Global beats and moving feet at the 4th Annual Occidental World Music & Dance Festival

Clockwise from top left: Raman Osman performs Kurdish Music; Sonoma County’s own Sol Flamenco will perform and lead Flamenco Dance and Guitar workshops; Will Marsh performs Sitar music of India; Tyehimba Kokayi leads the West African Drumming and Dancing workshops; and Katiana Vilá leads Iberian Songs workshop.

The 4th Annual Occidental World Music & Dance Festival is happening next weekend on Saturday, May 30, from 10 am to 9 pm, at the Occidental Center for the Arts. At a time when things seem divisive, music transcends to create unity through a global community, and this unique festival, which celebrates diversity and participation, embodies that ideal. I don’t think there is another festival in the Bay Area that offers such a diversity of performers and workshops. This is an inclusive event for people of all ages and levels of musical experience. Think of it as a musical passport where you can experience music and dance from around the world. There will be more than 50 workshops, jams, and performances to choose from.

Tina Marchetti, the executive director at the Occidental Center for the Arts, said she “started the festival in partnership with a volunteer who proposed the idea, based on his enthusiasm for hands-on, experiential opportunities.” Tina credits veteran musician and stage performer Mark Sellin, a longtime participant at Lark Camp, for helping start the Occidental event. (Lark Camp is a weeklong celebration of world music, song and dance in Mendocino.)

The Occidental World Music & Dance Festival brings together extraordinary musicians and dancers from around the world for a day filled with exhilarating performances, interactive workshops, and irresistible rhythms. From captivating traditional artistry to innovative contemporary fusion, the festival invites audiences of all ages to experience the beauty of global cultures up close.

In addition to the bounty of performances and workshops, there will be a musical instrument lending library, Celtic Harp Encounter, art gallery, local artists drawing portraits, free instrument check, and free parking. Lata’s Indian Cuisine will offer lunch from 11 am to 2 pm, and there will be a Greek dinner buffet from 5:30 pm to 7:15 pm.

The festival closes with a performance by Dodona, one of the few bands in the Bay Area specifically focused on the music of the Albanian and Epirus diaspora. With music that ranges from plaintive to trance-inducing to driving, Dodona’s repertoire is filled with songs of longing, romance, nostalgia, and celebration.

The ticket price for the Occidental World Music & Dance Festival is $75 through May 29, or $80 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free, and teens are half price. Tickets are discounted for OCA members. A limited number of scholarships are available. Get tickets and find more information HERE, including bios of the performers and the entire schedule of events. Occidental Center for the Arts is located at 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental.

Thunder Clappers Native American Dancers
Sol Flamenco
Jenny Kerr & Friends — Southern Delta Blues
Khatch Khatchadourian (“The Duduk Whisperer”) — Armenian Music
Will Marsh — Sitar music of India
Joss Jaffe — Tabla, West African N’goni
Dodona — Music of Greece & Albania
Los Bahianatos — Colombian Cumbia & Vallenato
Meredith Axelrod and Craig Ventresco — Ragtime & Vintage Jazz
Carey Dubbert and Meredith Axelrod — Autoharp
Gradina — Balkan Music
Katiana Vilá — Iberian Songs
Michael Hubbert — Uilleann Pipes
Raman Osman — Kurdish Music
Janessa Lynna and Pauline Persichilli — Belly Dance
Story Wrens — Story Songs of the British Isles
Bobby Edwards — Swiss Alpenhorn
Ken Genetti — Zithers from Around the World

Workshops, jams and demonstrations are open to all attendees regardless of experience level or background. You may participate in or just observe and enjoy any session.