lucky enough to get a ticket for our Halloween party last year, this band need no introduction. Based in Bristol but with members from Mexico and the UK they combine live electronics with traditional Latin American instrumentation and percussion, riding the thin line between old and new, grounded and psychedelic, spiritual and modern. Their set at Halloween was absolute fire.

Psychedelic jungle cumbia and chicha from the depths of Latin America (via Edinburgh no less!) Los Chichanos are another of the UK’s finest purveyors of Tropical music and have been carving a reputation for themselves at fiestas and festivals across the UK. They will be playing Friday on the main stage for our Latin American music themed night.

Hard hitting grooves and energy with influences all the way from spiritual jazz to contemporary dance. Plantfood are an up-and-coming Leeds based collective, joining the newly emerging scene of young bands exploring jazz, Latin and funk with an ear for the global and Tropical sounds that are now becoming a much more ubiquitous influence.

Village Cuts are a dynamic DJ / Producer duo from London, collaborating with artists from Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, with a focus on UK club culture. Since their inception in 2018, they have ignited dance floors at venues and festivals around Europe, whilst holding down regular club nights and live events across London.

Volta 45 (Bernard Johnson-Tackie) is a London-based record collector, highly sought-after DJ, writer, event curator and radio show host. He is the main instigator at The Goldenstool Project an organisation with which Bernard has independently collected over 4000 records throughout West Africa. He has produced a 5 part podcast documenting the history of Highlife music from 1920 to the present which featured in Songlines Magazine – with an appearance on WordWide FM. He has collaborated with various bands and record labels, notably SoundwayRecords (Konkoma), Kalita Records, Yaaba Funk, and Fofoula to name but a few. 

This will be his first appearance at Tonnau and you can expect a masterclass in Ghanaian Highlife, Disco and dance music.

Kom Kom is a British-Khmer DJ based in Sheffield, UK. She is a founding member of the Barang! Collective (party music from wherever) and a resident DJ for Rebel Soul at Shambala Festival. She plays many different things, including soca, ravey-bassy house (which isn't really a genre), and hard techno as KKTA. But not all at the same time. Her most recent project is East Beat, which is an exploration of music from East & South East Asia and the diasporas. East Beat has a monthly slot on Longthrow Radio. Kom has also done East Beat guest shows for Hong Kong Community Radio, and Vibrations Radio.

A tireless DJ and producer as well as a true originator, Winston Hazel helped gift house music to the Sheffield via his mid-eighties parties that pitched new American dance sounds up against his beloved funk, jazz and soul. It was an irresistible concoction, and from these early innovations grew a city-centric dance industry that continues to echo – and still has Winston at its heart. He's deejayed round the world and recorded for an array of quality labels, but his dedication to the dance-floor burns as fiercely as ever.

GUINNY is a London based Singer, DJ & Producer, spinning all flavours of House, Disco and Techno. 

She holds club and radio residencies around London and Manchester and has recently been gaining a lot of recognition as a vinyl DJ, following her sessions on vinyl platform ‘My Analogue Journal’ This Spring marked her Royal Albert Hall debut, closing the show for female Latin collective ‘Collectiva’.

Her brand new, self produced EP ‘HIP HIP CHIN CHIN’ blending genres from around the world with her soulful vocals, is now available on all major streaming platforms. Stay up to date via her Instagram as GUINNY has big designs for the rest of the year! 

Doggy Lebosch is a Manchester based Americana singer-songwriter.

He’s well known and much loved in the North Wales music scene from his past musical escapades and he has an electric character and energy that can’t help but draw you in.

Emerging from a sleepy Welsh town is Bau Cat, Abby and Jim began writing songs together in the winter of 2022 honing and crafting a sound that’s their own, it’s fresh with a vein of retro roots running through it. Having had BBC airplay for their first home demo released in January, the duo are embarking on a UK wide tour this summer to coincide with the release of their debut EP in June.

Laura Fives has been concocting her own idiosyncratic blends of party 
music for Sheffield dancefloors for the last 20 years. Part of the 
original core Festival 23 team, one third of power-DJ trio The 
Apocalytes, and founder and promoter of Buds & Spawn live music events 
in Sheffield, you can be guaranteed tunes for your head, heart and feet. 
Expect an eclectic mix from house to funk, hip hop to post punk, disco 
vibes from around the world and everything in between. Find her Friday night in the Rave Cave..

The Tonnau resident DJs, El Gan & Piwi, will be hosting a vinyl only, festival closing session on Sunday night in the Kitchen Disco. Focusing on dance-floor shaking roots music from all of the Tropical regions of the world. Avid vinyl diggers and musicians in the band Drymbago the duo have a broad knowledge, experience and appreciation of all things Tropical, from Colombia to Cameroon, and everywhere in-between.

Alastair started performing original material on the Berlin open mic scene in his late teens. In the decade since his voice has been shaped into a rich baritone through years of busking and a creative approach to guitar and harmonica have been shaped by adventurous listening habits. The clearest influences include John Martyn, Charlie Parr and The Felice Brothers. Lyrical content often tackles unconventional subject matter and reflects a life split between South Yorkshire and North Saxony. He has performed alongside international artists including Fern Maddie, Marty O'reily, Jim Ghedi, Alabaster de Plume, Gwenifer Raymond and The Brothers Gillespie.

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"Off kilter quirky baritone - that's a very difficult style to pull off. Alastair absolutely nails it."

Christian Carlisle, BBC Sheffield.

Music maker, melody shaker and multi instrumentalist. She creates catchy little ditties and participatory chants with a slice of improvisation, all with the intention to bring fun and joy to life. She is also 1/3 of Mamatung.

After a wonderful performance last year we’re very glad to welcome her back!

From North West Wales, Fred Merlin is a full time musician, pirate, sound engineer and mischief facilitator. Having got his first guitar for his 6th Birthday and organising his first event at 14 he’s completely self taught and has barely spent a day away from music since. He’s well know locally for his long eclectic pub-sets with some performances lasting up to 6 hours straight! and over the years he’s performed everywhere from aquariums and in distilleries to rooftops and basements, and from festival main stages to beaches and on boats.

With influences such as King Crimson, Newton Faulkner, System of a Down, Patrick Watson and Cosmo Sheldrake, it’s fair to say Fred’s a bit of a musical chameleon, but his current original repertoire would be best described as ‘acoustic blues-rock with hints of folk’

Tom grew up in the coastal village of Abersoch on the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales. Having played in bands from the age of 16, with performances in venues such as the 02 Academy (Liverpool) and The Cavern Club, and at festivals including Wakestock and Glass Butter Beach, Tom started playing solo acoustic gigs in 2017 and has been building a strong repertoire of original music while performing regularly at local pubs, clubs, events and festivals around North Wales. His sound is best described as a mix of alternative and bluesy acoustic music driven by powerful and memorable vocals.

(Songs available on all good streaming platforms!)

North Wales born and raised, Jenni Jones is a singer-songwriter from the Llanberis area. Having graduated The University of Chester in 2017 with a degree in Popular Music and Performance they have been writing and performing for quite some time.

With many beautiful heartfelt soulful original songs it’s hard not to feel very moved by their performances and they will possibly even bring out a few tears.