Music

 

GWMF 2018 - Borders

Following the success of the 2017 edition, this June Gibraltar will once again host 3 days of BrightMed and Gibraltar World Music Festival (GWMF) events. These will bring to the Rock a diverse group of musicians, artists and thinkers from different parts of the World, all gathered around a controversial but exciting theme: BORDERS. Theme all the more appropriate this year, in light of uncertainties raised in respect of the our future due to “BREXIT”.

Events took place from 19th to 21st June 2018 and will include: an Art Exhibition, Musical Workshops, a Film Festival, Talks for local students, a BrightMed International Seminar.

During its 7th edition BrightMed and GWMF explored the theme of BORDERS – political, physical, mental and future borders, which may rise or fall due to the new technologies. BrightMed remains dedicated to actions for peace and ‘bridging souls and lands’.

On the musical side, GWMF launched BrightMed Jazz, thanks to the presence of major artists from UK in this field, Jazz FM and the jazz press from London. Musical workshops and concerts by local and international artists will be available throughout the week at Castle Street and St. Michael’s Cave. Festival attendees will be able to discover bands such as Quarter to Africa and Orphy Robinson and the Voicestra Polyphonic Collective, comprising over 25 musicians. At the core of these concerts will be the influence of Black Music in the UK for the last 40 years.

Events started in May with the BrightMed Art Exhibition organized in conjunction with Kitchen Studios Association: a collective of young artists collaborating in projects and developing innovative self-expression. This exhibition will be hosted at Space 92 (at 92 Irish Town). Artists will give their own vision of the theme Borders.

Monday 18th of June: Joint event organised by Classic Vinyl Playback and GWMF at Garrison Library.

Tuesday 19th of June: BrightMed and GWMF will organize a day full of music workshops and master classes at Ince’s Hall with Orphy Robinson, Cleveland Watkiss MBE, Mae McKenna, Tony Remy and Rowland Sutherland. More than 250 students have confirmed their attendance to these very first and high level BrightMed Jazz sessions.

The BrightMed Film Festival will take place the same day, offering the screening of 4 documentaries dealing with the theme Borders: ‘Stranger in paradise’, directed by Guido Hendrikx, ‘Wallay’, by Berni Goldblat and two short movies: ‘Tête a tête’ and ‘Poles Apart’ which won a BAFTA for British Short Animation and is set to music by the local musician Hollie Buhagiar. The audience had the opportunity to interact during Q&A sessions after the screenings.

Wednesday 20th of June: The BrightMed Talks will be held at Ince’s Hall. BrightMed has invited different inspirational speakers from all around the World. They will share their experiences and efforts to break through their own borders which have led them to success. Students will again become transformation agents, influencing their peers, thanks to the highly experienced speakers.

That afternoon, GWMF has selected for its street party one of the most emblematic streets of Gibraltar, taking advantage of its beauty and significance in local history: Castle Street, also known as Calle Comedia. The stage will be located at the top of the steps and welcome local and international artists, such as Funkanda or Quarter to Africa. Various choirs, dance academies and local performers will also participate. Kitchen Studio, Kasbar and Paul Passano from Gamma Architects will propose a special vision for this special street. The Cornwall Centre be part of the party for the occasion.

Thursday 21st of June: BrightMed International Seminar will be the occasion where eminent speakers – the Sages of the Med – will present their vision on the theme of Borders. The focus will be on the impact which new technologies already have on our future. The Seminar will be designed by the organization PeaceBeam and its leader Jane Murray.

The climax of events was the magical concerts at St. Michael’s Cave: The first session will star Quarter to Africa – an uplifting Ethno-funk ensemble, fusing traditional Arabic “Makam” scales with African rhythms, jazz and funk. The result is a unique mixture of East meet West, and a musical performance that is ‘all about the groove & the move’, during which no one can stand still!

The multi-instrumentalist Orphy Robinson is the artistic director for this year’s festival. He has created, especially for Gibraltar, a unique one and a half hour production called ‘Orphy Robinson and the Voicestra Polyphonic Collective’. The second act is made up of musicians from all over the UK who will explor the influence of black music on the British scene over the last 40 years with a long list of artists: Carleen Anderson, Christine Tobin, Cleveland Watkiss MBE, Llio Millward, Mae McKenna, Randolph Matthews, Phil Robson, Philip Achille, Rowland Sutherland, Tony Remy, Justina Curtis, Cosimo Cadore, Jeffrey Durrant, Omar Puente, Shanti Paul Jayasinha and Tiago Coimbra.

The festival  had its own app,  launched in May.

BrightMed and Gibraltar World Music Festival events could not exist without the support of our sponsors: the Government of Gibraltar, Hyperion Group of Companies, Kleinwort Hambros, BIH, Turicum, EMID Gibraltar and Matanel Foundation, Deloitte, Hassans, Cornwall’s Centre, PeaceBeam and Kristina Szekely-Sotheby’s International Realty, TraffGen, Jazz FM and Kitchen Studios.

Gibraltar World Music Festival 2018 - Borders