Asian Urban

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Zee London Mela celebrates it’s 15th Anniversary on Sun 3rd September at Gunnersbury Park!

Just a couple of days to go for The 15th London Mela – A heady combination of musical acts and it’s FREE!

On Sunday 03 September 2017 the Zee London Mela will celebrate Asian culture and showcase a combination of legends, international artists, national treasures, local talent, comedy, cabaret, Bollywood and a few guilty pleasures – to celebrate its 15th Anniversary.  This cornucopia of delights will be returning to the glorious grounds of Gunnersbury Park in West London where there will truly be something for everyone and it is FREE of charge. Think Asian Glastonbury…

This year’s theme is ‘Love’, a celebration of the positive force that makes the world go round and brings all communities together. The Zee London Mela will be a timely symbol of our wonderfully diverse city that is strong and united, in the current divisive times. It celebrates a rainbow of cultures and traditions at a time when this is under threat. It is a wonderful reminder that above all, love always wins.

The Zee London Mela is one big melting pot of a party celebrating through music, dance, food and culture, the traditions of the huge number of diverse communities who live as one in this dynamic city.

The Zee London Mela has the best in British Asian urban artists, Asian artists, dance, Bollywood, classical music, comedy and cabaret, Asian-influenced street theatre and circus across four major stages. This year’s ZEE Main Stage, in association with Sunrise Radio, features special exclusive performances from India’s Queen of Hip Hop, Hard Kaur flying in from Mumbai especially and from the streets of Amritsar, the Bhangra pop maestros Desi Crew will make a special one-off appearance. They are joined by the biggest selling female Bhangra artist in the world, Miss Pooja and after blowing away the crowds last year India’s first SKA bandthe funky 8 piece, The Ska Vengers return.

The BBC Asian Network Stage has a delightful line up heavy with Bhangra beats and cutting-edge new Asian music. Producer Swifty Beats will open with a mash up of tunes to get the dance moves flowing, joined later by MOBO Award, and UK Asian Music Award nominated Punjabi Hit Squad, creators and pioneers of the now world famous Desi Beats sound, who have been present at the forefront of the Urban Asian Music Scene since their formation. World renowned  Bhangra remixer,  DJ Frenzy will fill the stage with his playful sound as the day turns to night.

Mercury Music Prize winner Talvin Singh, OBE, has been commissioned to curate the Anokha stage recreating the legendary club night of the same name that he and Sweety Kapoor started at the Blue Note club in Hoxton Square 20 years ago. The stage will emulate his DJ residency in New York that spanned two decades  and will celebrate the ground-breaking Anokha Soundz of the Asian Underground album born out of this night.

In keeping with the Asian Underground retrospective, DJ Rekha is jetting in from New York following her Central Park 20th anniversary Basement Bhangra show, she’ll warm up for British Asian underground legends Asian Dub Foundation, who close the ZEE Main Stage, before a spectacular finale show involving a crane and 9 crazy French clowns dangling from it, the Mobille Homme from Transe Express, collaborating with The Dhol Academy from East London. 

And it’s not just compelling music, taste buds can be tickled at The Taste of Asia too, with the biggest South Asian food market this side of New Delhi, and shopping galore at the Mela Bazaar with international market stalls, and a gigantic fun fair and a firework finale all thrown in. There’s even Magic Mela, an oasis of fun and exploration dedicated to children celebrating creativity and play. Emergency Exit Arts will be on hand to help us get adventurous with giant Rangoli floor patterns and puppet stories. Mela-goers will even get the chance to be part of the London premiere of Zamana (Urdu for Time), which creates the illusion of flying beneath a giant helium balloon, proving that the Zee London Mela really is for everyone.

If you miss Gunnersbury Park then the London Mela will be presenting Croydon International Mela at Wandle Park for the first time on 30 September and Festival of Fire and Light @ Wembley Park on the last weekend in October.

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: This wonderful family event showcases the fantastic diversity of Asian arts and culture in the capital, and invites Londoners from all backgrounds to come together and get involved. Over the last 15 years the Mela really has gone from strength to strength, with fantastic street theatre, dancing and delicious Asian cuisine. It’s events like this, taking place in all corners of the city that remind us that London Is Open, for all of our communities and to the world.”

Ajay Chhabra, Artistic Director said: “We are inviting all Londoners to this years ZEE London Mela, to celebrate the diversity of our great city. What London needs right now is a coming together, a sense of joy of cultures and communities and this is an open invite to you all. This year is a special one, its our 15th anniversary and we are returning to our home, Gunnersbury Park in West London with our best line up yet. From international artists to showcasing local talent, the Mela brings us all together.  This years theme is ‘Love’, love will conquer hate.’

Julian Rudd, Creative Producer, said: “It’s fantastic to be working with The Mayor of London and ZEE TV to bring the London Mela home to Gunnersbury Park as a free event once again. An extraordinary artistic programme featuring the very best of South Asian music, arts and family entertainment is awaiting audiences of all ages. The Tastes of Asia Food Market and the extraordinary finale show are just some of the many delights the ZEE London Mela will cook up for you this year.“

Parul Goel, ZEE Europe’s Deputy CEO & CFO said: “We are honoured to sponsor ZEE London Mela again this year after last year’s huge success. ZEE London Mela brings people of all diversities and ethnicities together which gels with ZEE’s philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkham which means ‘The World is my Family.’ Our endeavour is to engage and inspire the youth, society and the nation imbibing this philosophy. ZEE London Mela brings you the latest talent from the entertainment space across industries yet another year triying to bring happiness and smiles to its audience across the great city of London.“ 

 

Information for Listings

Zee London Mela 2017

When: 03 September 2017

Time: 1pm-9.30pm

Where: Gunnersbury Park, London, W3 8LQ

Who: Hard Kaur, Desi Crew, Miss Pooja, The Ska VengersTalvin SinghDJ Rekha, Asian Dub Foundation

What: Family-friendly festival, end of the summer hotspot for catching great music, great food,

How much: Free

How to get there:

·  Acton Town Tube Station (Piccadilly and District lines) Turn left when you leave the station and walk for about 10 minutes, crossing the A406

·  South Ealing Tube Station (Piccadilly line) 

·  Brentford Rail Station (South West Trains)

#LONDONMELA2017 follow for regular updates

Facebook: /thelondonmela

Twitter: @thelondonmela

Instagram: @thelondonmela

ZEE London Mela is a not-for-profit multi artform festival inspired by the culture and creativity of London’s Asian communities that features British Asian and international artists featuring urban, classical and Bollywood music styles as well as dance, cabaret, circuses, street theatre, food and artistic exhibitions.

ZEE London Mela is sponsored by ZEE TV. The event is supported by the Mayor of London, Arts Council England and Ealing Council.

Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘to meet’, which is used to describe all sorts of community celebrations and festivals in the Asian subcontinent.

  

The London Mela presents programme sees the London Mela go on the road. First stop on the tour is he beautiful environs of Wandle Park, in Croydon on 30 September. Croydon has a vibrant South Asian community with a rich history of Mela. Croydon International Mela, is a new event that draws on that history. The programme will feature international artists, spectacular music and dance programmes and a celebration of South Asian Food.

 

London Mela presents Festival of Fire and Light @ Wembley Park on 28 October is inspired by two different traditions – a very British celebration, Guy Forks Night, and a South Asian one, Divali, the Festival of Lights. The Festival of Fire and Light brings the two traditions together in a new one day festival, that features the Tastes of Asia Food Market, lantern and carnival processions as well as street theatre and music. The festival will also features the awesome Mobille Homme by Transe Express, collaborating with the Dhol Academy with a spectacular firework finale.

 

ZEE TV

After its launch in India in 1992, ZEE TV came to the UK in March 1995 to meet the entertainment demands of the South Asian community. Today, twenty years on, it continues to serve the South Asian diaspora with its multi-genre programmes ranging from dramas, history, reality, films, news, cookery and exclusive local programming that educate, inspire, and entertain audiences in the UK and Europe. ZEE TV has created a strong brand equity and is the largest media franchise serving the South Asian Diaspora. Over the years, ZEE TV has given its viewers some of the most loved shows on South Asian television and there is no doubt that it will continue doing so in the future.

www.zeetv.co.uk    @zeetvuk

Nutkhut

Nutkhut is a London-based performing arts company led by co-Artistic Directors Ajay Chhabra and Simmy Gupta. Nutkhut produces high quality cross-disciplinary work for site-specific contexts, with a particular focus on creating commissioned work for the outdoor sector and tours regularly to festivals, melas and special events. Nutkhut brings to life awe-inspiring stories of the British South-Asian experience, through joyous and playful world-class performances and installations.

www.nutkhut.co.uk    @nutkhutuk

 

Remarkable Productions

Remarkable Productions produces extraordinary arts events and festivals. With experience that ranges from working directly with artists as creative producers, to full festival programming and production, through to advising as consultants, Remarkable Productions delight in the unusual and innovative.

www.remarkableproductions.org     @RemarkableProds