Finland - In the small town of Porvoo, approximately 50km east of Helsinki, an international Romani festival will be staged just a week after the Roma Music Festival Iagori in Oslo, Norway.

The Porvoo festival is scheduled to begin on the morning of Friday, September 9th with a conference on Roma issues. On the same day there will also be shown a film serial for children called Mire Bala Kale Hin, which means “My Hair is Black.” Mire Bala Kale Hin is a filmed puppet theater with stories inspired by traditional Roma fairy tales. It has also been broadcast as a television series, appearing with great success on Czech National television in 2004.

On Saturday there will be performances by two French musical groups, Shine and Bratsch. Shine features jazz artists from various backgrounds, including Romania, the Balkans, and Italy; their music has been described as a “creative” form of Gypsy jazz. Bratsch has been a group for over 25 years, playing in a vast range of styles. The group embodies Roma attitudes towards music by incorporating the influences of different cultures within their compositions.

Program of Porvoo Festival

9/9/2005, Friday

Grand Hall
10.00 Conference
European Forum for Roma and Travellers

Grand hall
Katariina Lillqvist movies:
10.00 Mire Bala Kale Hin
12.00 Arvoisa Herra Tarzan

Porvoon palokunnantalo
17.00 Finnish Romani Songs

Hilja Grönfors & Latso Dzinta etc

20.00 Dance night

Dance Night with Dimitri Sjöberg's orchestra

10/09/2005, Saturday

Porvoo market place
11.00 Festival fanfar

Grand hall
12.00 Jasmine & Ramoucho
15.00 Shine (France)
20.00 Bratsch (France)

11/09/2005. Sunday

Grand hall
14.00 Hot Club de Finland & Andreas Öberg (Sweden)

Porvoo church
16.00 Religious Gypsy music Raamus choir conducted by Kyösti Roth

Grand sali

20.00 Gala

Concert with the performing artists

For more information about the concert please visit http://www.romanimusic.fi.