Main Stage
Mona Singh
Laying claim to the title ‘Princess of Bhangra’, Mona Singh has become one of Britain’s most sought after young artists in the business and enjoys one of the highest profiles of any Bhangra personality.
The source of this unique gem in the music world is the artist credited with changing the face of the Bhangra scene, the legendary Channi Singh (lead singer of Bhangra band ‘Alaap’ – Pioneers of the British Asian music scene and Bollywood music director for films such as ‘Yalgaar’, ‘Shaktiman’, ‘Janasheen’ and ‘Mr Bhatti on Chutti’, to name but a few).
Mona has performed at all major festivals and melas in the UK and has also toured America, Canada, Dubai, India, Pakistan and Sweden. She has recently completed playback tracks for Bollywood, Punjabi and British films such as ‘Mr Bhatti on Chutti’ starring Anupam Kher and Amitabh Bachchan, ‘Apna Desh’ and ‘A Distant Mirage’, which are due to be released later this year.
www.monasingh.co.ukAutorickshaw
Autorickshaw’s music lies on the cultural cutting edge, as contemporary jazz and easily rub shoulders with the classical and popular music of India. Formed in 2003 in Canada, Autorickshaw has already received a great deal of national and international recognition.
International performances include Joe’s Pub in New York City, the Kennedy Center, Yoshi’s in San Francisco, The Stockholm Jazz Festival, and performances throughout India – Chennai, Bangalore, the Congo Square Jazz Festival in Kolkata, and the Jaipur International Heritage Festival in Rajasthan.
www.autorickshaw.caDesi Brave Hearts
Made up of seven women and one man, the group are a mix of different ethnic backgrounds, including Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Scottish. Together they have worked to build up an international reputation - taking their unique moves to India, the home of Bollywood.
Last year the group attracted the attention of top Bollywood choreographer Pratap Shetty, famous for working with Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty.
Desi Brave Hearts FacebookFoundation For Performing Indian Arts
FIPA is spearheaded by Dr. Ananda Gupta who has been working with international South Asian performing artists for the last nine years, organising high level performances in the UK and India.
These productions have been enthusiastically received by Indian, British-Indian and mainstream UK audiences at such venues as the British Museum, V & A and the Nehru Centre.
www.fipa.org.ukDance Ihayami
Dance Ihayami is a Scottish based Indian dance company with its aesthetic roots in South Indian dance, in its classical and modern forms. The company explores the structure, vocabulary and meanings that arise from this medium of dance.
Dance Ihayami’s mission is to enrich the Scottish national repertoire of dance, and to create opportunities for artists from culturally diverse communities.
www.danceihayami.org.ukGlasgow Hellenic
The Hellenic Dancers are a traditional Greek arts performance group, based in Glasgow. Their aim as a group is to continue building on a large repertoire of traditional dances, and to pass them on faithfully to new generations of dancers, in order to ensure that the Greek diaspora stays in touch with its cultural roots, and that Hellenic arts are preserved for others to enjoy.
After the huge popularity of the Glasgow Hellenic Dancers at ArtsEkta’s Holi Festival, we are proud to welcome back to entertain you at the Belfast Mela!
www.glasgowhellenic.comThe Kala Chethena Kathakali Company
Kathakali is an extraordinary combination of Drama, Dance, Music, Poetry, Costume, Makeup and ritual where each unique element merges to create total theatre. It is not simply a dance-drama but an act of devotion featuring the universal struggle between good and evil.
The KC Kathakali Company have toured worldwide delivering stunning performances of this intricate and ancient Indian art form. This is certaintly an act you will not want to miss!
www.kathakali.net band stand
