-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --

BOLLYWOOD ON THE SCREEN, BHANGRA ON THE FLOOR: ArtWallah 2004 Launch Party at CineSpace

JUNE 15, 2004, LOS ANGELES – Last Sunday, Detroit had nothing on Los Angeles, at least not where the South Asian art scene is concerned! Over 300 spirited people spilled into Hollywood’s CineSpace in support of the fifth annual festival showcasing South Asian art: ArtWallah. The launch party was graced by some of the over 80 artists slated to perform at the upcoming festival, while DJs Yashraj and Roam provided an ambient backdrop of music early in the night that ultimately climaxed to a rousing mix of Indian bhangra, hip hop, and South Asian underground. Sim Grewall peppered the seamless transitions with live timbale, congo, and drum percussions.

Party goers were given free rein of the sprawling venue, gathering in an outdoor patio area, mingling at the bar, lounging on sofas watching highlights of past ArtWallah festivals, or showing off their moves on the dance floor late into the night. Flickering on the CineSpace main screen, was a montage of Bollywood and Hindu deities melting, morphing, reversing, and looping put together by Washington, DC’s BrownSounds. The music and imagery together was a taste of the hybrid forms to be encountered at the ArtWallah festival this July 8-11. Most partygoers, first time and veteran bhangra dancers alike, were compelled to stay on the dance floor, mesmerized by sight and sound and enticed by the overall vibe, until closing.

One such attendee, Lian Jue, attended the ArtWallah festival last year. As an art history major from UCLA and having spent close to two years traveling throughout India, she actively sought out an atmosphere where she could satisfy her passion of Indian culture and art. She found it at last year’s ArtWallah, and attended Sunday’s launch party as a volunteer. “I am most impressed by the synthesis between creative expression and deep cultural heritage that is apparent in every event. Tonight has been a terrific example of just that – the way multiple mediums have been used simultaneously to stimulate [the audience]: video, live instrumentation, as well as the spinning by the DJs, all done with a South Asian flare.”

Jue also remarked on the crowd, saying that the group that had gathered was made up of those who greatly appreciated the efforts of the artists. Sim Grewall, a percussionist who performed that evening, echoed this sentiment: “I noticed the crowd respond when I began to play. They seemed to understand and appreciate the creative element involved on a level much deeper than your average group of clubbers.”

Anything but average, Jue, Grewall and the countless others relishing in this unique environment, look forward to attending ArtWallah this year. “It’s not just an arts festival, or a fleeting trend, ArtWallah addresses issues that all immigrant, second-generation, or anyone appreciative of living in a melting pot can relate to – and you’ll be impressed, inspired, and seek another helping year after year,” describes Ghanian-born Elinam Dellor, a two-year ArtWallah supporter. With each annual edition, the festival has attracted artists who express their own political and cultural struggles of living in the duality of race and nationality. It is amidst the allusions to Bollywood, the beats of bhangra, and the poetry of confluence that one will find the heart and soul of ArtWallah, a place where the work of the South Asian diaspora thrives.

FESTIVAL SYNOPSIS
The works of over 80 artists will be showcased at the fifth annual ArtWallah festival, from July 8-11 at Barnsdall Art Park and Gallery Theatre in Los Feliz. The festival kicks off on Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. with a live concert in Barnsdall's outdoor amphitheater featuring an eclectic, but energetic mix of music artists. Friday evening opens with a wine and cheese gallery reception at 6:00 p.m., featuring visual artists and live DJ. Saturday and Sunday daytime programs include outdoor concerts, film screenings, literature readings, gallery tours, panel discussions, and theater and dance performances beginning at noon. The Evening Show, a program encompassing the full spectrum of the festival in three hours, runs Friday at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

ABOUT ARTWALLAH
ArtWallah, a non-profit organization, fosters expressions of the South Asian diaspora while creating and promoting communication between artists and diverse communities. The organization produces the ArtWallah Festival, an annual arts festival showcasing dance, film, literature, music, spoken word, theater, and visual arts works rooted in the South Asian diaspora. For more information, visit www.artwallah.org or email info@artwallah.org

LISTING

ARTWALLAH 2004
Fifth Annual Arts Festival of the South Asian Diaspora

FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
Thursday, July 8 - Sunday, July 11

Barnsdall Art Park
4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90027
(Enter from Hollywood Blvd. just west of Vermont Ave.)
Free Parking

FESTIVAL KICK-OFF, Thursday @ 8pm
an evening of live music under the stars...
$15 advance/$20 at door (includes complimentary drink)
Bring your blankets and refreshments

GALLERY RECEPTION, Friday @ 6pm
mingle against a backdrop of visual arts and DJed beats...
Free to the public

EVENING SHOWS, Friday @ 8pm, Saturday/Sunday @ 7:30pm
spotlighting performers across all art forms...
$21 advance/$30 at door
Buy now - the show sells out!

DAYTIME EVENTS, Saturday/Sunday @ noon onwards
film screenings, gallery tours, literature readings, panels, outdoor
concerts, and more...
$5 suggested donation at door

Tickets on sale now at www.artwallah.org

The box office opens onsite one hour before the show, and is open all day on Saturday and Sunday. Seating will begin half hour before each show commences.

###