ETHIOPIAN SWING, Arb rock, Balkan funk and Far East electronica will be among the highlights of the Festival of World Cultures taking place in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, later this month.
A Japanese Geisha showcase, "mesmerising" 3D pavement aqrt and a Carnival of Colour Parade will also light up the south Dublin seafront during the festival, which runs from August 22nd to 24th.
An audience in excess of 250,000 is expected to congregate in Dún Laoghaire for the event, which features artists from 60 countries performing in 40 venues across the town.
Since its inception eight years ago, the popularity of the festival has grown steadily, and Jane Davy, the festival programme manager, believes the event is a good means of recognising the diversity of modern Ireland.
"Many new communities have developed in Ireland over the last 10 or 12 years and this is a great way of celebrating the culture they have brought through music, art and performance," she said.
Some 70 per cent of the events scheduled for the three-day festival are free of charge and the headline show, on the giant outdoor stage at Newtownsmith Green, will feature African reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly.
Opening the weekend in the Pavilion Theatre will be the highly anticipated Irish debut of Éthiopiques, an African swing collective featuring Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatqé and The Either/Orchestra.
Acclaimed Chinese electronica artist Sa Dingding, Tibetan singer Yungchen Lhamo and funk acts the Balkan Beat Box and Seu Jorge are among the standouts.
The Royal Marine Hotel will host a range of cultural workshops, with courses in Inca mask making, basket making and Moorish mosaics on offer. The line-up is available at www.festivalofworldcultures.com. Tickets may be booked at 01-8721122.
