Putting the culture into the cultural quarter, the first Latin Quarter Festival in Temple Bar aims to put some spicy sounds on the street. Ciaran Murray reports
Although Temple Bar is officially dubbed the capital's cultural quarter, the criticism that most yoghurts contain more culture has been levied on occasion. Large strides have been made to remedy this shortcoming over the summer months, including the free movie screenings in Meeting House Square. As part of the ongoing initiatives, the first Latin Quarter Festival, organised by Temple Bar Properties with Bacardi, is to take place over the August bank holiday weekend.
"There has not been much happening in Temple Bar, culturally," says Gráinne Millar, the head of cultural development for Temple Bar Properties. "This is an attempt to change that, to provide more outdoor events and to cater for the diverse communities in Dublin."
The line-up is "a mixture of the mainstream and the eclectic", and is part of the company's attempts to diversify and expand, in this instance by tapping into the growing appetite for world music.
In this first year, the programme concentrates on the music. Depending on its success, TBP hopes to develop the festival over the next two to three years to incorporate dance and other events.
The five pay-in events, all priced at €15 (plus fee if booking online), take place over three days - July 30th to August 1st - in Meeting House Square and the Temple Bar Music Centre. Hopefully the weather will oblige when couple of the moment Rodrigo y Gabriela take their winning combination of Latin, jazz and flamenco with a flourish of metal to Meeting House Square on Friday, July 30th. Sharing the bill are Havana Dance Allstars, with drummer Conor Guilfoyle (brother of Irish jazz legend Ronan) leading the musical path in an explosion of Cuban rhythms, fusing salsa and hip hop.
On Friday night, the Temple Bar Music Centre hosts Norman Jay, a DJ born in Notting Hill to West Indian parents. His many years of service to the DJ guild have been rewarded with an MBE. Slick dance collective Bodytonic share the bill.
Brazilian daddies of Samba soul Trio Mocotó, who reformed in 2001 following a 20-year hiatus, funk up Meeting House Square on Saturday night. Also on Saturday night, Martin Morales transplants his monthly London club night, Futuro Flamenco, to Temple Bar for a one-off show. Also on the bill that night are salsa and Latin DJ Luibi Jovanovic and Havan Ché, a 10-piece contemporary Cuban salsa outfit.
The last day of the festival offers the rare chance to glimpse Salsa Celtica at work, ploughing their own furrow with an unlikely fusion of fiery Latin rhythms and Scottish folk melodies. Their 2000 album, The Great Scottish Latin Adventure, made the top 10 in the European and Canadian world music charts. Ariel Hernandez and Dermot Dunne wrap things up tortilla-style on Sunday evening with a duet bringing together Hernandez's tango and jazz-tinged guitar sounds and Dunne's classical accordion.
In an effort to make the festival inclusive to those sans euros, there will be a free bar trail showcasing homegrown DJ talent throughout the three days. Well-known DJs such as Johnny Moy, Mr Moto, Dr Rumba and Calvin James will pump out the gratis hits in five Temple Bar pubs: Sin, Thomas Reads, The Turk's Head, Eamon Doran's and Bobs. Also, a diverse programme of music, acrobatics and capoeirawill brighten up Temple Bar Square throughout the weekend.
[ www.latinquarterfestival.comOpens in new window ]
Tel: 081 8220050 (local)
