Lahore to Longsight with Aziz Ibrahim

A crucial thread in the fabric of Manchester’s music scene, Longsight-born Aziz Ibrahim has spent decades lending his virtuosity to some of the city’s most defining sounds – from The Stone Roses and Ian Brown to Paul Weller and Simply Red. Now, he’s finally bringing his own long-awaited record into the world – and doing it on home turf.

From Lahore to Longsight is a record with serious history behind it. Written back in 2001 alongside collaborators including Talvin Singh and members of The Smiths, it was meant to mark a defining moment in Ibrahim’s career. Instead, it sat unreleased for 25 years – a missing piece of British Asian musical heritage that’s only now seeing the light of day.

This special night at Manchester Museum’s South Asia Gallery is less a standard album launch, more a full-circle celebration. Expect a live set from Ibrahim himself, alongside a wider programme that reflects the album’s cross-cultural roots – from DJ and digital performer Johnny Jay to tabla and vocals from Dalbir Singh Rattan, plus dance from Kanchan Maradan.

There will also be a screening of a short documentary exploring Aziz’s life, directed by Razz Ashraf for 10 Boroughs Pictures.

It’s a rare chance to step into a project that’s been 25 years in the making – and to see it finally land in the city where it all began.