Mela on way back for tenth free event (From Hampshire Chronicle)
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Mela on way back for tenth free event
11:38am Tuesday 12th June 2012 in Leisure
By Lorelei Reddin, Entertainments Editor
A scene from last year's Mela
Southampton’S Hoglands Park will be a dazzling display of colour, music and people once again on Saturday, July 7 as Art Asia hosts the city’s tenth annual Mela Festival.
The event is a free festival full of an assortment of musical styles, exhilarating dance acts and family fun activities celebrating South Asian culture.
More than 17,000 people attended last year’s festival, and organisers Art Asia say that, as long as Southampton is sunny, they expect more than 20,000 will experience Southampton’s biggest free festival this time around.
Artists will be announced nearer the time but will include leading musicians and dancers in Indian classical, Bollywood, folk, world music, qawwali, Asian fusion and bhangra. As well as the main stage, there will be workshops and demonstrations including arts and crafts, belly dancing, martial arts and drumming.
Stalls will be selling an assortment of goods, including clothing, gifts and beauty treatments such as henna and threading. The food court and bar will offer a range of tasty dishes and drinks from around the world.
Art Asia’s chief executive and festival programmer, Vinod Desai MBE, said: “Over the years it’s grown in size and visitor numbers but the friendly atmosphere remains the same.
The Mela is a great opportunity for all the community to come along and take part.”
The festival runs from midday to 9pm.
