June 14 - The Second Gibraltar World Music Festival – ‘Passage to Asia’
Get ready for a magical experience with the Gibraltar World Music Festival’s second edition next week. The Managing Director of the Gibraltar Productions, Fatosh Samuray describes the event as “Almost Aladdin like!” She continues: “Expect to take a trip on a metaphorical magic carpet over Asia Minor, observing its music and culture in the most delightful way!”
Exceptional musicians and artists from Greece, Turkey, Israel, Palestine and Iran are making their way to Gibraltar, although not on a magic carpet (just an ordinary plane!) to perform and experience Gibraltar for the first time at St Michael’s Cave on the 19th and 20th of June.
For the first and only time in history Gibraltar will become part of the famed silk route with its smells of spices and perfumes.
The manager of the festival Line Lapshevska tells us that GWMF’s aim is to “unite cultures, religions and colours of the world and to bring a little rainbow and harmony to our lives, leaving behind the troubled history and conflicts of religion, via a love of music.”
Following the success of the last event and this year, the Festival has received support from the Gibraltar Government and from the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo directly.
The festival line up is as follows:
19th June (20:00)
On the 19th of June, the first night of the Festival will welcome En Chordais (www.enchordais.gr) from Thessaloniki, Greece. They will portray the soul of immigration between Turkey and Greece over the last century. Having collaborated occasionally with virtuosi from all over the world, the ensemble presents a multimedia mosaic dating from the thirteenth century to today. The result is a timeless dialogue between different cultures and eras.
The main show of the night will be The Sweet Canary Ensemble (www.mysweetcanary.com) and is a tribute to Roza Eskenazi, the Turkish/Greek singer who sublimed the Rebetiko style music from the thirties to the seventies. Three Divas – one Turkish, one Israeli and one Greek – will perform together on stage with their 12 musicians in a celebration of colours and languages.
20th June (20:00)
The second night will start with the Mark Eliyahu Ensemble. Mark was born in Dagastan, migrated with his family to Israel and spent years learning how to play the Kamencheh, the Persian “violin”, in Azerbaijan. He is considered an international master of this instrument and with his enchanting, magical, desert-like compositions and sounds he has captured the hearts of many around the globe. Especially for Gibraltar, he has invited Amir Shahsar, the Iranian master of the Ney Flute and clarinet to join him and to create a unique meeting of the two cultures.
As the main act of this second night we welcome the famous Yasmin Levy, the most important Sephardic Diva nowadays, performing with more than 28 musicians from the Mediterranean Andalusian Orchestra Ashkelon. The orchestra, consisting of Israeli and Palestinian musicians is the leading cultural institution in Israel within the field of world music. In this concert, Yasmin and the orchestra present rich oriental and Mediterranean arrangements for Ladino, Turkish and Liturgical Jewish Music – combining it with classics from the Arab world and the Maghreb. Arranged and conducted by Tom Cohen who also is the Artistic Director of GWMF.
In collaboration with Instituto Cervantes Gibraltar, the Festival will offer on the 18th (19:00) the showing of the documentary ‘My Sweet Canary’, which follows the steps of the first and most famous Greek singer of Rebetiko, Roza Eskenazi. The director Roy Sher recreates the Bohemian world of the bars and dance halls of the 30s and today, in Istanbul, Athens and Salonika.
Passage to Asia is a unique World Music programme, under the patronage of the Chief Minister, and its existence would not be possible without the involvement of the Gibraltar Government, Hyperion Group of Companies, Blands Group, SG Hambros, Hassans, Aicha, Instituto Cervantes Gibraltar, Schimmel Family and Margaux Philanthropy.
Ticket information
• Full ticket price for the first day £25.00; for students and senior citizens £15.00. Ticket price for the second day £25.00; for students and senior citizens £15.00.
• Full ticket price for ALL events for both days £40.00; for students and senior citizens £30.00
• All tickets include a return shuttle service to St Michael’s Cave from Public Market and Elliot’s Way at 19.00 hours. Please show your ticket to the driver.
• Tickets are available at the Gibraltar Productions office 92 Irish Town. More details available by phoning 00350 200 68899
• For online purchase: http://www.blandstravel.com/events/gibraltar-world-music-festival.asp
• For further information please check www.gibraltarproductions.com
