Celebrating Leith and North Edinburgh June 2010
Newhaven Gala Day 2010 >>>
Leith Festival 2009 >>>
Polish Fair 2009 >>>
Edinburgh Mela 2009 >>>
Montgomery St Park
Spring Fun 2009 >>>
Leith & North: Please email any news items to: news@leithandnorth.org.uk Edinburgh Mela 2008: Showcasing Bengali Chinese, South Asian, Japanese and Scottish traditions Three women dance, as their elders watch on

Acts from all over Scotland and the UK gathered in and around Ocean Terminal, Leith in the last week of August, for this year's week long Edinburgh MELA. We have photos of just a handful of the performers involved, but we'll be back in 2009, eagerly looking forward to seeing what the 2009 Edinburgh MELA has in store ...

Edinburgh MELA web site >>>

 Mark Lazarowicz reads his losing ticket as two Friends of Montgomery St. Park watch on smiling <<<: Yatra: In rehearsal

Yatra//Journey was a collaboration of artists from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Adeo Records and Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers. It was performed on both nights of the weekend, and drew together South Asian traditions with Scottish music and Japanese Taiko drumming. The Bengali Performing Arts are based in Renfrewshire: they performed "...for a living planet" a piece dedicated to Mother Nature, which drew on a selection of Indian dance forms.

Two mature women dance facing each other, as younger women watch on Four younger women dance as the more mature women watch on Left <<<: Bengali Performing Arts hear the cry "Give back the Forests"
Right >>>: The longing in humanity to safeguard Nature.

Cathay Re-public (below), was another collaborative project under the aegis of Kimho Ip's iMAP. Kimho was joined by Cheng-Ying Cheung (countertenor and liuquin), Louise Martin (cello, musical saw and stiltwalker), Jiang Li (percussion), and Coral Lee (dancer pictured above). They performed several pieces on three occasions and invited passers by and listeners to join in the finale, by playing on small drums which they passed around.

Coral Lee in white sleeves over black

Stall with a man and a collie in front with various dog training aids Woman in white sleeves over black pants dances with her arms extended Left <<<: Louise Martin and Cheng-Ying Cheung perform while a security worker and Coral Lee watch on.
Right >>>: Coral Lee A young woman and a young man in Taichi poses as Louise Martin in a satin purple evening dress, stands on stilts and plays her cello Coral in black with three children as surrounding adults beat red drums Left <<<: Members of the Bob Lowey 7-Star Taijichuan School
Right >>>: Coral Lee leading children in the dance.

 Initium (where dreams begin) was performed in the massive dining area of the Ocean Kitchen by Akademi South Asian Dance UK. It featured a large cast of male and female dancers in a stunning display of dance, conflict, death and rebirth. The Ocean Kitchen was turned into a balconied theatre as people on three levels watched the breathtaking dancing and acrobatics.

Two wome dancers in various shades of blue and pink against a red wall

 Two dancers stand on a banister against a red wall confronting a black and red caped stilt walker People watch as an acrobat trickster figure walks along the banister Left <<<: Akademi South Asian Dance UK in the Ocean Kitchen, Leith
Right >>>: Akademi South Asian Dance UK in the Ocean Kitchen, Leith The trickster acrobat figure in purple satin as two black and red figures close in on him with a knife A dancer in blues and purples kneels grieving the trickster figure Left <<<: Akademi South Asian Dance UK in the Ocean Kitchen, Leith
Right >>>: Akademi South Asian Dance UK in the Ocean Kitchen, Leith Edinburgh MELA web site >>>
Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers web site >>>
Bengali Perorming Arts web site >>>
iMAP Intercultural Music & Arts Project web site >>>
Coral Lee's web site >>>
Akademi South Asian Dance web site>>>

The gazebos of the fair in a line