Exhibition Road Music Day 2009

10am – midnight Sunday 21 June 2009 Exhibition Road, London, SW1 Free international music and culture festival Music Day 2009 will take over Exhibition Road, London’s premier cultural quarter, for a free festival of live, international music and culture on midsummer’s day, Sunday 21 June. Celebrating the diversity of international culture in the area, a huge range of indoor and outdoor stages will host over 100 performances and a variety of music from urban, folk and rock to classical, jazz and opera. Music Day 2009 is a rare opportunity to catch bands, for free, before many embark on the summer music festival circuit. Highlights include electronic dance act Banco de Gaia headlining at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), where they will be performing prior to their Glastonbury appearance and the release of their anticipated new album Memories Dreams Reflections. The Institut français’ line-up includes buzzy Parisian electro-pop band Koko Von Napoo, signed to Rough Trade in the UK, and will close with singer-guitarist Davy Sicard, a world music gem riding high following the release of his acclaimed album Kabar. The outdoor stage in Kensington Gardens has been programmed by the Royal Parks in collaboration with OneTaste. This London-based collective will present the finest music and spoken word artists rising from the UK’s underground scenes. British singer-songwriter Jamie Woon appears with his blend of alternative rock and soul music and will be followed by soulful electronica from Swedish band Little Dragon. The stage will close with the post-punk pop sounds of the carnivalesque Ebony Bones, prior to her appearance on the main stage at Bestival and Sonar in Barcelona. Hip-hop pioneer and leftfield pop star Akira the Don headlines at the Natural History Museum. Described as the “Brit-hop saviour” (NME), hear songs from his new album, The Life Equation recorded with producer Stephen Hague, before its July release. The museum also hosts the World Open Harmonica Champion Philip Achille and 19-year-old British accordionist Steven Best. Gramophone scratching by DJane Sisamo and slam poet Bas Boettcher are on offer at the Goethe-Institut, while the unique combination of the traditional alpine instrument the zither and electronic music from DJ and composer Christof Dienz is presented by the Austrian Cultural Forum London, at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Throughout the day, children can join in with free workshops and classes to stimulate their taste for music. Families can create their own music from recycled objects and junk with Weapons of Sound and play with the Imperial College Percussion Club at the Science Museum or join the Nzinga Dance African Drumming and RCM Spark’s Kazoo Collective workshops in Kensington Gardens. Alternatively they can learn and perform a piece of opera in under 90 minutes with Streetwise Opera or join a Bollywood dancing workshop at the V&A. Exhibition Road is home to a flourishing scientific, artistic and academic community and is an inspirational meeting point for the arts and sciences that welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds. Exhibition Road Music Day is the capital’s contribution to ‘European Music Day’, a renowned worldwide celebration of music on the longest day of the year. The day is organised by the leading cultural and educational establishments in the UK working in partnership as Exhibition Road Cultural Group. The group is made up of 18 organisations including: Austrian Cultural Forum London; Goethe-Institut London; Imperial College London; Institut français; The Ismaili Centre; Kensington Palace; Natural History Museum; Royal Albert Hall; Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Royal College of Art; Royal College of Music; Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851; Royal Geographical Society (with IBG); Science Museum; Serpentine Gallery; The Royal Parks; Victoria and Albert Museum; Westminster City Council. For further information about Exhibition Road Music Day 2009, please go to www.exhibitionroad.com