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New moves Dance takes centre stage at the Edinburgh Mela Words: Anna Millar
T hose familiar with the August festival scene would probably agree that the Edinburgh Mela has occasionally struggled for attention, too often carelessly overlooked for some of the bigger kids in the playground. Not so this year, with a new director and diverse programme suggesting it’s the quiet(er) ones you have to watch.
Dance is very much to the fore, with highlights including House, a collaboration between Scottish- based dancer/performer Adura Onashile and Scottish arts group Bright Night International, as well as some hotly anticipated break-dancing from Rock-a-bye B-Boy. Music is still well-represented with British Bengali
virtuoso Soumik Datta, as well as Salim Sabri and the Mugyenko Taiko Drummers; elsewhere, Brooklyn based funkster drumming group, Red Baraat, also make an appearance. Other must-sees include political firecrackers Northern Exposures, as well as a farewell gig from mighty producer, musician and DJ Joseph Malik. As if that weren’t enough, the all-new festival begins with a special free evening show – and outdoor dance, puppetry and fireworks spectacle – courtesy of Manchester’s Walk the Plank. You should be there. We will be. Edinburgh Mela, Leith Links, Fri 31 Aug–Sun 2 Sep, edinburgh-mela.co.uk
LIST.CO.UK Visit us daily for arts & entertainment news 5 Things . . . T ANTHEMS T ANTHEMS Five tracks to lose your shit to at T in the Park
1 The Stone Roses –
‘Elephant Stone’ Reni may have left the band by T time,
but if not, this drum intro will be killer.
2 Major Lazer – ‘Pon De Floor’
Prepare yourself for some vulgar and enthusiastic
‘daggering’ (see instructional video at bit.ly/lazerdag).
3 Nicki Minaj – ‘Super Bass’
The verses are a bit fast-paced for a mass singalong, but
we’re sure everyone can manage the ‘boom ba-boomboom’ chorus.
4 The Horrors – ‘Sheena is
a Parasite’ One minute, 42 seconds of thrashy trashy
punk perfection with a sweet Hammond groove.
5 New Order – ‘Blue Monday’
If we can get the whole crowd synchronised on the
handclaps, it’ll be epic. c. NewsExtra a
CATS WINNERS S REVEALED ■ The great of Scotland’s theatre community were out in force for this year’s Critic’s Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) on Sun 10 Jun. Graham McLaren’s show, A Christmas Carol won Best Production and Best Ensemble, while Kieran Hurley’s BEATS (pictured) scooped the award for Best New Play. Ann Louise Ross picked up Best Female Performance for her portrayal of Mill Lavarello in Further Than the Furthest Thing, while Stephen Clyde took the award for Best Male Performance for his role as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
21 Jun–19 Jul 2012 THE LIST 9
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