The Festival of World Cultures helped to demystify differences between cultures, writes Siobhán Long
CELEBRATING CULTURAL diversity in more tangible ways than any other civic or political organisation in the country, (bar the Office of Public Works perhaps), Dún Laoghaire– Rathdown County Council
steered its 8th Festival Of World Cultures to a heady finale last night.
The harbour mural said it all. If multiculturalism is about celebrating difference then the questions it colourfully posed captured everything that the festival is about: “How do you see it? How do you feel about it? How do you understand it?”
With an express aim to “cross cultural, ethnic, religious and social bridges”, the Festival of World Cultures went some way towards demystifying the differences that distinguish one culture from another, and in the process, underlined the commonalities that are threaded through them too.
Friday night’s balmy weather lured an enthusiastic, if somewhat limited gaggle of punters to the opening concerts and performances which ranged from an international soccer tournament to a powerhouse performance by Éthiopiques, a conglomerate of soul and funk artists, and a return visit from renowned Tibetan singer Yungchen Lhamo who performed in Monkstown Parish Church.
Saturday’s early deluges deterred all but the hardiest of festival goers, although the plethora of music, dance, art and martial arts classes proved irresistible to many mini-Brady Bunches, in thrall of the magical choices on offer.
Truly we have become a nation of grazers though, with international food stalls in the Global Village groaning under the weight of demand throughout the day and evening. Everything from sushi to burritos, bratwurst and burgers were on offer, in between gigantic helpings of sorbets, luminous hush puppies and yes – even the odd hang (sic) sandwich.
Rinzen, visiting from Tibet, via London, was smitten by Ivory Coast singer, Tiken Jah Fakoly, who received a Freemuse award on the Newtownsmith stage on Saturday evening, “for fighting for freedom of musical expression”.
His louche, sensual reggae rhythms and unfettered pride in the diversity of African culture were refreshing, she said.
“I can’t believe how he’s taken Sting’s An Englishman in New York and turned it around so that it’s telling his story: An African in Mali”, referring to Fakoly’s adopted home place, having been forced to leave the Cöte d’Ivoire because of his outspoken campaigning against the reigning regime there.
Sand sculptures from Duthain Dealbh touched on the celebration of Asian cultures with its decorative Japanese character, while later on Saturday evening, the Geisha Experience toted a peep into a world long-closeted from leery Western eyes. While the Geisha women shimmered with finesse and artistry, their MC for the evening, Peter McIntosh, of Nova Scotia, delivered a leaden and halting overview of the nuanced detail of this now-thriving Japanese tradition.
Elsewhere, Dún Laoghaire’s residents waltzed, boogied and shimmied through the sunshine of Sunday afternoon, the air perfumed by an eclectic mix of horticultural offerings that ranged from lilies to possibly the best gange this side of the Golden Triangle (of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand).
The changing weather patterns might have overwhelmed some of this year’s punters.
But in between the showers, and with the help of the hardiest of raingear and psychedelic wellies, this Festival of World Cultures burrowed its way beneath the collective skin of Dún Laoghaire.
Joints arthritic with dampness loosened, hips swivelled and families basked in the countless free entertainment that went on long into Sunday evening.
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