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Ninth year for Dun Laoghaire’s world of culture

Last update - Thursday, August 6, 2009, 17:35 By Ian Callagy

The Festival of World Cultures, set to take place over the weekend of 29–30 August, is now in its ninth year and is firmly established in the summer events calendar.

As always, a range of venues in and around the coastal town of Dun Laoghaire will host a variety of musicians and artists of all kinds, providing something for every taste.
The heart of the festival will be the popular Global Village, World Dance Plaza and the seaside People’s Park, which this year features the vibrant Mela festival in celebration of south Asian arts.
“This year’s highlight,” adds artistic director Jody Ackland, “is the spectacular audio-visual show Hotel Kiev, a night-time visual montage projected onto the façade of the Royal Marine Hotel.” This will be accompanied by a live soundtrack performed by the compelling Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha.
Also performing at the festival will be Oumou Sangare, who hails from Mali in west Africa and has been likened to the great Aretha Franklin. She will be performing her Wassoulou style music at Newtownsmith Green’s main stage on 30 August at 6.30pm (admission free).
Singer Jane Birkin, who was once romantically linked to the influential Serge Gainsbourg, will treat her audience to songs from her latest album Enfants d’hiver at the Pavilion Theatre on 29 August at 8pm (admission €32).
Also at the Pavilion, Pakistan’s Sain Zahoor will be performing his Sufi spiritual music along with Bachir Attar from The Master Musicians of Jajouka on 30 August at 9pm (admission €28). The pairs range of traditional instruments – from the one string ektara (lute) to the tabla, chimta and dholak and even a harmonium – will be employed to full effect.
Elsewhere, Dub Colossus is a coming together of Ethiopian musicians and musical styles. Expect to hear everything from traditional sounds to jazz, Ethiopian pop of the ’60s and ’70s and some heavy dub reggae. They will play the Newtownsmith Green main stage on 29 August at 6.30pm (admission free).
Congolese musicians Les Tambours De Brazza have a reputation for infectious rhythms. Established in 1991 and now based in France, they will keep audiences on their toes for the duration of their set at the Newtownsmith Green main stage on 29 August at 5pm (admission free).
Other musical acts set to perform over the final weekend in August include the Warsaw Village Band, the Kilfenora Ceili Band, reggae stars Natty Wailer and Babylon Circus, and Arabic group Tarab.
But there’s more to the Festival of World Cultures than music. Spoken word performances, global health and harmony therapies, exotic foods and arts and crafts can all be sampled at a variety of venues around Dun Laoghaire over the weekend – not to mention the dazzling Chinese sky lantern display.
Each year the festival brings over a quarter of a million visitors to Dun Laoghaire for the events – most of which are free – and there is a wonderful international atmosphere to be experienced. It’s a great way to round out the summer.


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