We, at Solas Festival, are delighted to be holding an event for Refugee Week Scotland on Saturday 23 June.
Mary Ann Kennedy will reprise a live version of her BBC Radio Scotland Global Gathering. The show will feature refugee artists, including Carlos Arredondo, Galo Ceron and Camille Nehme.
Proudly Scottish, Proudly international
Solas Festival, held in Wiston, near Biggar, is proudly Scottish and proudly international. One of our aims is to provide a platform for up-and-coming artists, writers and musicians.
So, we were disppointed that Mary Ann Kennedy’s Global Gathering was taken off the air. How else, we wondered, would Scottish audiences hear the best music from Scotland and all around the world?
We believe that Scottish musicians – regardless of their country of birth – have worked hard to become part of an international community and so we’re delighted that we can link together with the Scottish Refugee Council to celebrate the best of Scotland’s world music at Solas Festival.
Talent from around the world
Carlos Arredondo is a self-taught guitarist and singer, inspired by Chilean folklorists, Violeta Parra and Victor Jara. His music has been shaped by important political events in Chile’s history notably Salvador Allende’s Presidency and the dark years of the Pinochet dictatorship.
Galo Ceron studied classical guitar at the former RSAMD, after arriving from Chile to Dundee in the late 1970s. He is a founding member of the internationally renowned Salsa Celtica and has recently composed music for the National Theatre of Scotland.
Born in Lebanon, Camille Nehme taught himself music before going on to study at the Higher Lebanese National Conservatory. He is influenced by church Byzantine, Andalucían, Mediterranean and Western music. Camille uses the liberating nature of music to highlight and put an end to human rights’ abuses. He also teaches English to Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Glasgow.
Celebrate with us
So, all in all, it will be a packed line-up full of music, chat and insight all in the beautiful surroundings of South Lanarkshire. One not to be missed!
