Baaba Maal plays exclusively at Bellingen Global Carnival

Famous for his fiery performances fusing funk, rock and blues with the beats and melodies of West Africa, Baaba Maal has earned critical acclaim, continually reinforcing his role as a seminal artist in the world music arena. Also renowned for his phenomenal voice and stage show, a Baaba Maal performance is an explosion of sound, singing and dancing.

Touring nearly every continent, the overwhelming universal response to his energetic live performances has been utter awe. Now Baaba will perform on Australian shores for the first time in 11 years in two exclusive concerts for Bellingen Global Carnival. Carnival Director, Bryony Taylor says “The Carnival is both thrilled and honoured to host the dynamic Baaba Maal with his glorious vocals and superb Senegalese rhythms.  Bellingen,get ready to rock the showgrounds!”

Aside from being a remarkable musician, Baaba Maal is also socially conscious and represents the United Nations Development Program as a spokesman on the issue of HIV/Aids in Africa. He has been featured on both ‘Red Hot and Gershwin’ and the release, ‘Red Hot and Riot’, a tribute to Fela Kuti - both projects were put together by the HIV/Aids awareness campaign group, the Red Hot Organization.

"I think African artists in general, and musicians in particular, who get the chance to travel and to have their voice very loud, should use that opportunity to help the leaders from Africa to understand what to do," he says. "And also, all the people who make the decisions around the world [need] to know exactly what Africa is expecting from them ” Baaba Maal.

The 2010 Bellingen Global Carnival line up delivers a Global feast of music and arts with over 30 acts presenting 80+ performances across five stages on the Labor day Long Weekend of 1-3rd October. The 2010 program is another testimony to the spirit and brilliance of music, the arts and the world.

In addition to Baaba Maal,  the 2010 Global bill of international fare includes Ethiopia’s legendary musician MULATU ASTATKE with The Black Jesus Experience, Europe’s finest contemporary gypsy guitarist LULO REINHARDT, Masters of the tantric ritual the GYUTO MONKS, Spanish guitarist DIEGO GUERRERO FLAMENCO LATIN QUINTET and Timor-Leste’s most celebrated musician EGO LEMOS.

While on the Australian music front – headline acts include multi-ARIA-nominated blues/roots troubadour ASH GRUNWALD, Australia's masters of raw funk and super-heavy soul, THE BAMBOOS, Melbourne’s mammoth PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA, Russian bad-boys VULGARGRAD, Bollywood re-creators THE BOMBAY ROYALE, and Pacific ‘krump’ dancers GRRILLA STEP featuring DJ DEXTER (ex-Avalanches).
 
Whether you are enjoying some great world music on any of the five stages, sipping on a bevvy at the Star bar stages or watching the sun set over the Great Dividing Range, the ambience of this festival will make the world feel like your oyster. When you’ve had enough of the music, you can always wander through the markets or fill rumbling tummies from the many food stalls designed to feed the soul as well as your hunger cravings.

The full line-up and detailed information can be viewed at: www.globalcarnival.com