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AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021 The story behind Sâlo: the rising Georgian-born Salford artist set be one of the region’s next stars
Danny Jones
We always love stories of people moving to Manchester to be more creatively engaged, but tales of entire families relocating here for a better life and art being born out of it is something truly special – and besides her obvious talent, that’s what has attracted us and plenty others to Sâlo.
This up-and-coming Salfordian artist may have been born around the border between Eastern Europe and Western Asia during a particular fraught time for her country, but she’s been raised and moulded like so many of us by this city’s rich music culture and wider artistic heritage.
She came to the UK with her family as a baby, with her parents fleeing poverty and lingering friction in Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 90s, and their journey as asylum seekers eventually brought them here to the North West.
It was clear from a young age that Sâlo (short for Salome) had a gift for the piano, but it was when her family moved to the Greater Manchester area that her own interest in genres and styles began to develop. Here’s a little snippet of her recent performance at the stunning Stoller Hall.
This short video was taken from her feature in a recent episode of Manchester: Unplugged, the web series by StreamGM that launched just last year and spotlights local songwriters.
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Honing in on one of her newest releases, ‘Set Me Free’, which taps into that pure love for the keys.
While this clip shows a stripped-back version of the fully-fledged electronic studio version, with production playing a key role in defining her sound, she blends everything from classical music and jazz to neo-soul as well as drum and bass.
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You hear the phrase ‘genre-bending’ thrown around a lot these days, but if this mid-20s star in the making isn’t the epitome of that term, then we don’t know who is.
Speaking more about her background in the short documentary film, which aired on YouTube this week, she talks about her first memory of visiting Forsyth Music Shop in Manchester city centre, and the inspiration behind the track in question.
Detailed in the description of the newest edition of the online show, “Classically trained from the age of four, Sâlo’s journey runs through some of Manchester’s most important music spaces”, including time spent at the RNCM and Chetham’s School of Music and more.
As for the tune itself, not only do the lyrics revolve around a difficult patch in a personal relationship – this being one of the first times she felt like she’s fully opened up and not held back on letting people know what she’s speaking about – but it’s also the first track she’s produced and mixed entirely on her own.
Painstakingly mastered from a small studio at home, she almost “fell out of love” with the song altogether, but getting back to that simple joy of playing piano helped revive her passion for it.
With a stunning voice, natural musical talent when it comes to her instrument, and a great blend of different analogue and digital influences, Sâlo is definitely one to watch moving forward.
Read more:
- Noel Gallagher to be awarded prestigious Songwriter of the Year at hometown BRITs
- Harry Styles announces one-night-only ‘intimate’ show in Manchester
- Green Island Festival returns for 2026 with ‘best lineup’ yet, featuring local legends
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — StreamGM (supplied)
Timings and road closures announced for Manchester’s Chinese New Year Dragon Parade 2026
Emily Sergeant
Road closures have been announced as Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade makes its way through the city centre this month.
As Manchester gets ready to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026 – which officially begins on Tuesday 17 February and runs through to Tuesday 3 March – and mark the ‘Year of the Horse’, the iconic Dragon Parade will be making its grand return to the streets of our city centre, and bringing a spectacular show of colour and light along with it.
In case you’re unfamiliar with what the Dragon Parade is all about, it’s the focal point of the city’s annual Lunar New Year celebrations – and it’s a real spectacle, to say the least.
The parade is known for attracting thousands of visitors from all across the region each year.
Celebrations officially kick off on Saturday 14 February this year, and as the headline of the festivities, the popular parade is set to take place the day after (Sunday 15 February).
Once again, organisers are expecting visitors in their thousands to turn out and watch as the famous 175ft Chinese dragon weaves its way through the city’s main shopping streets.
In order for the parade and other events to be carried out safely, a number of road closures and parking suspensions will be put in place, and a full list of those, as well as parade timings, have now been announced by Manchester City Council.
Here’s everything you need to know.
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Parade route road closures
From 10am to 3pm on Sunday 15 February:
- Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street) soft closure at the junction of Peter Street / Deansgate. Access for residents and businesses only.
- Oxford Street (Peter Street to Whitworth Street West)
- Portland Street (Chepstow Street to Chorlton Street)
- Princess Street (Major Street to Cooper Street)
- George Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
- St James Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
- Back George Street (Dickinson Street to Princess Street)
- Faulkner Street (Princess Street to Novotel Hotel Entrance/ End of Faulkner Street)
- Dickinson Street (Back George Street to Portland Street and Portland Street to Linley House/end of Dickinson Street)
- Bale Street (Hall Street to Lower Mosley Street)
- Hall Street (Bale Street to Oxford Street)
- Soft Closure inbound at Whitworth Street / Princess Street, Whitworth Street/ Sackville Street and Whitworth Street / Chorlton Street junctions. No through traffic. Access to residents, businesses and buses only.
- Reverse of the one way at Major Street (Princess Street to Sackville Street)
Chinatown closures
From 5am on Saturday 14 February to 11:59pm on Sunday 15 February:
- Nicholas Street (Portland Street to George Street)
- St James Street (Princess Street to Nicholas Street)
- Faulkner Street (Princess Street to Charlotte Street)
From 5am to 11:59pm on Sunday 15 February:
- Reyner Street (Princess Street to Charlotte Street)
- Charlotte Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
- George Street (Princess Street to New York Street)
- Chain Street (George Street to Faulkner Street)
- Back George Street (Dickenson Street to Charlotte Street)
- Pine Street (Chain Street to New York Street)
Parking suspensions for Chinatown
From 12:01am on Friday 13 February to 11: 59pm on Sunday 15 February
- George Street (New York Street to Dickinson Street)
- Nicholas Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
- Faulkner Street (New York Street to Princess Street)
- Charlotte Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
- Chain Street (George Street to Faulkner Street)
- Pine Street (Chain Street to New York Street)
Parade route parking suspensions
From 8pm on Saturday 14 February to 4pm on Sunday 15 February
- Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street)
- Mount Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
- Oxford Street (Lower Mosley Street to Whitworth Street West)
- Hall Street (Oxford Street to Bale Street)
- George Street (Oxford Street to Charlotte Street)
- Back George Street (Dickinson to Princess Street)
- St James Street (Oxford Street to Charlotte Street)
- Chepstow Street (Oxford Street to Great Bridgewater Street)
- Portland Street (Chepstow Street to New York Street)
- Dickinson Street (Back George Street to Portland Street and Portland Street to Linley House/end of Dickinson Street)
- Princess Street (Major Street to Cooper Street)
- Sackville Street (Major Street to Portland Street)
- Abingdon Street (Major Street to Portland Street)
- Faulkner Street (Mercure Hotel to Princess Street)
- Bale Street (Hall Street to Lower Mosley Street)
Parking suspensions include the Chinatown car park, all pay and display bays, accessible parking bays, and taxi ranks.
On top of this, there will also be disruption on the Metrolink too, as between 12pm and 1pm, there will be congestion around St Peter’s Square due to an increased number of pedestrians, and passengers are therefore told to expect delays.
Read more:
- Legendary Dragon Parade returns to Manchester to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026
- Manchester’s ‘super duper’ family festival full of FREE activities is back next month
- Salford is celebrating 100 years of being its own city with FREE community events throughout 2026
As always, this year’s celebrations have been organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester (FCAM), in partnership with Manchester Business Improvement District (BID) and Manchester City Council.
Featured Image – Chinese NY Manchester (via X) / CityCo
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