MELA 21 PROGRAMME Sunday 7 June 2009 Old Market Square Royal Centre SKY MIRROR nottingham
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Welcome to Mela 21... From Bhangra beats and soul-stirring Ghazal rhythmscapes to Dancing Gods, New Art Exchange and Nottingham Asian Arts Council in association with the BBC Asian Network bring you Mela 21! The Mela revolution of the UK started here in Nottingham 21 years ago, featuring pioneering acts such as the mighty Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Bhangra superstar Malkit Singh. Many more artists have graced Mela stages across the UK ever since, whilst Mela itself has evolved. Yet it has always served the community whilst showcasing the very best of Asian Arts, Bollywood, Bhangra, Dance, Indipop, R’n’B, Qawwali and Fusion. Aptly called Mela 21, this year’s Nottingham Mela, comes of age as it celebrates its 21st birthday in style with an eclectic ensemble of new and nostalgic acts across four city locations: Old Market Square (main stage); The Royal Centre (new and rising regional talent); Sky Mirror - Nottingham Playhouse (a feast of dance acts); and New Art Exchange (Indian folk and tribal art exhibition). This year be sure to experience each of the four locations and experience local and international acts of the highest quality. We’re delighted to have Jazzy B and Najma Akhtar revisit Nottingham, with BBC Asian Network DJ’s including Adil Ray, Nikki Bedi and DJ Kayper introducing contemporary acts such as Niraj Chag, Akademi, and Jaz Dhami to name a few - It’s all going to be very exciting! We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Partners, Funders, Sponsors, Audience and Volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the past few months to make the event happen. Nottingham Mela has continually brought together young South Asian artists and visitors from around the country in an environment of creativity, tolerance and respect. The event has always provided a unique opportunity to experience and partake in live performances, interactive workshops and something slightly different. There have been numerous activities in the weeks leading upto Mela 21, with local community and youth groups producing site specific decor for Mela 21. The banners you see will also be showcased at the Bradford Mela between 13-14th June. Some people say we’ve come a long way, we say this is just the beginning... We hope that you have a wonderful experience at Mela 21. Enjoy! Nottingham Mela Network Group
THE HISTORY OF MELA Did you know...? • • • • • • •
Nottingham was home to the first ever Mela, helped establish Mela’s across the UK and even set up a national association Britain’s premier Mela has showcased the best in national and international artists including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Nitin Sawhney, Anup Jalota, Najma Akhtar, Baluji Shrivastav, Aziz Mian Qawwaal, Alaap, DCS, Apna Sangeet, Golden Star and Apache Indian. The list goes on! This event has continued to bring to the stage the very best that Bhangra, Ghazal, Qawwali, classical, folk dance and theatre can offer. The Mela has always championed fresh talent and brought the stars of the future to the stage, exposing audiences to the innovative and new. Channel 4 produced and broadcast a whole documentary series on the Mela called Bhangra Beats in the Nineties. The Mela has acted as a springboard for some to go on and perform on international stages, for example, thanks to their first performance at the Mela debut, Bhangra band “Pardesi” went on to perform at huge events such as “Le Printemps de Bourges” (France) and in 1990 at the “Roma-Europa” concert (Italy); and had a programme made about them by European TV Channel “Suisse Romand Coleur 31”. The Mela has always had a conscience, and engaged with its audiences in topical issues such as the environment and identity. Young People remain the heart and life line of the Mela, with many youngsters getting involved in all aspects of the event, and going onto develop amazing careers in their own right.
Highlights of the past 21 years • • • •
1988 - Apna Arts hosted the first ever outdoor Festival of Asian Arts & Music in the UK, providing the public with an event which would go a long way to satisfy the artistic and cultural needs of a diverse Asian community, whilst at the same time providing opportunity for the wider community to enjoy the rich cultural traditions of the Subcontinent. The festival aimed to increase the general awareness about Asian music within the UK and thus it was felt that Melton Medes could benefit. In the longer term, the aim of the festival has been to provide the public with an Asian event with the equivalent artistic content of the Edinburgh Festival, whilst having the carnival atmosphere of the Notting Hill Carnival. The formative years’ festivals were two-day events which attracted national and international media attention. Links with activities and events on the European continent were also established, especially within the world music scene. 1991 - New site, new vision - For the fourth annual festival a new environment was chosen to play host to the event - the Victoria Embankment. By this time the educational aspect of the festival was very strong, and growing. In addition to workshops in Sitar and Asian dance, traditional craftwork, mehndi, painting, sculpture and storytelling were some of the activities taking place.
• • •
APNA Arts continued to move forward in the nineties with more determination. The annual festival grew from strength to strength on various aspects, including a greater emphasis on visual arts, addressing environment issues and heritage. In later years the emphasis and focus of the festival has changed, looking closer at developing younger people, as well as nurturing the creative arts in an all-inclusive manner. In recent years Nottingham Mela has condensed from a two-day festival to a one day event, but the thoughts and spirit behind Mela remain the same, that of creativity, music, respect, and celebration in diversity. Since the early 1990’s Nottingham has been lucky to have not one, but actually several Melas’! With significant community spirit and still attracting national acclaim, NAAC managed the Dussehra, Vaisakhi and Eid Mela’s and went onto mark the anniversary of 60 years of Independence by staging the Culture 60 Mela. But since 2002, NAAC and Apna Arts/NAE have combined their creative energies to present the ‘Nottingham Mela’.
Mela Heritage Project As 2009 marks 21 years since the launch of Mela’s in the UK, the Nottingham and Bradford Mela Committees have received funding for a special project. This year members of the public will have the chance to tell their personal Mela stories and recollections from past years, as Nottingham and Bradford Mela join forces to capture and explore the heritage of Mela in the UK.
Coming of Age ‘Coming of Age’ is a joint partnership project between Bradford and Nottingham Mela which will provide a retrospective look at the last 21 years of the mela and its roots and progress in the UK through the development of a touring exhibition, an accompanying book, education pack and interactive website.The project will also provide active learning and increase participation by involving local people in the process, allowing volunteers to have a sense of ownership of the project and its heritage. We are looking for your thoughts, memories, and recollections of previous years Mela’s. To participate please come and visit us at the Mela 21 Information Point at Old Market Square, where you can find out about Mela’s rich and vibrant history and take part in the ‘Coming of Age’ project. You can elso e-mail us your recollections from previous years Mela’s on mela21@thenewartexchange.org.uk. The book and special exhibition will take place in 2010, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
MELA ARTISTS Jazzy B Since his debut in 1983, Jazzy B has become the best-selling bhangra artist in the world, regularly touring and performing his hits. Jazzy has released fourteen albums, creating some of Bhangra’s most enduring hits. Jazzy’s popularity can be attributed to his unique style; a magnetic personality, he continues to enthrall audiences with his stage presence and the sheer mastery of his craft. Jazzy really knows how to rock a crowd, and is sure to do the same at Nottingham’s Mela 21! NAJMA AKHTAR Najma was born and raised in the cultural hybrid mixing pot of London, influenced from an early age by music of Indian origin as well as rock, soul, funk and jazz. An inner urge sent her on a journey of musical discovery which culminated with her becoming a pioneer of fusing the Ghazal tradition with unconventional western musical styles. Her unique and distinctive range from Jazz fusions with updated versions of Indian Ghazals, to Indian semi-classical vocals and traditional Bhajans has made her one of the UK’s most prominent Indo-Jazz artists. NIRAJ CHAG Niraj is a London-based musical artist & composer who fuses Indian classical influences with contemporary rhythmscapes and layered, complex beats. He has written & produced two albums, the critically acclaimed ‘Along the Dusty Road’ & ‘The Lost Souls’. Niraj has built a reputation as a unique soundtrack composer for stage, radio and TV including the Bafta nominated ‘Power of Art’ series (BBC2), HBO’s ‘Sex and the City’ and Olivier Award winning ‘Rafta Rafta’. More recently he put together an eclectic score for the Olympic Torch event on London’s South Bank featuring 600 vocalists, opera singers and a 40-piece brass band.
Jaz Dhami Jaz is one of the UK’s brightest young Bhangra stars. This Midlands based genius has had extensive classical music training in India for over seven years, as well as three music degrees under his belt giving his music a certain depth. After the huge success of his debut single ‘Sona Munda’ - Jaz Dhami followed this up with the superb ‘Roj Miliye’ which went on to become a huge hit. After acclaim for the hit song ‘Sadi Jind Jaan’, Jaz has been working tirelessly to create stunning sounds in preparation for his forthcoming album due out early next year. Akademi Akademi is a cutting-edge dance organisation working to enhance the practice, understanding and appreciation of South Asian dance across the UK. Initium (Where Dreams Begin) is a dance-led contemporary spectacle that juxtaposes the lyricism of Kathak with the spirited dynamics of modern dance, circus and folk theatre form - Yakshagana. Punctuated by special effects, this vivid and fresh piece emphasises the way dreams can change in an instant. A re-working of Sapnay, directed by Gauri Sharma Tripathi and Mavin Khoo, with soundscapes by DJ Per Qx and Niraj Chag. BBC ASIAN NETWORK The BBC Asian Network are hosting this year’s Mela 21 with many of their top DJ’s managing the various stages. We have ADIL RAY and NIKKI BEDI presenting the Main Stage, with DJ KAYPER spinning the decks. SONNY JI, DJ LIMELIGHT and KANDIMAN will be managing the Royal Centre stage as well as the BBC Asian Network station wagon alongside PATHAAN. Mela 21 will be covered by BBC Asian Network on radio and on-line, with highlights on bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork.
SHREE VASUKI SANSKRUTIK GROUP THANGADH
We have some very special folk dance performers taking part in Mela 21 from Gujarat, India. Shree Vasuki Sanskrutik Group Thangadh will be performing Folk Dance of Saurashtra on the Main Stage and Sky Mirror, and have come over to the UK in association with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. They have also taken part in Mela 21’s educational programme, taking part in workshops and performances in the East Midlands. SANDEEP RAVAL Sandeep is a pioneering Indo-Jazz fusion artist with the aim of developing the world music concept in the true spirit of fusion, with a strong emphasis on the celebration of rhythm. Sandeep uses any and all resources that he can muster and constantly tinkers with the original idea. He holds to no boundaries of culture, musical genre or state but instead looks for the emotion of his music.
SARAH SAYEED Sarah is a rising singer songwriter who works with guitars, soul and hip hop beats, whilst being influenced by a tradition of Indian sonatas. A singer, producer and MC, she has encapsulated the essence and roots of Hip Hop through her own unique interpretation. Her work skillfully combining witty, political and sometimes provocative lyrics, with melodies and sweet vocals. She has been developing her voice for the last five years with the Royal Northern College of Music, and is training with prolific classical singer Swati Natekar. FEDERATION OF INDIAN PERFORMING ARTS FIPA was set up in October 2006 to promote performing arts of the Indian subcontinent through contemporary productions, heritage projects and multi-media workshops drawing upon the rich culture of India to create work in classical, traditional and contemporary sectors. At Mela 21, FIPA present ‘Nature’s Icons’ - Dancing Gods, in a performance which is sure to be a feast for your senses.
New, Rising and Regional Talent at the Royal Centre and Sky Mirror We will be showcasing the best of up and coming regional talent at the Royal Centre Stage at Mela 21. We have a variety of performers including: MANUSHI DANCE - Classical Indian Kathak dance from Nottinghamshire; Poetic interludes from ROHIT BALLAL; body-popping from KR KREW; Tabla-infused urban Hip Hop beats from MENDI; Bollywood and Salsa rhythms from NUPUR ARTS; Cassava soulful Tabla-rock vibe; Lyrical R’n’B and Bhangra from Nottingham’s own SAN2 SINGH, and SUBLIME - Hip Hop dancers from Leicestershire. The Sky Mirror will host dance performances from MANNING GIRLS SCHOOL (City Arts) and YARD PERFORMING ARTS GROUP (NAE), while ORCHESTRA NAVRANG kick off proceedings on the Main Stage.
Old Market Square and Fountain Arena Main Stage presented by Adil Ray, Nikki Bedi and DJ Kayper (BBC Asian Network DJ’s) 12.00 - 12.45pm
Orchestra Navrang - Bollywood Band
12.45 - 1.00pm
BBC Asian Network - Adil Ray, Nikki Bedi and DJ Kayper
1.00 - 1.30pm
Shree Vasuki Sanskrutik Group Thangadh - Folk Dance of Saurashtra
1.30 - 2.00pm
Sandeep Raval
2.15 - 2.30pm
Sarah Sayeed
2.30 - 3.00pm
Foundation for Indian Performing Arts - Nature’s Icons (Dancing Gods)
3.00 - 4.00pm
Najma Akhtar
4.00 - 4.30pm
Akademi - Initium
4.30 - 5.00pm
Jaz Dhami
5.00 - 5.30pm
BBC Asian Network - Adil Ray, Nikki Bedi and DJ Kayper
5.30 - 6.30pm
Jazzy B
The Royal Centre - Foyer Stage Upcoming and Regional Talent presented by BBC Asian Network DJ’s 12.30 - 2.00pm
12.30pm BBC Asian Network DJ’s 1.00pm Sublime 1.30pm San2 Singh 1.50pm KR Krew
2.00 - 3.30pm
2.00pm Manushi Dance 2.30pm Cassava ft Mendi 3.00pm Rohit Ballal
3.30 - 5.30pm
3.30pm Mendi ft Sykes and Yalitza 4.00pm Nupur Arts 4.30pm Sarah Sayeed 5.00pm Niraj Chag
Sky Mirror - Nottingham Playhouse 12.00pm
YARD Performing Arts Group (NAE)
12.30pm
Manning Girls School / City Arts
1.00pm
Nature’s Icons (Dancing Gods)
2.00pm
Akademi
2.30pm
Shree Vasuki Sanskrutik Group Thangadh - In association with ICCR
3.00pm
Sublime
3.30pm
Manushi Dance
*Please note, artist line-up abd performance times are subject to chsnge.
New Art Exchange An(other) Story - Exhibition of Folk and Tribal Indian Art. 10.00am - 5.00pm, Admission: Free An(other) Story is a significant exhibition showcasing Folk and Tribal art from India bringing together an extensive selection of established artists in one space reflecting a wide range of styles from all over the South Asian sub-continent.
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MELA 21 Educational Programme So many young people miss out on great artistic opportunities... but not at New Art Exchange! Through the Mela 21 Educational Programme over 2000 young people from across Nottingham were given the opportunity to take part in a variety of free workshops ranging from Graffiti with Matt Pykett (Bass Festival), Dance with Shane Shambhu and banner making sessions with Ranbir Kaur and Samiah Saleem, who worked with Jamia Al Hudda Islamic Girls School and Carrington, Fairfield and Radford Primary Schools. It didn’t stop there though, as they were concluded with show stopping demonstrations by the internationally acclaimed Shree Vasuki Sanskrutik Gujarati Dance Troupe (India) and an incredible exhibition titled An(other) Story - Folk and Tribal Art from India. Such interaction from regional and international artists gave the young participants an opportunity to showcase their own individual talents for the wider event, Mela 21. City Arts is also creating an ImagiNation procession for the Nottingham Mela, wowing audiences with music and dancers from Manning Girls School, and led by the magnificent Nottingham Goddess. The project has been developed in partnership with Nottingham City Council, and is part of the ImagiNation: Our Nation partnership. So be sure to look out across Nottingham Mela for all the wonderful creations that have come out of Mela 21’s Educational Programme (sponsored by NDC) and Nottingham-specific partner projects.
Aracaladanza. Photo: Eduardo García González
5-21 JUNE 2009
Magical worlds in which paintings and stripey tights come to life. Playful stories told through dance, live music and puppetry. Win a prize by designing your own fantastical costume! And this is just for starters! Keep your eyes on our website for weekend activities in Highfields Park, and… the return of Architects of Air’s amazing Luminarium! (6 & 7 June only).
BOOK ONLINE: WWW.LAKESIDEARTS.ORG.UK OR CALL THE BOX OFFICE: 0115 846 7777 Sampad Burman Legacy A5 Advert 06/05/2009 13:10 Page 1
sampad and Shin Parwana present
...two years of making an impact, promoting and supporting BME Arts in the East Midlands Our best wishes to Nottingham Mela Mainstream Partnership B.401, LCB Depot 31 Rutland Street Leicester LE1 1RE Tel. 0116 253 3450 Email. carol@mainstreampartnership.co.uk www.mainstreampartnership.co.uk
The immortal melodies of the legendary SD and RD Burman will tonight be brought to you by Shin Parwana the renowned front man of the iconic bhangra band DCS. During this musical celebration you will be taken back to a magical era of world class Bollywood sounds that the two musical geniuses, Sachin Dev Burman and Rahul Dev Burman, composed. Shin, together with the Bollywood Punditz and a host of guests from the world of music and dance will take you on a once in a lifetime journey of movement and sounds reminiscent of the golden age of Bollywood.
The Cresecent Theatre is located in Sheepcote Street, part of the Brindleyplace development near to a wide variety of bars, restaurants and convenient parking.
Saturday 20 June, 7.30pm Crescent Theatre, Sheepcote Street, Birmingham B16 8AE Tickets: £15, £12 concs Box Office: 0121 643 5858 Book online at www.crescent-theatre.co.uk
For more details about any of our events please visit our website at www.sampad.org.uk or contact us on 0121 452 8899
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The premier ins TiTuTe for indian arT and Cul Ture ouTside The sub-ConTinenT, righ T here in WesT l ondon Regular courses in Indian Music, Dance, Yoga, Languages and Art history and don’t miss our famous summer school starting in July. We offer a degree in Indian Music in collaboration with Trinity College of Music (Trinity Laban). Check out our beautiful art gallery which exhibits artists from all around the world.
THE BHAVAN CENTRE 4a Castletown Road, West Kensington, W14 9HE Telephone 020 7381 3086 / 4608 Log onto our website www.bhavan.net or e-mail info@bhavan.net
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