The Mummers are a band based in the English coastal city of

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, centred on London-born singer/songwriter Raissa Khan-Panni, composer Mark Horwood (before taking his own life in September 2009), producer/writer Paul Sandrone and co-producer/manager Alastair Cunningham.

Biography

Raissa Khan-Panni Raissa Khan-Panni (born 1971) is an English singer-songwriter who records under the name Raissa. She is best known for the 2000 single, "How Long Do I Get", which was playlisted by UK radio stations. The song reached No. 47 in the UK Singles ...

, once better known as Raissa, is a singer whose origins include English, Chinese, Indian, and Mexican. She was raised in the South London district of

West Norwood West Norwood is a largely residential area of south London within the London Borough of Lambeth, located 5.4 miles (8.7 km) south south-east of Charing Cross. The centre of West Norwood sits in a bowl surrounded by hillsides on its east, ...

, and as a child studied classical music, learning the piano and then

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

. She spent her school-days

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuity, gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performa ...

in Leicester Square and later all over Europe, before returning to study music in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. In 2000 she enjoyed critical acclaim across the media spectrum, most notably with the album ''Believer'' released by

Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

and the single "How Long Do I Get" which was played extensively on UK radio stations. Despite the acclaim, by 2001 the solo projects were winding down and Khan-Panni returned to work, waitressing full-time in a

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

restaurant. She describes this period as "a time of having nothing again" when, after several years of excitement, she returned to the mundane and the ordinary. However, she was still writing lyrics which began by documenting this period of her life but soon spun out to a fantasy world as her mind wandered while working. In September 2009, Mark Horwood committed suicide. The band states they intend to 'honour his spirit completely'.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Tale to Tell'' (2009) – Big Bass Drum

Extended plays

* ''Mink Hollow Road'' (2011) – Big Bass Drum

References

External links

Official Website (archive from 2022 - site no longer exists)The Mummers at BBC Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mummers Musical groups from Brighton and Hove