“Remember, remember the fifth of November,” quotes the vengeful
and virulent V in the film “V for Vendetta.” Well then, remember, remember the
fourth of September; a day in which an army of 1,008 plastic flamingos
transcended the mundane role of tacky outdoor accents and invaded the slopes of
Bascom Hill in a shroud of shocking Pepto-Bismol pink.
This hilarious political prank that was pulled off by the
university’s student government in 1979 was to be remembered as the Dragon
Knights — a magical “flock” of stilt-walking puppeteers in the guise of stately
flamingos — which will once again kick off tomorrow’s highly anticipated
Madison World Music Festival with a spectacular, out-of-this-world parade around the Memorial Union and its Terrace.
In
addition to welcoming and wowing spectators with a dazzling pageantry of this
sort, the fifth annual Madison World Music Festival expects to delight its
audience more than ever by extending and expanding its usual bounds. With an
additional weekend of performances, a greater array of artists and newly
expanded venues at the Willy Street Fair and The Annex, the festival is
certainly bigger, better and bolder than ever. Lucky
for us, what hasn’t changed is that the festival is completely free of charge,
open to the public and of course, held at what most students would agree is the
heart and soul of the University of Wisconsin campus, the Terrace.
“It
is very rare to find free world music festivals that are completely without
ticketed performances,” said Heather Good, Assistant Director of Outreach and
Development during a Badger Herald interview. “But [the Union Theater]
recognizes that ticketing would upset the accessibility of the festival and
stays committed to making the event entirely free.”
As
it happens, purchasing tickets requires much awareness and motivation, and
truth be told, music festivals dedicated entirely to world music isn’t
something that an average UW student or local bar owners would fervently seek
out. The fundamental trigger behind the event’s considerable success with its
15,000-some audience is the simplicity of being able to spontaneously walk into
the festival and easily become a part of it without much premeditated labor.
Wander over to the Terrace at sundown this Friday, and you will
find yourself in the presence of the most intriguing array of artists and
performers the city of Madison has ever seen. “Part of the mission of the Madison
World Music Festival is to offer an enriching educational experience by
bringing in world-class artists of different regions and genres who have not
been in Madison yet,” said Esty Dinur, Chair for Artistic Selection. “It is really
about opening up the world to Madison and Madisonians so that they can learn
more about different cultures, people and art in a very fun way.”
And so it is that the artistic lineup of this year’s festival comes
as a refreshing departure from the mundane exposures to mainstream American
music. Hungary, Niger, Cuba, Syria, Zimbabwe and Turkey are few among the many
exciting cultures that are represented in this global hodgepodge of an event.
Fascinatingly, many of the musicians exhibit styles that
experiment with diverse genres, and many skillfully combine the traditional
with the modern. The Russian band Reelroad, with the use of Scottish bagpipes,
displays Celtic influences while mixing traditional musical forms with modern
rhythms. Furthermore, Nation Beat blends together the styles of America and
Northeast Brazil and Indian electric guitarist Prasanna is dubbed by the press
as the “Indian Jimmy Hendrix.”
Prepare to be dazzled by the spectacle of bright pink feathers, exotic
garments and leggy stilts by the aforementioned Dragon Knights, as they tower
over the mesmerized crowd and serve as lively transitions between some of these
musical acts.
These exquisite puppeteers and jet-setting international
musicians, however, will not be the only ones in the limelight. “We want to welcome
local and student groups to perform as a part of the World Music Festival and
encourage them to connect with their artistic heritage while learning about
others,” said Festival Coordinator Rose Gear. According to Gear, the Student and Community Showcase aims
to highlight the international connections and talents of the people in the
Madison community, thus allowing the international
student body to expand its creative vision through the common thread of music.
“I think it is a great opportunity to show how
diverse our campus is and what unique elements each and every person from all
parts of the world can bring to this community.” said In-Young Oh, president of
the Korean Traditional Drumming and Dance Club. “Participating in this big event will help our group have our name recognized by not only by our
peers on campus, but also by many others from the Madison community.”
Finally, the festival seeks to celebrate world music and culture
through additional outreach activities such as educational lectures and
workshops in singing and dancing. If you deem the previous activities too
hands-on or time-consuming for your taste, why not stock up on
two or three of your favorite artists’ albums and sophisticate your English
language-dominated iPod playlist. After all, you won’t be spending any money on
tickets at the Madison World Music Festival anytime soon.
The Madison World Music Festival will be held Sept. 12 -20. For the
full performance schedule and more information about the festival, visit the
official web page www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/worldmusicfest/.
