IRAF - International Romani Art Festival 4th edition

Scheduled for July 22nd- 25th 2010 in Timisoara, IRAF is a unique celebration of Roma culture; it brings together artists from 11 countries from around the world, covering diverse cultural fields: music, theatre, film, photography, book, crafts and modern circus.

Just as every year, TURN Cultural Association an attractive line-up to satysfy all tastes, from tradition to the lastest musical experiments from all over the world, many of the artists coming for the first time in Romania.

Having smashed  stages in Europe and North America, Balkan Beat Box confirms officially their presence in IRAF this year for Friday, July 23rd. Romania is introduced thus for the first time on the map of the band’s European tour. With a unique sound and a fiery live performance, often compared to a circus, Balkan Beat Box is one of the electro/world sensations of the last three years.

Paco Peña Flamenco Company returns on the stage of IRAF with an extraordinary live performance to prove the audience that the sound of true flamenco can lit up fires and dance can easily turn into a theatrical show.

Well known for their amazing live performances, The Antwerp Gipsy Ska Orkestra, have   become one of the most popular group with European festivals; their unique blend of authentic  gypsy music and upbeat ska music will make you stand up, dance and ... how shall I put this gently? say it’ll make others take notice of you!

As many of you who joined the festival last year, particularly liked Mitsoura’s extraordinary combination of traditional Gypsy music, instruments and modern electro beat and really wanted them back - Mitsoura returns on the stage in 2010, with a vanguardist show, built on the unmistakable voice of Monica Mitsou.

For those of you who like the music of the legendary Belgian-Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, in special, and for all jazz lovers in general - Swing Manoche Project, a band formed in 2005 in Budapest, and Worldly Savages from Canada, will experiment with a new concept called “transatlantic intelligence” on gypsy punk beats.

The stage of IRAF will also host Langa, the most popular gypsy group in Slovenia, Nadara (a band from Transylvania that’ll bring in a scent of Orient and Occident), Kanizsa Csillagai (rooted in the beás gypsies tribe in Hungary) and Ludy Dobri (a Lviv-based acoustic etno-folk band that collects and interprets folk music from across Ukraine).  All festival nights are fired up by DJ K-lu and DJ Gypsy Viking.

One of the most exciting summer festivals in Romania, it certainly has something for everyone: dance, theatre, film screenings, a book fair, children’s shows and a summer school, exhibitions, a craftsmen fair, various workshops, “actions for people deprived of liberty” (not sure what the organisers mean by this, but will look into it and get back with details).

Festival tickets are available now for pre-order from www.bilete.ro until 19.07.2010 for 58 LEI, or alternatively on the 22nd July (the first day of the festival), at the location of the event, for 70 LEI.

TICKET PRICES:
-    day I – 10 LEI;
-    days  II, III si IV – 22 LEI per day
-    FESTIVAL TICKET (pre-order price)– 58 LEI

International Romani Art Festival is an event financed by the American Cultural Centre and the National Agency for Roma. For more information about the participants, program, tickets, accommodation options and rules of access within the festival please visit www.iraf.ro

Share this article:

Festivals