CROYDON MELA 2006 Sunday 16 July, 1pm - 8pm, Lloyd Park, Coombe Road, Croydon BR East/West Croydon, tram to Lloyd Park stop www.croydon.gov.uk/summerfestival Tel: 0208 760 5672 FREE

London’s best Mela is back on Sunday 16 July 2006 at Lloyd Park in Croydon, with an explosive mix of musical styles. MC's - Sunny Kapoor & Ava Ray from Kismat Radio will host the main stage that will see performances from Malkit Singh, Jay Sean and the Rishi Rich Project and the Jaipur Kawa Brass Band. The Bollyhood stage hosted by DJ's Bobby & Nihal bring the best in current UK beats featuring Serese, Catch 22 and Krishnan.

MALKIT SINGH

Award winning Malkit Singh is officially the most travelled Punjabi music artist in the world! He has played in over 27 countries at some of the world's most acclaimed venues & festivals and he arrives in Croydon to headline this year's Mela. Donned the king of Bhangra, his unique sound has seen him cross from Punjabi folk to experimental house, rap and Hindi film scores.

RISHI RICH PROJECT

One of the most in demand music producers of the last year, RR has worked with Britney Spears, Mary J Blige, Craig David, Ricky Martin & Mis -Teeq. Rishi, who hosts his own show on Kiss FM, is joined on stage by prolific R'n'B sensation/rapper Jay Sean and guests for an explosive live performance promoting Rishi's new album The Project released on July 10.

JAIPUR KAWA BRASS BAND

The director of the acclaimed outfit Musafir brings us a musical treat with this charismatic live act, headed up by Hameed Khan Kawa and featuring eight top Rajasthani musicians, a fakir and a gypsy dancer. The music veers from traditional Indian wedding music to popular Bollywood songs.

ARCC CLASSICAL STAGE

The Asian Resource Centre once again plays host to classical musicians weaving their magic in the haven of a beautiful Indian wedding tent. Come and join ARRC in celebrating Asia's classical music heritage with live performances from;

UNITI

Unnati literally means "prosperity" - an apt description of her music career to date. Fusing traditional Indian Classical, Hindi, English and Bengali lyrics with a contemporary, individual approach, she captivates and entices listeners. In 2002, Unnati released her debut sell out album "Vishwa - The Universe of Music". Most recently, Unnati has performed at the Mayor's Thames Festival and Wembley Conference Centre.

SABERI MISRA

Saberi learned kathak dance at around 2yrs old and belongs to a musical family of 5 generations of Jaipur Gharana. Saberi's first performance was at the age of 4 in Calcutta. Since then she has given many performances in UK and India. Saberi performs with support of her father, famous tabla player Raj Kumar Misra and her mother Chandrima Misra, the eminent vocalist.

SOUMIK DATTA

Trained under Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, Soumik performed his first concert with his Guru at the age of 15. Toured by the Asian Music Circuit, UK as a young musician, he has performed solo nationwide.

THE BOLLYHOOD STAGE

Radio one DJ's Bobby & Nihal bring the best in current UK beats to the Bollyhood stage with Croydon promoters Class Act bringing local talent. MC's battle it out in front of the crowd and the audience help choose the best of the fest!

Live performance from:

SERESE
Anu, Anita & Mandeep are the Asian r&b powerhouse who sing like En Vogue & move like Destiny's Child and are set to feature on Rishi Rich's forthcoming album!

CATCH 22
C22 encompass the amazing Deadly Hunta. Having remixed ODB for the Blade 3 soundtrack and supplied music for the forthcoming FilmFour movie 'Mischief Night', this is your chance to see Catch 22 do what they do best - tear up a stage!

KRISHAN
Sri Lanka's finest tamil MC is getting ready to bring Tamil hip hop out of the shadows with an album due on Universal India.

COMMUNITY STAGE
Watch out for the vibrant dance shows and musical performances provided by a range of local talent. Plus a colourful parade will weave its way across the site following the Jaipur Kawa Brass Band as they make their way to the main stage for a dazzling performance.

OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE
On both days, there will be an array of fine outdoor theatre from top quality performance groups such as Bureau of Silly Ideas, Horse and Bamboo Theatre, Mora Brothers, Close Act and others...full details available on request.