Festival Ahoy!

We had a great time at Nottingham’s Riverside Festival yesterday. This three-day event, funded by Nottingham City Council, is meant to be a music festival really (i.e. artistic) although over the years it has been somewhat hijacked by a rather riff-raff element which comes to enjoy the tacky funfair which is also a feature. However, amongst the whistles and shrieks of the blaring rides, and the nauseous wafts of burgers and hotdogs, there are three performance stages where an eclectic choice of really good music can be heard.

We sat by the river, joined by more and more of our friends, and so saw only the acts playing on the Monument Stage. There was ‘Harare’, which is one of the few groups to be playing Zimbabwean dance music in Europe, formed by musicians from the heart of Zimbabwean urban music. They were followed by ‘Achanak’, a fabulous platinum-selling Bhangra band who have gained a fearsome reputation as the best live act in the Asian music market. I absolutely love Bhangra. The evening was rounded off by ‘Grupo Fantasma’, an exciting 11-piece Latin funk orchestra from Texas, whose music is influenced by genres including mambo and meringue (whatever that is) and whose fantastic rhythms had everyone dancing into the night. Dozens of boats and river cruisers gather along the stretch of water between the suspension bridge and the magnificently ornate Trent Bridge, most of which fly flags and bunting, and the atmosphere is like that of a mardi gras. Add to this a spectacular firework display over the river (once darkness had fallen) and it made for a great night out. Hurrah!

Today, I think I’ll have lunch with my mother and my brother before going to visit my dear old dad in hospital. He’s been making marvellous progress and the medical people are delighted with him, so it won’t be long before he can go home. Hurrah again!