A woman dancing in a trance at the World Village Festival in Helsinki. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
World Village Festival will gather tens of thousands of people to Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki during the weekend, May 27-28. There will be 20 concerts, workshops, art and activities for the whole family – nearly 400 exhibitors present their work for a just world. This year the main theme is civil society and the regional focus is Latin America. The admission to the festival is free.
We introduce some of the key performers:
Gaby Moreno from Guatemala. Singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno’s expressive voice and ability to smoothly flow between different genres of music, from blues rock to bolero and bossa nova, have earned her praise from both music critics and audiences. Moreno was recognized as the Best New Artist by the Latin Grammy Awards. She is also a 2017 Grammy nominee and Latin Grammy winner. Gaby Moreno will step on Savannah stage on Sunday and perform between 18:00-19:00.
M.A.K.U. Soundsystem is a group formed in New York by Colombian immigrants, and their Latin rhythms represent a mix of jazz, Afrobeat and political activism. “I think the greatest global development challenge is that the richest one percent of people control a massive amount of property, power and natural resources,”, said band member Robert Stringer. (Performing at Savannah Stage on Saturday at 14:00-15:00.)
Che Sudaka combines cumbia and ska with a mission to defend peoples’ peaceful co-existence and opportunities for making a difference through politics. Originally from Argentina and Colombia, the band’s musicians met as illegal immigrants in Spain. This year, Che Sudaka is celebrating their 15th anniversary with a tour and a new album. (Performing at Savannah Stage on Saturday at 18:00-19:00.)
Swedish timba players Calle Real and Danish folk band Afenginn are also set to perform (At Savannah Stage on Saturday at 16:00-17:00). Saturday evening’s highlights include what promises to be an exciting performance by Spanish electro-flamenco duo Fuel Fandango (At Savannah stage, 20:00-21:00.)
Finnish artists on stage include the top of Finnish jazz Dalindéo (Savannah Stage, Sunday, 11:00-11:45), the moody folk tunes of Viitasen Piia (Mekong Stage at Railway Square, Saturday, 11:00-12:00), Anna Puu (Savannah Stage, Saturday, 12:30-13:15) and the Emma winner Irina (Savannah Stage, Sunday, 12:30-13:15). The children’s program includes plenty of activities at the Kids’ Corner area of the festival and performance by the cheerful children’s band Mutaveijarit (Savannah Stage, Saturday, 11:00-11:40).
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World Village Festival is held May 27-28 in Helsinki at Kaisaniemi Park and Railway Square. Opening hours are 11:00-21:00 on Saturday and 11:00–19:00 on Sunday. Admittance to the festival is free of charge. In honor of the Finnish centennial, the festival highlights the role civil society plays in building a just world. The festival is produced by Kepa, the umbrella organization for over 300 Finnish Civil Society Organizations and an expert organization in the field of global development.
