The Sixth Annual New England Culture Fest Returns Lowell MA Arts District on September 12, 2009!

    LOWELL, MA, August 19, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In an exciting fusion of film, fashion, world culture, and fair trade advocacy, The Sixth Annual New England Culture Fest returns to the Arts District of downtown Lowell, Massachusetts at the Middle Street's Enterprise Bank Parking Lots (2:00PM -10:00PM) with a world class lineup of music from around the world fusing the indigenous with the modern on behalf creating a more equitable world. In its sixth year, this outdoor benefit festival will feature Senegalese phenomenon Gokh-Bi System, who combine ancient sounds of instruments like the bougarabou, djeme and sabaar drums, ekonting- with modern hip hop beats and rhymes in multiple West African languages accompanied by African dancers and, a special treat to set the tone: the ladies and gentlemen of the 2009 Fashionably Fair Runway Show will showcase recycled and modified clothing from local and global cutting edge designers strutting their stuff to the music and a special surprise from urban fashion label and beak dance crew, Losst Unnown . Since their arrival in America in 1999, Gokh-Bi System completed 10 US tours sharing the bill with artists such as Kanye West and Damian Marley. Gokh-Bi emcee Mamadou says, "Through our music we want to spread that sense of family we share in Senegal around the world."

Also on the bill is Boston's reining reggae king Mighty Mystic and the Strings of Thunder who captured national attention for his string of hits including "Treat Her Right," "Riding on the Clouds," and the recent "Here I Am" featuring superstar Shaggy. DJ Ray will juggle innovative funk, world, and hip hop beats in between and host a spotlight called Dance for a Better World featuring Boston's leading DJs, veteran DJ Bruno (Utopia), Bradford James (SEED) and Adam Gibbons (Uhuru Africa) plus surprise guests. Also enjoy Boston based B3 driven funk outfit Organ in Orbit hitting hard with sounds spanning the Meters to John Scofield via talents Jeremy Parker on B3 organ, Bruce Bartlett on guitar, and Steve Langone on drums. Hailing from Brattleboro, Vermont Mo Ambesa will keep the crowd moving to hip hop infused reggae invoking influences as eclectic as Ras Tafari to Sufi mystics. Mo Ambesa means 'Children of the Lion' in the Amharic language of Ethiopia. Akshara Percussion Ensemble comprised of virtuosic performers in Carnatic and Hindustani classical genres, will perform an energetic blend of classical Indian melody and rhythm highlighted with solo and scale-based improvisations. Back by popular demand will be a Salsa Dance party with Dan Marshall of FreEMotion Repertory Company!

Just beyond the Culture Fest Stage, become immersed in the NECF's Ethical Art & Biz Expo, with henna, live art, children's activities and sixty interactive exhibitors ranging from Caribbean cuisine, to jewelry free fresh Green Mountain Coffee! As night falls become immersed in large scale interactive video installation art manipulated by NYC artist Bryan Teoh featuring the global images of The Second World Fair Trade Stories Film Archive. Also projected onto the historic downtown buildings this evening will be the animated mash up film combining 1920's blues and the Ramayna with a modern story of lost love and resilience in Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues. So when the sun goes down come see why Roger Ebert gave this Indian dub infused resilient flick "two thumbs up."

Also on tap: a scintillating fashion show from the Fashionably Fair advocacy program fusing fashion and fair trade in a stunning display of innovative design supporting economic justice and indigenous cultural preservation in the local and global community. Let recycled vintage set the scene this year with style source Cult of Individuality makeup artist Nichole Richard, urban fashion label and Boston break dancing crew Losst Unnown, Jamaica Plain artist Maj-Britt Pedersen and Lichiban a Brooklyn-based visual artist to create a play between tribal and urban that just might be the fabric of the future. Original creations will meld haute couture with urban and current ethical design pulses, with hair and makeup by innovative cutting edge stylists showcased on the beautiful and diverse faces of Fashionably Fair ethical fashion revolution to live music from the NECF09 headliner, Gokh-Bi System! Bid on these treasures in the NECF Silent Auction and 50+ additional prizes in the NECF Raffle!

So on September 12, 2009 look for the two hundred foot NECF Art Fence which features talented youth artists from around North America! To recap: more than one hundred artists, ethical businesses, fair trade organizations and restaurants are expected to participate in NECF 2009, all of which is set for an international e-broadcast. This festival is a celebration transporting New Englanders to another place: immersed in the sights, scents and sounds of global culture on behalf of raising funds for fair trade economic empowerment projects around the world.

Event Partners include Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Audio East, Enterprise Bank, The Boston Globe, 88.9 FM WERS, The Weekly Dig, Medici Musica, Pose Video Productions, Microfundo, Mother Jones, The Fair Trade Federation, Transfair USA, United Teen Equality Center, The Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, Mahoney's Garden Center, Christian Party Rental, The Holiday Inn Andover Tewksbury, Jakprints, Stellar Productions, Second World Productions, Kinney Hill, Baker Street Productions, One Lowell, Showtime Sound, The Boott Cotton Mills, and The City of Lowell. Raffles and prizes featuring prizes from 100 featured New England businesses, artists, fair trade organizations and craftspeople at NECF's Ethical Interactive Art & Biz Expo will also be ongoing throughout the day of the festival. The present echoes the past as in the spirit of the Lowell Mill Girls, Second World brings you an amazing event rallying for a better world for a very fair ticket price.

This is the Fair Trade Festival, being a unique event in the United States and globally highlighting the movement celebrating creative excellence, and the continuing struggle to provide a self-sustaining living wage and safe working conditions for artisans, musicians and workers worldwide.

The New England Culture Fest Mission Statement:

The funds raised via ticket sales to the festival will support Second World's art empowerment documentation projects around the world which go hand in hand with fair trade advocacy and educational programs (lectures, workshops) in the Boston area. On the Second World website under "Initiatives" please find information regarding Second World projects. They involve not only documentation and in-depth research, but also the education of the public through marketing initiatives and the development of art empowerment projects and micro-credit funds to re-establish income generation in disaster/conflict affected regions. With funds raised from the New England Culture Fest, Second World will continue to develop these initiatives linking New England with communities throughout India, Nepal, Peru and Jamaica to increase awareness of fair trade and increase the number of orders given to cooperatives, along with establishing a self-sustainable online portal of multimedia information regarding fair trade, and its cultural/economic impact for disadvantaged indigenous and marginalized communities.

About Second World :

Bridging the gap between the so called "First" and "Third" World, with media, music and art.
Second World is a dynamic non-profit arts and development organization combining media, music and art for a better world. As a leader since 1998 dedicated to the marketing of fair trade artisans, and their stories, the nucleus of Second World is a multimedia research archive of educational tools for the fair trade marketplace. This is key to increasing the number of orders given to artisans involved with fair trade art projects. Based on over a decade of research, Second World aims to address the crucial need for fair trade education. Ultimately, Second World hopes to bridge the gap between the "First" and "Third World" through media documentation, musical events and fair trade art empowerment.

"First" World. "Third" World. Forget What Your Were Told. Welcome to the Second World.

http://www.second-world.com : Facebook Event Page is : http://bit.ly/NECF09FBpage

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