The Nigerian “Bombino”, the Brazilians “Graveola eo Lixo Polifônico” and the Jamaican group “Winston McAnuff & Fixi” are the most recent names on the Festival Med poster released by the organization.
Loulé City Council lifted the veil that has covered the programming of the World Music Festival, which will take place from June 26th to 28th, in the historic center of the city, but there are still many secrets to unveil.
At this moment, nine of the 40 artists and bands, from 16 countries, who will perform in what is already considered one of the main cultural events in the Algarve, are already known.
After, at the event presentation, having announced the names of the Portuguese fado singer Gisela João, the Spanish Mercedes Péon and the Colombians «Bomba Estéreo», the presence in the Med was announced, about two weeks ago, from the Portuguese Celina da Piedade, from the Japanese «Turtle Island» and from the «Jupiter & Okwess International» formation, from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Omara “Bombino” Moctarin, also nicknamed “Hendrix of the desert”, takes to the Matriz Stage on June 27th.
«The Tuareg singer and guitarist brings to music his experience between his homeland, Algeria and Libya», believes the City Council of Loulé.
From Brazil, arrives «the irreverence of the Graveola and the Polyphonic Garbage». «
This (un)pretentious mix between erudite, cultural garbage, political lyricism and the experimentation of sonic pleasantries of one of the most promising Brazilian bands today will be on Palco do Castelo, on 27 June», he added.
Winston McAnuff & Fixi also promises to warm up the atmosphere of the Historic Area of Loulé.
«This unusual encounter between the “Rastaman” and the accordion man brings to Palco da Cerca, on the first day of the Festival, the sounds of reggae and rock-musette, with other musical derivations that mirror the experience of both artists». announced the organization.
Although, at the moment, only nine names are known, the poster has been closed for a long time. The city of Loulé, which organizes the event, still did not want to announce all the names at once, in order to maintain some suspense around the Festival.
The remaining protagonists will be announced in phases, and more artists are expected to be announced soon. For this, the organization will use the event website and your facebook page.
This will be the 11th edition of Med, an event that has already gained its place in the national cultural panorama and is increasingly assumed to be one of the initiatives with the greatest impact at a regional level.
This year, the festival will have three days again and news are announced in terms of tickets, which will not increase compared to 2013 and may even be cheaper, in some cases, as the creation of a three-day ticket is being considered. and another for families.
The (most recent) artists:
«Bombino» (Nigeria)
Omara “Bombino” Moctarin, also nicknamed the “Hendrix of the Desert”, was born and raised in Niger, near the city of Agadez. He is a member of the Tuareg Ifoghas tribe, a nomadic people descended from the Berbers of North Africa who, for centuries, struggled against colonialism and the imposition of strict Islamic law. He started to learn guitar thanks to one of these instruments, which he found abandoned in one of the exiles that, as a Tuareg and in the many conflicts with the government of Niger, he was forced to make, with his family.
In his teens, when he lived in Algeria and Libya, Bombino's friends showed him videos of Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler, among others, which they watched over and over again. Bombino worked as a musician and also as a shepherd in the desert near Tripoli, spending many hours alone with the animals and practicing on his guitar.
Later, Bombino returns to Niger, where he continues to play with some local bands. As his name gained notoriety, a Spanish documentary film crew helped Bombino record his first album, which became a local hit. After recording the documentary “Agadez”, by Ron Wyman, about the Tuareg music and rebellion, which highlights the personal history of Bombino, and other records with increasing success, the Tuareg guitarist and singer recorded a new album , “Nomad” in Nashville, with producer Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys (and in the latter's studio), which was released April 2, 2013 by Nonesuch Records and has since remained on the music charts worldwide. of the world.
«Graveola and Polyphonic Garbage» (Brazil)
Within the promising scenario of new bands from Minas Gerais, Graveola eo Lixo Polifônico is today the closest to positioning itself among the greats of the contemporary music scene. The group has rave reviews of their previous work and a growing number of loyal followers, in Brazil and around the world. Made up of irreverent and daring musicians, Graveola produce an instigating musical collage. They represent and defend the aesthetics of plagiarism and make humor, taken seriously, by mixing the sophisticated with the popular to the point of making them indistinguishable.
By naming their second album as “I need a blender”, Graveola once again reveals the band's desire to mix more and more elements in its sound mass. They appear in 2004 and, since then, they have been dealing with the art of (un)pretentious mixing between the erudite, the cultural garbage, the political lyricism and the experimentation of sound pleasantries. The band's agenda is not exclusively musical, it is also strongly guided by political issues and popular actions, mainly linked to access to cultural assets in their city, Belo Horizonte, and the democratization of the use of public space. “It is necessary to tune the chorus of content. We are hearts and minds that pulsate, feel, we are part of the same place. Let's do it!” defends Yuri Vellasco, drummer for Graveola.
«Winston McAnuff & Fixi» (Jamaica/France)
The encounter between the typical “Rastaman” with a gray beard and the accordion man, with a jovial air, who does not let go of his cap. But to define the two, it is better to leave behind all stereotypes as both are not easily identified. At 55 years old, the man nicknamed “electric dread” for his exuberant energy on stage, has an important path in the history of roots reggae, either in his own name, as vocalist for Inner Circle or as a composer for artists such as Hugh Mundell and Earl Six.
In France, about a decade ago, he saw his career take a new direction, with the reissue by the publisher Makasound of several of his old records and unexpected partnerships in new albums. One of them, “Paris Rockin”, from 2006, was recorded with the rock-musette group Java, where he met Fixi, accordionist, drummer, pianist, arranger, producer, among other skills. The chemistry between the two was immediate, thus giving rise to this musical experience. Reggae and rock-musette are the natural axes, but there are also derivations of soul, afrobeat, Reunion Island maloya and South American rhythms.
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