The Manifestivus world music festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year in Cabot, Vermont, not far from the Canadian border. The festival takes place August 17th & 18th.
Manifestivus, hosted by afrobeat band Toubab Krewe, is described as a “local festival with a global vibe.” It will feature an eclectic lineup of international musicians in a Vermont country setting. The festival will feature headlining sets by Toubab Krewe each night. Toubab Krewe bassist and Cabot native David Pransky founded Manifestivus in 2002.
Performers at this year’s Manifestivus include Jamaican reggae artists Rootz Underground, Congolese soukous musician Diblo Dibala (who is also known as “Machine Gun” for his speed and skill on the guitar), vocalist Awa Sangho from Mali, Brooklyn Afrobeat collective Zongo Junction, Toubab Krewe (Asheville, North Carolina), Elastic Bond (Miami, Florida), Barika (Burlington, Vermont), Fear Nuttin Band (Springfield, Massachusetts), Ila Mawana (Boston, Massachusetts), Voodoo Fix (Los Angeles, California), Benyoro (New York), Kat Wright and the Indomidable Soul Band (Burlington, Vermont), and Afinque (Burlington, Vermont). More artists will be announced soon.
The event takes place on the 93-acre Pransky family farm in a town just shy of 250 residents. Just six hours north of New York City, and three hours from Boston or Montreal, the site boasts hiking trails, swimming ponds and woodland forest. Manifestivus offers on-site camping, yoga, West African dancing and drumming, community art projects and local crafts, healthy living seminars, workshops, costume theme nights, various culinary vendors, and cross-cultural immersion.
Within Manifestivus is the Mini-festivus catering to the 200+ children that attend the festival each year. The family friendly environment introduces younger generations to music and different cultures from all around the world. The Mini-festivus features arts and crafts, puppets, storytelling, a bouncy house, an instrument-making workshop, roaming performers and of course live music performances. Kids 13 and younger are free when accompanied by a paid adult.
Advanced price tickets go on sale today at noon ET. General admission advanced price two-day passes are $55. Tickets will then move to the regular price of $65 on June 15th and will at priced at $80 at the gate. Manifestivus will donate a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales to Toubab Krewe’s School House Krewe Project, which is raising funds for the construction of a music school in Bamako, Mali. instruments4africa.org
For information on Manifestivus, visit manifestivus.com
Tickets available at: manifestivus.frontgatetickets.com
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
