Leith and North News Features: Edinburgh Mela Festival 2009

Leith & North: Please email any news items to: news@leithandnorth.org.uk Edinburgh Mela 2009: Triumphant return to the green green grass of Pilrig Duncan Place Resource Centre, Leith's Pulse of the Place drummers in black and red teeshirts drumming

Duncan Place Resource Centre, Leith's Pulse of the Place drummers in black and red teeshirts drumming

^^^ Above: The Pulse of the Place drummers a youth led Samba band formed in August 2006. With some 40 drummers aged 7yrs to 19yrs, they perform at major events all over Edinburgh, and can be spotted at many of the festivals featured on Leith & North.

Edinburgh MELA web site >>>
Pulse of the Place on MySpace >>>

Mark Lazarowicz reads his losing ticket as two Friends of Montgomery St. Park watch on smiling

Mark Lazarowicz reads his losing ticket as two Friends of Montgomery St. Park watch on smiling

^^^: Above: Andrew Lum (seated second from left, ) & New Asia, a Singapore based jazz ensemble performing in the Big Top. New Asia brings together world class Asian musicians in an

Big screen showing wife and husband smiling at each other as they work the land, with musicians lit red below.

Big screen showing wife and husband smiling at each other as they work the land, with musicians lit red below.

Woman dancing below stage, as band performs

Left <<<: Khala Pool accompanying a silent screening of the Bollywood classic Mother India
Right >>>: Belly dancer Yasmin Bushby enjoys a dance along to Edinburgh based band, GOL.

New Asia records web site >>>
Read more about the 2009 musical performers on the Mela web site >>>

Coral Lee in white sleeves over black

Below: Anshul Tomer runner up of Indian Idol 2007, draws a big audience for his selection of Bollywood standards

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

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

Ananda in red with gold trim painting a white canvas with her feet as she dances

Painting of a lion's head in red on a white canvas around 3 metres squared

Left <<<: Ananda Shankar Jayant performing Simhandini
Right >>>: The finished work Ananda Shankar Jayant performed Simhanandini accompanied by the Shankarananda Kalakshetra ensemble. Dr. Jayant danced on a 3 metre square white canvas in traditional style to create a picture of the head of a lioness. "During ancient times, on festive occasions in temples, the temple dancers used to dance in front of the Rath (chariot) before the start of Rath Yathra and used to form the pictures of the Vaahana or vehicle of the deity of the Rath with foot work on the rangoli powder spread in front of the Rath. They used to form the pictures of Lion, Vaahana of Goddess Durgadevi when the temple deity was Durgadevi." Quotation from Narthaki: your gaterway to the world of Indian dance web site >>>

You can see a live performance if you visit Ananda Shankar Jayant's web site >>>

Group of people seated on the grass round a six foot high sculpture of a tabby cat

Group of people seated on the grass round a six foot high sculpture of a tabby cat

A primary aged boy looks at a sculpture of an elephant made up of brightly coloured balls

Left <<<: The cat sculpture from North Edinburgh Arts Centre
Right >>>: The elephant sculpture from North Edinburgh Arts Centre Edinburgh MELA web site >>>
iMAP Intercultural Music & Arts Project web site >>>
Edinburgh Mela 2008 on Leith & North >>>

Visitors pass four red and orange tapestries, spelling out the letter M, E, L and A

Visitors pass four red and orange tapestries, spelling out the letter M, E, L and A

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