|
Welcome to the Festival 2009 website |
- Let mouse hover on pictures in gallery above to get more detail. Click on picture to go artist website
- For detail of this year's festival detail click here
- New comedy club for Whitby starts 4th July with a great line up - go to events diary for more detail
 
To see live footage of a recent Compass club gig with Laye Sowe (Senegal) click here
et mouse ho
Review: Musicport Festival - Yorkshire Post Published Date: 24 October 2008
By Jill Turner
This year, Musicport sealed its reputation as a major international festival, and can now be ranked alongside WOMAD in the UK for its ability to attract musicians from all over the world.
Under the directorship of Jim Mclaughlin, Musicport has grown in popularity, necessitating this year's move to the refurbished Spa in Bridlington.
There were films, stalls, a children's festival, workshops, DJs and more than 70 acts across four stages, which included an intimate Edwardian-style theatre where Curtis Eller was the surprise hit, and the central ballroom area, with its large stage, just perfect for Friday night's headliners The Levellers.
Described as one of the most important musicians in Africa, Toumani Diabate can trace his musical roots back to the 12th century. His musicians included Malian national treasure Kasse Mady, who sang with him on a stage where earlier that day the Lani Singers, from West Papua had proudly shared their freedom songs, Etran Finitawa from Niger cooked up some extraordinary hypnotic rhythms with Bridlington school students, and Reem Kelani and Liana premiered a specially commissioned project, From Palestine to Portugal , dedicated to Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
This was just the tip of a fantastically diverse iceberg, which included folk from the Young Coppers and Martin Simpson, Mazovian transminimal roots music from the Warsaw Village Band, Bengali-inspired jazz from Zoe and Idris Rahman, plus some of the best Yorkshire musicians, Mambo Jambo, The Hut People, Belinda O'Hooley, The Alley Cats, Bad Panda, Nahro Zagros, Robert Maseko, The Light Garden and Skavolution.
It's onward and upward for Musicport '09, scheduled for October 23-25.
|
|
Welcome to our June 2009 newsletter
Latest Festival Details ~ Forthcoming Compass Club gigs
Our recent series of Compass Club concerts in Whitby was excellent and really well received (Yusa, Otway & Barrett, Laye Sow, Joni Mitchell Project & Roxyrama) .
 For the month of July only we have teamed up with comedy club Hilarity Bites to bring live comedy to Whitby on Saturday nights @ The Coliseum. With up to 4 comics on each night and only £7.50 per night (or £20 for all 4 nights) Doors open 7.30. Acts commence 8pm click here for more details.
 Musicport 09 - Plans are progressing well for this year’s festival. See below for rough guide to programme & ticket prices.
This year will be a celebration of 10 years bringing the best of world music to Yorkshire & it would be good to see everyone who has attended over that 10 years coming back to help make it a very special weekend especially as we’re back in half-term.
 Latest additions include Jean Binta Breeze, The Ukrainians, Martin Stephenson, Forever Haqqani (Sheikh Ahmed Dede & His Whirling Dervishes) & Banco De Gaia.
This year’s cause is Love Music Hate Racism.
Main Stage Line–ups begins to look like this - all subject to confirmation and contract.
SPOTIFY USERS: CLICK TO LISTEN TO OUR LATEST MUSICPORT PLAYLIST
Food Stalls
To address the major issue that affected people’s enjoyment last year we have agreement in principle to 2 or 3 food vans in the area just behind The Spa with access to them via theatre foyer. We are hoping that Johnny Baghdads, Spicebox & Tibetan Kitchen will be there. There are,however, some major works happening to improve the area around The Spa which might impact on these plans if they coincide with the festival weekend.
There will also be an additional café area in the Spa (where Film Room was last year) additional coffee facilities in the main hall and a kiosk near the theatre selling cold drinks, sweets, snacks etc . The film room will move to a quieter location on the top floor.
Campsite
The official campsite is again at South Cliff Caravan Site with excellent facilities and they are doing a special deal for festival-goers – 3 nights for the price of 2 ( Book Friday & Saturday & get Sunday free). Cost is £15 per pitch per night ( so get 3 nights for £30) tel 01262 671051
Ticket Prices (held at last year's prices)
Compilation CD
We are in the process of getting permissions etc to produce a 10 year retrospective CD & DVD of the festival including tracks and footage from many of the major acts who have appeared … watch this space
Beverley Festival
At a loose end this weekend- come and join us at Beverley Folk Festival where Musicport will be hosting a Sunday lunchtime concert with Robert Maseko & Congobeat Acoustic and Sambalada. Other acts on the bill include Billy Bragg , The Peatbog Faeries, Seth Lakeman, Lunasa and a few you might remember from Musicport including Curtis Eller, Skavolution , Belinda O’Hooley, Alley Cats , Edwina Hayes & Farino….a great weekend and with additional new marquee venue it will be even better than usual. www.beverleyfestival.com
Jim McLaughlin
Musicport Festival Director
|
|
|
Welcome to our April 2009 newsletter
Latest Festival Additions ~ Forthcoming Compass Club gigs
Just to let you know our festival line-up for main stages is coming together and ticket sales are looking very good at this stage compared to previous years.
Latest additions to the festival we are delighted to say include:
Nitin Sawhney - a man whose talents and achievements are too numerous to mention and who we have long hoped to bring to Musicport… well it’s our 10th anniversary so we needed to treat ourselves. Nitin will headline proceedings on Friday night. click for more info
MI21 - a reworking of the classic film Mother India with live music accompaniment. DJ Tigerstyle has created a contemporary electronic and strings based score. click here for more info
Fernhill - Julie Murphy of Welsh band Fernhill is one of the greatest singers currently working in contemporary and traditional music as her work with Robert Plant, AfroCelts & John Cale surely testifies. click here for more info
Les Quatre Etoiles (Congo) - click here for more info
Pacific Curls (New Zealand) - click here for more info
La Romeria De Santa Fortuna (Chile) - click here for more info
Tashi Lhunpo Monks - click here for more info
Nibs Van Der Spuy (South Africa) - click here for more info
Mitch Benn (again!) - click here for more info
Rango (Sudan/Egypt)
For full line-up so far click here
Tickets are now selling at the intermediate price rate – to buy online click here
SPOTIFY USERS: CLICK TO LISTEN TO OUR LATEST MUSICPORT PLAYLIST
 In the meantime we have 4 excellent Compass Club gigs happening in the next few weeks at The Coliseum in Whitby – Doors 8pm for all events
Sat 18th April - John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett - Tickets £10 /£8 …still a few tickets left
Sat 25th April – Laye Sow & his 6 piece band click to listen - Tickets £7.50/£6
Fri 8th May - Union Central Tickets £6/£5
Fri 15th May - Yusa Trio (Cuba) (click to listen) plus LightGarden - Tickets £11/£9
Ring us on 0845 3732760/ 01947 605089 to book tickets or buy online here
Our education programme is continuing with Musictots being a great success since it transferred to Friday mornings at Whitby Library (click here for more details) Sing Whitby – a growing junior choir has been established with NYMAZ support and we are again working with Music4U in Bridlington which should result in a performance at the festival featuring local young people together with The Bisserov Sisters & The Balkanatics.
Finally on the late May Bank Holiday weekend we are involved in programming the free outdoor events at Bridlington Arts Festival on Sunday 23rd & Monday 24th May down by the sea front and on the beach including The North Stars Steel Orchestra & Juggling Inferno on the beach below The Spa on the Sunday evening preceded by a parade from near The Bridlington Eye featuring Kingston Bateria Samba Band, The Peace Artistes, Forro Porro, Mambo Jambo The Fairly Famous Family & The Hut People and giant stilt walking birds Les Oiseaux De Lux... for more details click here
Jim & the Musicport team
|
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2009
Our revamped website is now up and running (a free framed festival poster to first person who can tell us what iconic image the new design is based on).
The festival is back in half-term this year for this our 10th anniversary celebration and the dates are 23-25 October.
First festival bookings (subject to contract) are on the festival page and include Misty In Roots, The African Jazz Allstars, Mad Professor Ariwa Possee, Banco De Gaia, Batanai, Samay & Jim Moray with some more big names under discussion. Click here to buy online.
A new season of gigs at The Compass Club starts this Friday (20th Feb) at The Coliseum, Whitby with The Steady Boys plus support from young favourites Three Foot Ninja. Tickets £6.50 /£5
Click on event in right-hand column for more details or ring 0845 3732760 / 01947 605089 to buy/reserve tickets.
Thanks to everyone who attended the world music day at Coastival in Scarborough this weekend just gone. Four great acts topped by the ever-wonderful Baka Beyond brought a definite Musicport flavour to this great new multi-arts event.
Jim & the Musicport team
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
