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Susan Kepecs Guide to the Festival
(Susan Kepecs is a long-time contributor to Madison’s Isthmus as well as a variety of national and international publications. In this guide she offers her take on this year’s Madison World Music Festival. Her opinions do not necessarily represent those of the festival, its sponsors, the Wisconsin Union, or anyone else.)


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Memorial Union
800 Langdon St.
Madison, WI 53706
608-265-3000
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Union South
227 N. Randall Ave.
Madison, WI 53715
608-263-2600
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WMFSeptember Brings Another Fabulous
Madison World Music Festival

See photos and video clips from World Music Fest
Read Badger Herald Story About the Festival

One of Madison’s highlights returns on September 13-15, when the Wisconsin Union Theater, in collaboration with other campus departments and community groups, presents the 2007 Madison World Music Festival. This year, you can contribute to the festival to help it thrive for years to come.

In its fourth year the festival again brings extraordinary artists from all over the world for free performances on the Terrace, in the Wisconsin Union Theater, at the Willy St. Fair and possibly in other venues. This year, we present a Rom (Gypsy) showcase with three bands (NY Gypsy All-Stars, Romano Drom* and Dhoad Gypsies) presenting three different styles of Romani music. The showcase will also include workshops by the artists and a lecture by professor Margaret Beissinger. Stiltwalking puppeteers Dragon Knights will add to the festivities and the sensational Dobet Gnahore, who performed in the theater last season, will wow the audience at the Willy St. Fair.  

The schedule includes the following:

Thursday, 9/13/2007

Memorial Union:
Lecture: "Identity and Diversity in Romani [Gypsy] Musical Culture", Main Lounge 4 pm

Terrace:
Ilgi (Latvia)  7 pm
New York Gypsy All-Star (Turkey, Macedonia, Greece, Balkan)  9 pm

Friday, 9/14/2007
Due to the inclement weather Friday’s schedule has been modified.
Please note the changes below.

Ingraham Hall:
Lecture: "Traditional Romani [Gypsy] Musicians and Oral Epic in the Balkans: A Comparison of Performers and Performance", 336 Ingraham 12:05 pm

Rathskeller:
Huong Thanh & Nguyen Le Quintet (Vietnam)  6:30 pm, Memorial Union Rathskellar

Wandering the Union Theater and Memorial Union:
Dragon Knights  7 pm (stiltwalking puppeteers)
Dragon Knights  9:15 pm

Wisconsin Union Theater:
Chirgilchin (Tuva) 7:00 pm
Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic) 8:30 pm
Haale (Iran) 10 pm

Saturday, 9/15/2007

Terrace:
Dragon Knights  5 pm
Estrella Acosta (Cuba, Holland)  5:45 pm
Dragon Knights  7:15 pm
Dhoad Gypsies (Rajasthan)  8 pm
Louis Mhlanga (Zimbabwe)  10 pm

Wisconsin Union Theater
Roberto Rodriguez and Maurice El Medioni Trio (Cuba, Algeria) 7 pm
The Gerard Edery Trio (Sephardic Jewish) 9:30 pm

Willy St. Fair
Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast) 3:45 pm

As in past years, the festival is free and open to the public. This year, audience members may contribute to help keep it free, fabulous and accessible to all in future years. Donations may be sent to: Wisconsin Union Theater / MWMF Fund, 800 Langdon Street, Madison, WI 53706

The Madison World Music Festival is supported by: Alliant Energy Foundation, American Family Insurance, Anonymous Fund, Associated Students of Madison, Consulate General of the Netherlands, CREECA, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission with additional funds from the Overture Foundation and Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, UW-Madison Division of International Studies, Evjue Foundation, Hillel and I.C.E. (Israel Cultural Experience), International Student Services, M&I Bank, Madison Folk Dance Club, Multicultural Council, STA Travel, UW-Madison School of Music, Wisconsin Folk Arts Association, Wisconsin Distributors, and Wisconsin Union Directorate. Media sponsors for the festival include: Wisconsin Public Radio's "Higher Ground" with Jonathan Overby, WORT-89.9 FM Community Radio, and WSUM Student Radio.

* We regret to announce that due to visa problems, Romano Drom's performance and workshop are canceled.