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- World Of Music - Svastara - 2008 |
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SZIGET 2008
Canned Heat and Afrobeat on Sziget
2008 |
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Canned Heat (on stage) |
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A bunch of bands have confirmed their appearance for the 2008
Sziget Festival, the organizers are glad to announce. Among them Jamiroquai
in the star-studded
line-up of the Main Stage, at earlier times Serj Tankian, best known as the
frontman of System Of A Down, Flogging Molly, one of the key punk rock groups
or The Wombats of Liverpool, who are one of the most hyped bands in today’s
guitar-based indie scene. On the world music stage, Transglobal Underground
are to arrive with Natacha Atlas, and we'll have the chance to welcome Seun
Kuti, the youngest son of Fela Kuti, who created the afrobeat movement mixing
West African joruba rhythms with funk and jazz. The WAN2 Stage will present
- among others - Danko Jones, Delinquent Habits and The New York Ska Jazz
Ensemble, whereas the metal site is to host Iced Earth, Avantasia, Exodus and
more.
It is already known that on Day Zero of the Sziget Festival,
Iron Maiden are to perform with openers Lauren Harris (daughter of the Maiden
bassist) and
her band. On the five proper days of the festival, the headliners include R.E.M.
and The Sex Pistols, earlier zones will present Kaiser Chiefs and Roisin Murphy.
Rumors have started to circulate about Leonard Cohen to perform at the event,
he however cancelled all his August shows, unfortunately.
Nevertheless, the organizers of Sziget are delighted to announce
a new bunch of performers. First of all Jamiroquai (the name mixes the words
'’jam' and 'iroquai') must be mentioned. The most popular acid jazz band of
the 1990s
will be a headliner of the Main Stage. The group makes not only the British
and international hearts throb, but also those of Hungarian funk soul brothas
and sistas right up till today. Although several reports suggested in recent
years that Jay Kay is to retire from showbiz in order to concentrate on founding
a family, the band has returned to the studio and started to give concerts
again. Return of the Space Cowboys.
On the Main Stage, before R.E.M., we're glad to welcome Lebanon-born
Armenian-American Serj Tankian, frontman of the eclectic System Of A Down,
one of the most celebrated
rock bands of our time. Serj is first and foremost a star, a kind of rock star
whose thinking can be matched with that of Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, Tom
Morello etc. He likes to try himself in lots of different things, he rocks,
he takes part in avantgarde productions (Buckethead, Les Rita Mitsuoko etc.)
if he doesn’t perform with his band: his label Serjical Strike Records and
the recently founded Serart offers a chance to release special kinds of music.
Last year he came out with his acclaimed solo album Elect The Dead which is
the perfect essence of what the name Serj Tankian means.
Also on the Main Stage, ready to present a great afternoon
set, are Flogging Molly, one of the marginal bands that revitalized Irish folk
music on the basis
of punk rock, following in the footsteps of such artists as Shane MacGowan
or the descendants of The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys.
If you thought that the fighting, dedicated old school punk
ethics only survived in Manu Chao’s dance music, then we have some good news:
there are still some
authentic punk bands left! To support this view we present you Anti-Flag from
Pittsburgh who have carried on the Exploited or Circle Jerks type of attitude
since the 90s. It wasn't by chance that on several tours they were headlining
the Rock Against Bush concert series in 2004.
"Let's dance to Joy Division!", claim The Wombats
of Liverpool (formed in 2003, two albums so far) in their biggest hit. This
sentence
grasps the pop
credo of one of the most hyped bands in the British indie scene brilliantly
- the audience of the Main Stage will have the chance to witness it.
A French actress with a super throat is also to appear on
the Sziget Main Stage. She’s Mademoiselle K, whose first record Ça Me Vexe
(This turns me on)
blew music fans away. She mentions P J Harvey as a primary influence. According
to reviews, in her songs "there are some signs of the depressing atmosphere
that can be found in the English singer's early recordings", but Mademoiselle
K is able to break away from this, thanks to her almost acrobatic voice: she
miaows, yells, screams, mumbles, plays a diva as much as her vocal chords let
her.
So much for the as yet confirmed stars of the Sziget Main Stage in 2008, but
the end of the line is still far, as acclaimed bands and performers are lining
up on the World Music Main Stage, the WAN2 Stage and the Hammerworld Metal
Stage.
The World Music Stage of Sziget presents living legends this
year as well. One of these is Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. Seun Kuti, son of Fela
Kuti, creator of Afrobeat mixing West African joruba rhythms with funk and
jazz, didn’t only
inherit his father's charismatic figure and talent, but also his band Egypt
80. Fronting them, Seun has given several extraordinary concerts in recent
years, and by 2008, their first collective album Many Things has been released
- they are to present this fresh sensation at the festival. The Goran
Bregovic Wedding & Funeral Band are also set to appear. The most popular
performer of Balkan Gypsy music in worldwide terms, Goran Bregovic, is arriving
with
his production called Alcohol, in which he adapted the hits of legendary Bijelo
Dugme with his Wedding & Funeral Band, for the first time in Hungary.
Transglobal Underground & Natacha Atlas are also coming to the World Music
Stage. It's been ten years since the English key band of oriental ethno-techno,
Transglobal
Underground, and their singer, Natacha Atlas parted their ways, by playing
concerts separately. This time however, upon the request of the Sziget organizers,
they will share the stage again.
The WAN2 Stage is expecting its guest with the usual selection
of high standard. One of the performers will be Danko Jones of Canada - the
singer and guitarist
with the pseudonym Danko Jones and his band - who are a real, classic, cool
band - there's no need for further attributes. They are a trio that combines
steamy blues, punk, hard rock and funk fueled by massive rock and roll mentality.
Another act to perform is Delinquent Habits. They are a cult hip-hop band formed
on the streets of Los Angeles who were among the first to mix Anglo-Chicano
rap with Latin rhythms. The New York Ska Jazz Ensemble are actually a supergroup;
some of the best ska musicians of New York and the world (from The Toasters
To Skatalites etc) have united to play jazz standards with ska motives. Hocus
Pocus are a French hip-hop band formed in 1995 that is widely acknowledged
among fans as well as musicians and the press in the French speaking regions.
The French / English music of the group, founded by 20syl, combines acoustic
and electronic elements in a unique way. Les Trouffes Kretiennes are a super
group from France: this horn section, formed from the members of Babylon Circus,
Ogres de Barback and Hurlements d'Leo originally came together to play just
one gig in Barcelona which turned out so well that 250 further concerts followed,
also at big festivals, making a tremendous amount of people dance.
One of America's best known metal bands, Iced Earth, are ready
- among others - to turn the Hammer World Stage upside down. The band, led
by guitarist Jon
Schaffer, are carrying their trademark sound (thrash meets Iron Maiden on the
dissection table), with which they received such great success and critical
acclaim in the 90s, on to the 21st century. Avantasia, one of the most interesting
and remarkable metal projects in recent years, are also to perform in front
of the audience of Sziget. They are yet another supergroup, founded by Tobias
Sammet, singer of Edguy, from the cream of the contemporary metal scene, to
stage a real metal opera. Anyone who knows at least a tiny thing about the
history of thrash must not miss the classics that will be played by Exodus,
formed in 1981, who can be defined as one of the key bands of the so-called
Bay Area Thrash. Kirk Hammett, later of Metallica fame, orginally started from
here. The albums of Gary Holt and his band are the milestones of 1980s metal
history, from the defining Bonded By Blood debut to the latest uncompromising
The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A. Further information: www.szigetfestival.com .
Press photos: www.sziget.hu/festival_english/press
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Canned Heat (on stage)
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