Edinburgh Mela 2010

An international and ceremonial start to the Festivals

This article is from 2010.

These days the Mela is just as much of a ceremonial start to Edinburgh’s Festivals as the (often far less exciting) Fringe Cavalcade. This year, alongside Bollywood dance shows, multi-artform companies from China, traditional Sufi music from Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali and the now-traditional international food market, the commissioned part of the programme is particularly strong. The Naturally Inspired strand is a series of collaborations between Scottish and international musicans and storytellers, while Cargo (pictured), a huge-scale aerial/physical theatre work by those old risk-takers Iron Oxide, explores the human need to migrate (although the production itself will be staying on at Leith Links for the duration of the Fringe).

Edinburgh Mela, Leith Links, Fri 6–Sun 8 Aug, www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk. Cargo also runs Wed 11–Sun 22 Aug (not Mon 16), Leith Links, Venue 167, 9.15pm