Final preparations are well under way for Musicport Festival 2014

Final preparations are well under way for this years award winning Musicport Festival, which will see over 50 acts perform across 5 stages from all around the world in the beautiful North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby.

With new performers announced including top comedian Mitch Benn, Banco de Gaia (who has been consistently redefining world electronica for over 25 years), Yaaba Funk and many more to read about here - http://www.musicportfestival.com/festival-info/2014.html

 

Musicport Festival – October 17th-19th 2014, Whitby Pavilion, North Yorkshire

 

www.musicportfestival.com

 

With only 6 weeks to go, final preparations are well underway for Musicport 2014 - the indoor festival that brings an eclectic mix of international, regional and local acts to the Yorkshire coast.

On 6 stages under one roof the 60 plus acts on offer range from the legendary Arthur Brown (returning to the town of his birth) &  veteran DJ  Andy Kershaw through to exclusive UK appearances by  the brilliant French band, Lo’Jo and  the Tunisian brothers Amine & Hamza. Scots indie rockers IDLEWILD make a much heralded return to live performance in a stripped back acoustic show.  From the opening event with Edinburgh’s remarkable and noisy Beastie Drummers through to the closing act the chart-busting Banco de Gaia  Musicport takes audiences on a journey through a world of musical experience ranging from  the  original Bhundu Boy Rise Kagona from Zimbabwe, through to Peter Gabriel’s Chinese flute player Guo Yue and his bandfrom Turkish singer Olcay Bayir via the totally upbeat klezmer Tantz band from Leeds, the stunning, award-winning Senegalese/Welsh duo Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita through to  the exciting  young 16-piece Varldens Band from Sweden who prove that musicians from very different cultural backgrounds can create music that crosses musical and ethnic divides.

 

Others highlights will include:

The much-vaunted young Sudanese singer Amira Kheir and UK/Nigerian Afro-beat combo Yaaba Funk

Robyn Hitchcock the uniquely English and eccentric former frontman of The Soft Boys with new album just released.

MOBO winning jazz pianist Zoe Rahman performing with Jesse Bannister’s Play Out

Brilliant young harmonica player Will Pound with his duo Haddo.

Top young Polish Band Mozaik on their short UK tour.

Mercury prize nominee & national treasure Kathryn Williams, who received a standing ovation at this years WOMAD festival.

The Tashi Lhunpo Monks fresh from their appearance at Loxfest on Radio 4’s The Archers.

Some Like It Ossett who are heading for the coast to head a mass ukulele jam (songbook on Musicport website)

Award-winning folk acts Lucy Ward Band and  O’Hooley & Tidow.

Meet The Author session with The Fall’s Steve Hanley and broadcaster & writer Ian Clayton

Boss UK Loop Champion Suzi Condrad

Spoken word with Attila The Stockbroker , Firm Of Poets, Michelle Scally Clarke & Whitby’s own  brilliant  but unknown Chris Whitehead

Musical comedy from Radio 4 favourite Mitch Benn and one of the final chances to see live the brilliant winners of Edinburgh Fringe award The New Rope String Band

 

The worlds smallest solar cinema Sol Caravan Cinema will be an added feature of this years event showing short films to a capacity audience of 8 with usherettes and free popcorn to boot as well as full film showings in the theatre. One of the newest additions are the interactive Theramin Bollards with  the reggae Dub Barn Collective who were recently a great  success at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

With live projections from Fabric Lenny and decor from York based collective Cloudbase  and Glaisdales Drawn by Badgers, the DJ café  overlooking the North Sea will keep a non-stop great ambience throughout the weekend led by Scarborough’s  Mr Tooley & Welsh DJ  DJ fflyffilyfbybl and with lots of contributing DJs.

 

With food demonstrations by several artists including Gue Yue on  the new Galley Stage, hosted by one of the stars of Africa Express Mim Suleiman,  along with the venue itself and numerous outdoor  food vans delivering international cuisine, gastronomic needs are also well looked after.

 

A free access intimate acoustic venue at La Rosa Hotel just across from the main venue, Howling Matt, Chrystine Moon as well as main stage acts such as Scotlands Bevvy Sisters, who featured in a recent BBC Best Of The Festival show in Edinburgh.

 

Another new feature of the festival this year is indoor camping at Brunswick Centre, providing a welcome and cost-effective option alternative at what could be a chilly time of year for the outdoor alternatives. And there is an optional sea swim being organised for Sunday morning!

 

With workshops including Taiko drumming, African Singing, Tai Chi, Bulgarian singing, Spoons, a drum circle & storytelling  as well as Meet The Artists, it is also a weekend that gives you the oportunity to learn, and for those who want to contribute, there is a very popular open mic stage.

 

Lots of workshops in local schools will happen in the run up to the festival with popular Yorkshire based acts The Hut People & Maia both working with groups of students and performing alongside them at the festival.

 

Run by a very small team of mainly volunteers the festival is in it’s 15th year and is recognised as one of the country’s leading festivals of international music. Musicport is very active in the local community running Music Tots, regular open mics, house concerts and one off events as well as a dedicated music instrument shop and has just received funding from Arts Council England to further develop its work.

 

Ticket link - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/musicport-festival-2014-tickets-10989187957 or ring 01947 603475

The full line-up so far can be found at http://www.musicportfestival.com/festival-info/2014.html

 

For more info, images and interviews please contact

Denise@manillapr.com Tel: 01642 442050 Manilla PR Ltd

Organiser for tickets info - Jim McLaughlin jim@musicportfestival.com

Notes to Editors

Images and interviews are available if you can feature this news please.

September 8, 2014 9:43am ET by Manilla PR Ltd.   Comments (0)

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