Starting tonight, east London’s Dalston Kingsland area plays home to the first Land of Kings festival. This two-day multi-venue, cross-genre festival celebrates the district’s cultural and creative vibrancy. From the Arcola Theatre to Café Oto and beyond, musicians, DJs and promoters will be showcasing the best of Afro, disco, gypsy punk, electro, jazz and techno. Tonight’s acts include the suitably eclectic quartet, Get the Blessing who will be fusing jazz, nu-jazz and experimental free-form improv at the Vortex jazz club. These BBC Jazz Award-winning Bristolians will be previewing material from their forthcoming album, Bugs In Amber which is scheduled for release in May. Tomorrow night (Friday 17 April), also at the Vortex, features the F-IRE Collective’s band, Oriole. Its composer and guitarist, Jonny Phillips, who currently lives in Andalucia, southern Spain, incorporates musical, visual, folkloric and contemporary influences from northern Brazil, west Africa, southern Europe and beyond. “The UK’s self contained neo-samba nova wave that’s well free of any Ipanema cocktail cliché,” says Jazzwise writer Kevin Le Gendre. Both of the gigs start at 7pm and will be followed with DJ sets by DJ Quiet Village tonight and DJ Leggo Beast, tomorrow. For more go to www.landofkings.co.uk

– Joseph Kassman-Tod