Quick Facts
Biography
Ben Mandelson (born 6 October 1953, Everton, Liverpool, England) is an English world musician, and also manager and producer.
Punk and New Wave years
In mid-1970s he was a student in Bolton Institute of Technology (now Bolton University), where he met Howard Devoto, future Buzzcocks and Magazine frontman. When punk emerged, he formed a band called Amazorblades, being the group's guitarist.
In 1981, he joined Howard Devoto's Magazine, replacing Robin Simon (who previously replaced a solid member of that band, John McGeoch) and playing on their last album Magic, Murder And The Weather.
World Music Years
In 1982, as "Hijaz Mustapha" he started playing with Lu Edmonds aka Uncle Patrel Mustapha Bin Mustapha, which led to the formation of 3 Mustaphas 3, a band that was active throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s.
He was founding director, in 1994, of the world music fair WOMEX.
In 2009, together with Justin Adams and, again, Lu Edmonds, Mandelson formed the band Les Triaboliques and released their debut album Rivermudtwilight.