Music
There is a jam packed music programme at this year’s festival across 3 venues. With the best of International UK talent sitting alongside artists form South America and Africa. There is a World Premiere that has been specially commissioned for the festival and a UK Premiere two great band through our collaboration with the Gypsy Arts Festival. There is sure to be something for everyone.
Thursday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
| The Orquesta Típica Imperial |
North Edinburgh Youth Carnival |
Pan African Arts Presents… |
Thursday
The Orquesta Típica Imperial
UK PREMIERE
Thurs 28th 8.30pm
The Big Top £10 (£8)
The Orquesta Típica Imperial is a group of young tango musicians from Buenos Aires. Over the past five years, the Orquesta Típica Imperial has performed at some of the most prestigious venues and tango festivals in Europe and Latin America. With an almost film soundtrack quality, let their music take you on a magical journey where colourful pictures and emotions develop in your mind.
Click here to buy tickets online
Saturday
DJs
Entertaining you across the day:
Bobby B & Jay Jagpal, Mr Vin, Oz-E & DJ Gully, DJ Kunal and DJ VIP.
Gtown Desi has been created by an enthusiastic team of talented individuals each having raw musical talent and a passion for entertaining, fused with their years of experience in the industry.
Following in the successful footsteps of Gtown Urban, an influential concept which set out to capture the urban market and provide entertainment throughout various major events, Gtown Desi has been introduced as the freshest new entertainment concept to hit the Asian market in the UK.
The team behind this new concept continue to dedicate their time, effort and skills bringing to you a new and stylish events management company with the tools to produce the most exclusive parties, with entertainment from the most exclusive and talented DJs around...
North Edinburgh Youth Carnival
aka - NEDDz - North Edinburgh Drummers and Dancers
Sat 30th 4.45pm and 5.15pm
Around The Site and Outside Ocean Terminal
Xaware Roadshow
Sat 30th 12noon Mela Gardens
Included in Saturday Site Pass
A lively Senegalese Xaware (party), with a continuous, changing programme of things to see, hear and join in with. Co-ordinated by Edinburgh-based Senegalese musician Samba Sene, the Xaware Roadshow includes musicians and dancers from Senegal, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Côte d'Ivoire. Activities are rooted in live music and rhythm, ranging from traditional folk music and songs, drumming and dance to original contemporary mbalax fusion and irresistible Afrobeats.
Kaya
Sat 30th 3.30pm
The Big Top
Included in Saturday Site Pass
Popular Bangladeshi artists from London who has collaborated with artists such as Habib Wahid. An exciting afternoon concert to get the Big Top and Mela weekend in full swing.
Tariq Khan, Legacy Band
Sat 30th 15.45pm Mela Gardens
Included in Saturday Site Pass
Tariq Khan's debut album 'Sugar N Spice' topped the Asian charts and made Tariq one of the most successful and dynamic singers in the British Asian music industry. He has toured the world and worked with international artists and producers such as the legendary Sukhshinder Shinda. His performance at the festival is expected to follow the hugely anticipated release of his new album this summer.
The Pakistani Pipe Band
Sat 30th Various times 4pm-8pm
Around The Site and Outside Ocean Terminal
London Community Gospel Choir
Sat 30th 5.30pm Mela Gardens
Included in Saturday Site Pass
Trying to fit LCGC into a neat slot is virtually impossible. They are adaptable, flexible and create dynamic melodies with rich harmonies whether they are performing as an octet or a 30-strong choir. LCGC are known for their funky gospel flair, swing-beat, R'n'B, traditional and soulful arrangements, with invigorating choreography and vocal gymnastics.
Yatra//Journey
WORLD PREMIERE
Sat 30th 7pm & Sun 31st 6pm
Mela Gardens
Included in Saturday & Sunday Site Pass
Movement, changes in shape and form, travel, discovery…journey
An exciting new composition from some of Scotland's finest musicians. Twenty artists have spent six months collaborating on a new piece that draws together the musical traditions of South Asia, traditional Scottish music and Japanese Taiko drumming. Bringing together artists from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Adeo Records and Publishing and Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers on an ambitious collaborative project.The result will be a dynamic, large-scale music work that is both moving and electrifying.
Supported through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.
DCS
supported by Notorious Jatt
& Northern Lights
Sat 30th 8pm
Ocean Kitchen
£8 in advance
£10 on the door
Saturday night's concert headliner is DCS, supported by Notorious Jatt and Northern Lights. DCS is a global legend and one of the original leading British Asian bands. Their live shows are a talking point for their sheer energy and bold performances. Their set at the festival will mark a lively end to the first day of the Mela Weekend.
Click here to buy tickets online
Paprika Balkinicus
Sat 30th 8pm Mela Gardens
Included in Saturday Site Pass
If you like a dance, then prepare to be whipped up into a frenzy because once you start you won't be able to stop. Cooking up a storm with their fiery blend of traditional Gypsy music from the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Paprika Balkanicus have seduced the masses from Glastonbury to Australia, Japan to the London Balkan Fever Festival.
Festival Party (Club Night)
Sat 30th 10.30pm-2.30am Ocean Kitchen
£8 in Advance £10 on Door
Join us for a great line-up:-
Notorious Jatt
MC special DJ Kunal
DJ Bobby B & Jay Jagpal
Click here to buy tickets online
Sunday
DJs
Entertaining you across the day:
Bobby B & Jay Jagpal, DJ Kunal and DJ VIP.
Flamenco Flow
Sun 31st 12 noon Mela Gardens Included in Sunday Site Pass
Dance Workshop followed by Performance
For anyone who's ever wanted to run away and dance, Flamenco Flow is flamenco at its very best: high energy, authentic and contemporary. Following on from last year's highly successful collaboration at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Ricardo Garcia and his Familia Flamenca will give a flamenco workshop and perform an astounding show that celebrates the evolution of this passionate art form. Mesmerising, masterful ... a Festival treasure.
Pan African Arts Presents…Michelle Elii, G1ft and Bigg Taj
Sun 31st 3.45pm Mela Gardens
Included in Sunday Site Pass
An exciting 2 hour set from 3 innovative artists based in Scotland.
Michelle Elii has appeared as a support act for Akon in the Braehead Arena and also performed as a main artist in Glasgow's first Hip Hopera "The Message" in the ABC2.
G1ft, a rapper, singer, dancer with roots in comedy now works with Kross Kulcha in the OCP Team (Omni-Consumer Product). He has supported Ms Dynamite, Akon, and was an ITC Urban Music Finalist in 2005 and is touring Scotland this summer with an Urban Opera.
Bigg Taj, a beat-boxer, has worked with Shlomo of Foreign Beggarz and is about to collaborate with Michael Winslow, better known as 'Jonesy' the beatboxing policeman from police academy movies! Bigg Taj was Newcastle beatbox champion of 2005 and was a finalist in the UK beatbox championships in 2005.
Sona Walia
Sun 31st 2.15pm Mela Gardens
Included in Sunday Site Pass
Sona Walia was born in Punjab and started performing when she was 7yrs old. After graduating in vocal music in India she came to the UK and has performed with various famous UK artists and Bollywood stars. In summer 2007 she started working with Tejwant Kittu on her debut Album, ‘Love Strings’, which will be out on general release soon.
Pulse of the Place (Youth Samba)
Sun 31st 3.30pm Outside Ocean Terminal
Sun 31st 4pm The Big Top
Included in Sunday Site Pass
Sunday Driver brings an audacious mix of influences and instruments to the Mela. The six piece band from Cambridge draws its inspiration from artists such as Morcheeba, Tool and Susheela Raman. Their music has featured in diverse places, from BBC London's Mel and Sue show through to the Cambridge Folk Festival and Classic FM. The festival performance will see a sneak preview of tracks from the band's forthcoming album ‘in the city of dreadful night’.
Yatra//Journey
WORLD PREMIERE
Sun 31st 6pm
Mela Gardens
Included in Saturday & Sunday Site Pass
Movement, changes in shape and form, travel, discovery…journey
An exciting new composition from some of Scotland's finest musicians. Twenty artists have spent six months collaborating on a new piece that draws together the musical traditions of South Asia, traditional Scottish music and Japanese Taiko drumming. Bringing together artists from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Adeo Records and Publishing and Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers on an ambitious collaborative project.The result will be a dynamic, large-scale music work that is both moving and electrifying.
Supported through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.
Rishi Rich Productions Presents...
Sun 31st 7pm Ocean Kitchen £8 in advance £10 on door
As one of the closing events of this year's festival,
we present a fantastic concert that will get everybody in Ocean Kitchen up and on their feet.
Rishi Rich Productions presents
HDhami,
Veronica,
Mumzy,
DJ Krash
and Juggi D.
Join us for this great line up, hosted by Rishi Rich himself. Book early as tickets will be sure to sell out.
Click here to buy tickets online
Gamelan Naga Mas
Sun 31st 7.30pm Mela Gardens
Included in Sunday Site Pass
An international gamelan ensemble performing traditional music from Java and Bali for tuned orchestra of gongs and metal xylophones.
The company often includes contemporary music written by members of the ensemble,
and their festival performance will see a new work by Jon Keliehor, ‘Radiance’, as well
as new collaborative works for gamelan
with small and highland pipes, featuring soloist Barnaby Brown.
