Mansur Brown is the definition of a child prodigy: a classically trained guitarist, curator and multidisciplinary artist whose music strikes a balance between virtuoso precision and deft expressions of emotion. Born in Brixton and still living in South London, Mansur’s signature compositional approach combines his intricate flamenco-influenced guitar with his own original production work, inspired by the rhythmic snap of early ’00s Timbaland, the swing of Afrobeats and Burial’s melancholy sound design. On Friday 31 March he will be in BIRD!
The guitar remains central to Mansur’s music and he plays it as if it were just breathing for him. but it is certainly not the only component. As a songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, he uses keyboards, flute and saxophone on records like 2021’s Heiwa and regularly sings his favorite R&B songs. This spirit of self-reliance pervades everything Mansur does. That is why he decided to set up his own label AMAI. This way Mansur can release music, film, artwork and even technology and code in his own way and how he wants. “In the music industry, people are very into genres – they want to define things, to categorize them,” he says. “Being able to start a label, in this climate where everything is pigeonholed, gives me the freedom to innovate and explore concepts. To do it my way.” You can expect just about anything unexpected from Mansur. And you notice that in his live shows.
