Next week marks the return of the Ibiza Roots Festival with its fine tuned selection of world music for the third year running. The walled citadel of Dalt Vila in Ibiza Town will be the place this Thursday 25 June to catch internationally recognised artists as well as live dance, theatre and visual arts. Plus in recognition of the music on offer, there will be a world food market, all in the beautiful open air venue, Baluarte de Santa Lucía.
Opening the event will be celebrated local band Nima & Supermads, who combine a variety of sounds featuring male voices, ethnic female choirs with psychedelic and electronic influences using guitars, bass and percussion.
There will also be performances from Brooklyn based Balkan Beat Box, founded by Ori Kaplan of Gogol Bordello fame. The formation has strong European and Middle Eastern roots which give its music strong eastern and gypsy influences. The group's sound is reminiscent of Emir Kusturica and Goran Bregovic with hip-hop and dancehall influences; this mix of styles has led to their music being highly recognised in the world music circuit.
Onda Vaga, the acclaimed Argentinian quartet will also be headlining the event with its mix of reggae, rumba, tango, cumbia, folk and rock. Millions of people across many borders have experienced the happiness and joy this group brings and its no surprise that it has gained recognition from leading artists like Manu Chao and David Byrne of Talking Heads. The group has played at many internationally recognised music festivals including Fuji Rock in Japan, BBK Live, Lolapallooza in Chile, Festival de Cine de Biarritz and Vive Latino in Mexico. They also recently completed five tours around Europe between 2010 and 2014.
Performances start at 8pm, just before sunset and continue under a blanket of stars at this family orientated event. Tickets cost €25 with a special discount for residents at €20 and all children under 10 get in free.
Tickets are available online or via Ticketmaster. Several shops and venues are selling tickets across the island too if you want to pick them up ahead of the event. These include: in Ibiza, Savia, Pura Vida (Plaza del Parque); in the port, Closer (next to Burger King); in San José, Raco Verd; in Santa Gertrudis, Musset; in Santa Eulalia, Disquería Holiday; in San Carlos, Heladería Viccio; in San Antonio, El Reencuentro; and in Formentera, Restaurant San Fernando in San Fernando.
WORDS | Julian Heathcote
