Asia in Fusion

Montreal, April 4, 2007 - After the huge success of the 2006 edition of Asia in Fusion , Festival Accès Asie cordially invites the public to attend to Asia in Fusion 2007 , a fundraising benefit which will take place on April 19th at 8 p.m. at the Cabaret Museum Just for Laughs. This event is organized by Festival Accès Asie to achieve a wide array of goals: the promotion of Asian cultural awareness in Quebec, the announcement of Festival Accès Asie's upcoming program for May 2007, fundraising to finance new multidisciplinary Asian-inspired artistic projects and to provide financial support to the Asha Foundation for Education, an organization which helps underprivileged children in India to gain access to education.

Hosted by Geeta Nadkarni and Sonali Karnick from CBC, the Asia in Fusion soirée will be divided in two sparkling and diversified parts, offering a sneak preview of the upcoming twelfth edition of the Festival Accès Asie. The first part of the evening will consist of an array of performances by numerous acclaimed artists of the Montréal cultural scene who frequently collaborate with Festival Accès Asie. The performances will be followed by a huge dance party for all, and the opportunity to meet and exchange with the artists, partners and friends of Festival Accès Asie.

The show kicks off with the remarkable Canadian percussionist Patrick Graham, who has been recognized for his virtuosic finger drumming art and his creation of a musical universe where the rhythms of Japanese, Mediterranean, Irish and southern Indian drums converge with traditional classical music. Patrick Graham will be accompanied by the Japanese dancer and choreographer Hideo Arai, who will be practicing Noguchi Taison , a unique technique which borrows from the various movements which bring to life the natural world and integrates them in a search for a better bodily expression of dance.

The evening will continue with performances by the dancers of the Turquébec group, who will present traditional dances from various areas of Turkey, and by the improvisational theatrical troop Playback Theatre, with their spontaneous accounts of the events that constitute everyday life. The anecdotes of Playback Theatre will involve the public as well as the actors. Kyra Shaughnessy, returning from her first Canadian tour, will enchant the public with the force of her spoken word.

The selected performances of the Asia in Fusion will continue to the rhythm of Indian music and the dancers of Bollywood Blast, a group created by one of the most well-known Indian dancers in the Montreal scene, Ina Bhowmick. For a few magical moments, Bollywood Blast will bewitch the public with a Bollywood-fusion dance which mixes modern dance movements with classical Indian dances. Finally, the performances will come to a close with the soul music of Cheryl Sim & Friends.

The first part of the evening will include a presentation by representatives from the Asha Foundation for Education, who in light of their honorable humanitarian mission in India will inform the public of the importance and values of their ongoing projects. Festival Accès Asie is proud support their work and to collaborate with Asha for Education to bring hope to the numerous underprivileged children in India. The evening will close with a draw for magnificent surprise-gifts kindly provided by the generous collaborators of the festival.

The second part of the evening will be a public celebration accompanied by DJ-Dr. Octoboobies, DJ Shaktimaan, VJ Pink Rubber Lady. We cordially invites you to share a magical and joyful evening filled with music and dance inspired from Asia.

Press contact: Olga Pudelko (514) 967-3844 or (514) 885-5075