Southampton Mela (From Daily Echo)

Southampton Mela

2:53pm Friday 16th July 2010 in

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IT’S ONE of the city’s biggest free events and one of the south’s greatest cultural celebrations. The Southampton Mela returns for its eighth year of festival fun at Hoglands Park on Saturday.

After attracting more than 20,000 people in recent years, the festival has continued to grow with more acts performing, increased activities on site and numbers of visitors enjoying a variety of arts from South Asia and around the world.

This year, the artist line-up includes one of the world’s greatest Qawwali groups from Pakistan, Rajasthani Folk music, Bollywood and Bhagra plus an array of world music and dance from African Drumming to flamenco.

Also on site there are fun taster workshops for children and adults. Stalls line the park selling a range of goodies including henna and threading. There are two other stages show-casing local talent and the food court is always popular, selling tasty food from around the world.

Art Asia chief executive and the Mela’s artistic director said: “The Southampton Mela Festival is a great family day out, there is a friendly, warm atmosphere with local, national and international artists. It’s a free event for the whole of Southampton and surrounding area to come and enjoy.”

The first Mela was held in 2003 when up to 8,000 people from around the south descended upon Hoglands Park to enjoy performances from top Indian classical and Asian fusion musicians, DJs and leading Bollywood and Bhangra artists.

l The Southampton Mela Festival opens at noon and finishes at 9pm. For more details visit artasia.org.uk/ southampton-mela-festival