stueust 8—14 Aug 1997
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Salsa Celtica
As their name suggests, Salsa Celtica blend Latin rhythms, Scottish influences and a true party spirit to create a tae-tappin’ hip- wigglin’ rumba rumpus. No Festival would be complete without at least one performance by the Edinburgh-based, Scottish/English/Chilean collective. This year they're doing a range of gigs, kicking off with a launch night for their debut album, Monstuos Y Demonios/Ange/s And Lovers. Like most of their Edinburgh dates, it’s at Graffiti — swingin’ home to the jazz/hip hop club Lizzard Lounge; but Salsa Celtica also have dates lined up in Glasgow and Leeds. They also visit Tblisi in October, for the Georgian International Festival. Catch them while they're close to home!
Salsa Celtica play Graffiti (Venue 90) 557 8330, 8, 9, 75, 23 & 30 Aug They also appear at Club Latino (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428, 30 Aug, midnight, £5 (£4), and as part of Cuba Libra, The Palladium (Venue 26) 557 2700, 37 Aug, 70pm, £70 (£8). The Glasgow dates are Glasgow Fling, George Square, 25 Aug, 72. 75pm, and Pure Glasgow, the STUC centenary party in the Merchant City 37 Aug. The album is out now on Eclectic Records.
Bangarra Dance Theatre
Fish, the Aboriginal dance extravaganza swimming its way towards the Festival is about to bring a new meaning to the words Page Three. Fast becoming Australia’s answer .to Riverdance (minus the tacky trimmings), Bangarra Dance Theatre is spearheaded by three brothers — choreographer/artistic director Stephen Page, dancer Russell Page and composer David Page — who hail from the Munaldjali Clan of Queensland’s Yugambeh Tribe. Fish, which has its world premiere in Edinburgh, is the latest from the Page Three and their Bangarra colleagues. As the name suggests, its theme is a piscine one, celebrating the life-giving force of water and all who swim in it through a fusion of traditional Aboriginal and modern dance forms. Apart from looking darn good, it aims to tell the story of urban Aboriginal and Islander people — without selling their souls to the box office. Catch it now before it slips away. (Ellie Carr)
Fish (International Festi'val) Bangarra Dance Theatre, King’s Theatre, 473 2000, 72—74 Aug 7.30pm, mat 74 Aug 2.30pm, f5—f22.
Graham Norton
If the name is not yet a tongue-tripper, the endearineg cheeky phizog will be familiar to anyone who’s seen a few episodes of Father Ted. For Graham Norton is none other than Father Noel Furlong — ’The Riverdance Priest’, that camper-than-a-van and dangerously enthusiastic party-time padre. Seldom off the television, Norton has appeared on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Bring Me The Head Of Light Entertainment, and just about everything on Channel Five. No Wildlife programmes so far, but it’s only a matter of time. ’I like nature if there’s plenty of gore,‘ he says. ’The Discovery Channel is fantastic. So American. Give the wolf a gun!’ Not that our genial comic will be frightening audiences. ’lt’Il be the same dreary old camp nonsense,’ he promises. ’I was going to show pornographic films but I can’t be bothered, so I'll just be handing out magazines.’ (Rodger Evans)
Graham Norton (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428, 8—30 Aug (not 72 or 26 Aug) 7 7pm, USO/£8.50 (£6.50/£7.50).