iFEST ANNOUNCES 2010 MUSIC LINEUP
SPOTLIGHTING THE CARIBBEAN
GEORGE CLINTON, EDDIE PALMIERI, STEEL PULSE, OZOMATLI, JOE ELY, BAABA MAAL, MIGHTY DIAMONDS, MARCIA BALL, TAB BENOIT, DAVE ALVIN, REBIRTH BRASS BAND, EASY STAR ALL STARS, BACHATA ROJA LEGENDS, LA EXCELENCIA, OYU ORO AFRO-CUBAN DANCERS, J. PAUL JR., NATHAN & THE ZYDECO CHA CHAS, LIL’ BRIAN TERRY, BASSEKOU KOUYATE, TAJ WEEKES, LOS DE ABAJO, JANIVA MAGNESS, BRAVE COMBO, ZYDEPUNKS, N.O. HUSTLERS BRASS BAND, TRUTH UNIVERSAL, LATINOLOGY, SARA HICKMAN, NED SUBLETTE, SISTERS MORALES, GRUPO KACHE, MI RUMBA, KARINA NISTAL, LOS SKARNALES, TEKUMBE, TEXAS JOHNNY BROWN, MARK MAY, NORMA ZENTENO, MARK TOWNS, SIDESHOW TRAMPS, WILD MOCCASINS, ROBERT ELLIS, THE SUSPECTS, IDIGINIS, HSPVA JAZZ ALL STARS, CARNIVAL PARADES, MOCKO JUMBIE STILT DANCERS, CARIBBEAN DANCE PARTIES, AND MUCH MUCH MORE!
HOUSTON – The 2010 Houston International Festival is proud to announce the music lineup showcasing a host of top artists from around the globe. The 40th annual Festival returns to downtown Houston April 17-18 and 24-25, featuring continuous music, dance and cultural performances on eight stages. Each year, iFest puts the best of world music next to the finest national and regional roots music to demonstrate how music and dance can communicate across cultural and linguistic barriers. This year’s lineup, honoring the Caribbean, ranks with the best we have ever done.
Headlining the Bud Light World Music Stage in Lower Sam Houston Park are Latin ska/rock/hip-hop party boys Ozomatli, April 17; Latin jazz and salsa piano giant Eddie Palmieri, April 18; P-Funk mastermind George Clinton in a back-by-popular-demand performance, April 24; and all-time reggae greats Steel Pulse, April 25. Other renowned international acts include Emman LeGrand, Senegal’s Baaba Maal, Jamaica’s Mighty Diamonds, Mali’s rising Afropop star Bassekou Kouyate, and Mexico’s Latin ska sensation Los de Abajo. They are joined Texas’ own roots-rock icon Joe Ely and his band featuring guitarist David Grissom, top-selling reggae band Easy Star All Stars (Dub Side of the Moon), New York’s hottest new salsa band La Excelencia and, from the island of St. Lucia, respected roots-reggae crooner Taj Weekes.
Caribbean music and dance will be showcased on Center Stage, built over the Reflection Pool in front of Houston’s City Hall. Headliners include the Bachata Roja Legends, often referred to as “the Buena Vista Social Club of the Dominican Republic” and featuring legendary bachata singer Puerto Plata, April 17 and 18; La Excelencia, known for its hard-driving salsa dura (pure salsa) approach, April 24; and the Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Dance Ensemble, from New York, featuring the legendary Cuban dancer La Mora April 24 and 25. Each day will begin with a Carnival parade featuring the Mocko Jumbie stilt dancers. These will be followed by a full day of performances by Houston’s top salsa, merengue, reggae and soca dance troupes and local bands, as well as Caribbean dance parties in which everyone will be invited onstage to the dance to music provided by several of Houston’s most popular Caribbean club deejays.
The Louisiana Stage in Tranquility Park will again feature a distinctive Gulf Coast musical gumbo of blues, zydeco, funk and jazz, with just a bit of Texas rock and country thrown in to the mix. Austin’s blues and boogie piano queen Marcia Ball will appear on both April 17 and 18. Other headliners include Louisiana blues guitarist Tab Benoit, April 18; roots-rockin’ Dave Alvin and his band The Guilty Women, April 24; and New Orleans’ irrepressible Rebirth Brass Band, April 25. Featured zydeco bands include J. Paul Jr. and the Zydeco Nubreeds, Lil’ Brian and the Zydeco Travelers, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas and Curtis Poullard and the Creole Zydeco Band. Soulful and sultry Janiva Magness, voted Female Blues Singer of the Year at the 2009 Memphis Blues Awards, is among the featured blues artists, along with local heroes Texas Johnny Brown, the Mark May Band featuring Miss Molly and Tony Vega. Finally, let’s not forget the Gulf Coast accordion-meets- worldbeat eclecticism of Brave Combo and Zydepunks, and the traditional jazz of the New Orleans Hustlers Brass Band.
The Chron.com Houston Stage, on the patio on the backside of City Hall, is a great place for festival-goers to take a seat in the shade and enjoy a cold beverage while listening to the sounds of Houston’s best rock, reggae, blues and country bands. Rockers include local critical favorites Sideshow Tramps and Wild Moccasins. The local reggae contingent consists of Irie Time, Shark Attack, the Suspects, DubTex and Idiginis. Country is represented by former Houstonians Sisters Morales, the Mitch Jacobs Band and Robert Ellis and the Boys, while Chris Bell (OK, he’s from California but he plays like a Texan) and Big Al Bettis uphold the Houston blues tradition, along with Mark May and Texas Johnny Brown, doing double-duty from the Louisiana Stage. New Orleans rapper Truth Universal adds an element of socially-conscious hip hop to the mix.
The Roomstore Latin Stage, located in Library Plaza, also features a strong lineup of local talent. But here it is oriented toward salsa, merengue, Latin rock, ska and hip-hop, vallenato and traditional mariachi. In the salsa and merengue camp, we have Rudy Rincon and Grupo Kache, Rainel Pino y Cecile, Mi Rumba, Norma Zenteno, Mark Towns Latin Jazz Band and Lourdes Jimenez. Latinology, featuring accordionist Joel Guzman and vocalist Sarah Fox, Los Skarnales, Karina Nistal, Los Pistoleros de Tejas and Sister Sister y los Misters represent various approaches to Latin rock. There are two Colombian vallenato bands, Tekumbe and Orgullo Vallenato, playing the accordion-based music of the interior of Colombia. The youth groups Mariachi Palmview and Mariachi MECA will start the schedule each day. It is worth noting that there will be an elevated dance floor near the stage in the Latin Zone.
In addition to the main music stages, three smaller stages focus on cultural programming and community involvement. The H-E-B Cultural Stage, located across from the Chevron Living Museum in Upper Sam Houston Park, will again host an entertaining as well as educational mix of local dance troupes, acoustic music and drumming, literary readings, cooking demonstrations and fashion shows reflecting this year’s theme honoring the Caribbean.
The Target International Kids Stage, located in the Target Kids Zone, features youth-oriented community dance groups and vocal groups as well as magic shows, clowns and acrobats. On April 25, Austin singer-songwriter and former Houstonian Sara Hickman will make a special headlining appearance performing material from her recent album, Big Kid. The Sister Cities Wine Bar Stage, located next to the iFest Wine Bar between Upper and Lower Sam Houston Park, offers a truly international range of music and dance representing the member cities of Houston’s Sister Cities Association.
The 2010 Houston International Festival takes place April 17-18 and April 24-25 in the streets, plazas and parks of downtown Houston. Hours are Noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, Noon to 8 p.m. Sundays. The festival will also host a free lunchtime reggae concert on Friday, April 16 following the official ribbon-cutting and opening day ceremonies at 11 a.m. on Center Stage.
Tickets are on sale at the festival website, www.ifest.org. Beginning March 1, tickets will also be available for purchase at H-E-B stores.
· $12.00 Special Advance Tickets
Available through April 12, (online – now/H-E-B – beginning March 1)
· $17.00 Regular Tickets
Available April 13 through end of Festival and at the Gate
· $3.00 Youth/Saturdays (three and under are free)
· FREE Target Kids Free on SUNDAYS (kids 12 and under)
· $80.00 Passport
· 4 iFest tickets
· 2-day parking pass
· iFest cap
· 2 drink coupons
· Buy 1 get 1 food coupon
· Members-only gate access
·$149.00 VIP Pass
· 4-day pass
· 4-day parking pass
· iFest gift bag
· 9 coupons for food/beverage
· Members-only gate access
· Behind the scenes iFest tour on first Saturday (12:30 p.m.)
· Commemorative iFest pass
· iFest VIP lounge
All proceeds benefit the Festival arts and education programs.
For more information on the 2010 Houston International Festival, call 713-654-8808 or access the Festival’s official website at www.ifest.org.
Rating: 5.00 / 5.00
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For additional information on this articles article, please contact:
Tracy Golden
(713) 722-9433
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