Two Yorkshire artists have been named on the line-up for the fifth annual Summer Solstice Festival in Leeds, as the city prepares to celebrate the longest day in the calendar year.
The South Asian Arts-uk (SAA-uk) event returns on Saturday 18th June with a host of talent set to play through the night from dusk til dawn.
The only all night festival in the UK, which marks the longest day of the year, will be held at the grade II listed building, the Left Bank Leeds, with artists from around the world in attendance.
Bhupinher Singh Chaggar is one local Leeds artist who is looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd.
The local tabla player teaches at Leeds College of Music and is musical director for SAA-uk’s youth academy.
He will be joined on the night by fellow Yorkshire performer, Smt Poulomi Chakraboraty the lead vocalist tasked with taking the audience into the new dawn.
Poulomi is a well known musician and has performed worldwide but this is her first Solstice performance in Leeds.
Headline act has been confirmed as husband and wife team, Shubhendra Rao and Saskia De Haas Rao. Together they have travelled the globe performing ‘East marries West’, a mesmerising performance that is a musical bridge to many cultures.
Shubhendra, is a composer and sitar maestro from India, Saskia is a cellist and composer from the Netherlands. Critically acclaimed in classical musical circles across the world, they have been asked to play at many highly prestigious events, including concert halls, jazz festivals and open-air festivals.
They will perform ‘East Marries West’ at around 10pm, SAA-uk, CEO, Keranjeet Kaur Virdee explains; “We’re delighted to have secured world headline acts this year. ‘East marries West’ is a powerful piece of music which shows the strength music has to transcend boundaries and bring people together.
“International artists from across the world are flown in especially, allowing us to offer a real diverse range of beautifully composed music.
“The night is like no other and whether you’re an avid fan of classical Indian music, or new to the art form, we welcome you to come along with the entire family, we offer cushions and blankets to keep you comfy, it’s a spectacular experience which really leaves you feeling incredibly energized.”
This year, the Solstice festival will begin at 7.30pm, people are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy a desi curry before the exhilarating music of closing one day and welcoming a new dawn begins.
For tickets contact SAA-UK on 0113 244 5523 or email info@saa-uk.org.
