Musicport 2008 notches up a gear as they publish their list of forthcoming events in the run up to this October’s festival.
The first event on 17th May, was a runaway success with Belinda O’Hooley, who by all accounts turned in a stunning set supporting Jim Moray.
Acts confirmed so far, for the festival, which takes place at the Spa in Bridlington on October 17/18/19th include: Toumani Diabate, The Levellers, Rolf Harris, Ska Cubano, Etran Finatawa, Ivo Papasov, Billy Cobham and Asere, Reem Kelani , Moussu T et Lei Jovents, Warsaw Village Band, Bob Brozman, Carmen Souza, Lani Singers from West Papua, The Young Coppers, Zoe Rahman Project, Papa Noël & Adan Pedorosa, Martin Simpson, The Outernationalists with more in the pipeline.
Momentum, for the three day festival in October will continue to build with further events throughout the summer, which will include concerts from Martin Stephenson, Albert Nyathi & Imbongi and Chumbawamba at Whitby’s Coliseum. Music and ale trains will also be running every Friday evening from 18th July – 6th September where you can travel from Whitby to Middlesborough and back, accompanied by the best in local music talent and fine ales.
Now in its ninth year, Musicport is enjoying a reputation as the best indoor World Music festival in England if not the world, it has quickly outgrown its much loved home on the Whitby seafront. Whilst it is now known by its new trimmed back name Musicport, in preparation for the new festival venue at Bridlington Spa, the main administrative centre and the heart of the festival will still be in Whitby.
The Spa in Bridlington has been the beneficiary of a £19.4million makeover and offers some fine sea views and promises to be a great new home for the festival. To be the first to experience the new venue, make your way over to the official launch night party for Musicport World Music Festival on the 4th July where Leeds based South East Asian outfit Samay, will be supporting TransglobalUnderground. It will be a great night no doubt.
To keep up to date and for further details and ticket information for the main festival or any of the other events in the run up, go to the website: www.musicportfestival.com and register for news updates.
Author: Jill Turner
Jill Turner contributes to Songlines Magazine, World Music Central and is on the fRoots critics albums of the year panel. Her radio show GondwanaSound broadcasts on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM to the fourth largest city in the UK and is carried on both Radio Groovalizacion and African Internet Radio.
