Cultural feast from the East; South Asian culture will be celebrated in the North East next month, as Entertainment Editor GORDON BARR finds out.Byline: GORDON BARR BARR Board on Agriculture and Renewable Resources (Washington, DC, USA) BARR Bureau of Aeronautics Resident Representative THE sound of tuk-tuks and rickshaws will be rumbling on to Tyneside as part of one of the biggest South Asian music Asian music is an interesting loose term that encompasses numerous different musical styles originating from a large number of Asian cultures. For more specific information, try:
and arts festivals in the UK. SAMA sama In Sufism, the practice of listening to music, chanting, and dancing as a means of producing a state of religious ecstasy and mystical trance. Practitioners hold that music prepares the soul for a deeper comprehension of divine realities and a better appreciation of (South Asian Music and Arts) has turned up the heat to bring the hottest acts straight from the warmth of Bollywood to the chilly North East. Headliners such as Radio 1's Bobby Friction will be hitting the Toon at the Nitin Sawhney Sound System club night as well as performances in the city centre from the Rajasthani Folk Musicians, who have teamed up with the Northumberland Folk Musicians to offer an East-meets-West folk band. The festival is now in its second year and will run from October 6 to October 12 at handpicked venues across the region. International acts such as Habib, a world-renowned Bangladeshi folk singer, and Angika, a contemporary British Indian dance company, will be performing alongside more mainstream acts including Britain's Got Talent Britain's Got Talent is a British television show on ITV (also on TV3 in Ireland). Presented by Ant & Dec, the talent show premiered on 9 June 2007, and was broadcast daily with a live final on 17 June 2007. finalists Signature. SAMA is part of EAST '08, a celebration of contemporary Asian culture in Newcastle-Gateshead. The festival is a collaborative initiative organised by GemArts, Kalapremi and Pakistan Cultural Society, three major arts development organisations profiling the very best of South Asian arts South Asian arts Literary, performing, and visual arts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Myths of the popular gods, Vishnu and Shiva, in the Puranas (ancient tales) and the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics, supply material for representational and dramatic arts. in the North East. Director of SAMA Vikas Kumar says: "This is a great feat for the North East and I'm ecstatic to be able to confirm so many outstanding, world-class acts as part of the SAMA festival. "I'm from the North East and love to see the mix that South Asian culture can bring to the already lively music and arts scene. "Some of these acts are internationally renowned among both South Asian and arts communities and I can't wait to see them in action." Tuk-tuks and rickshaws will add to the hustle and bustle of a traditional bazaar at the grand finale of the festival on the Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides. The finale aims to recreate the colour, vibrancy and fun of a South Asian carnival with a bazaar selling traditional food, art and clothing alongside street theatre, Indian head massage and stage performances from Rahat Ali Khan, a renowned vocalist from Bollywood films. Film and literature have not been forgotten either: Writers at SAMA will launch at The Sage Gateshead on October 10, exploring the contribution of South Asian writers to world literature, including appearances by literary heavyweights including Leela Gandhi. Meanwhile Film at SAMA will screen cinematic offerings providing insights into cultures from Tibet to Bhutan. Visit www.samafestival.org for a full programme of events. CAPTION(S): COLOURFUL EVENTS - the second SAMA festival begins on October 6 |
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