Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang

Greensboro is proud to welcome the “King of Bubu” Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang headlining this year on the main stage all the way from Brooklyn. Nabay’s infectious bubu style quickly won dedicated fans across Sierra Leone, where his records sold in the tens of thousands, blasting from local boom boxes across the country. Singing in Sierra Leone’s lingua franca, Krio, as well as his native tribal Temne, English, and Arabic, Nabay considers his work, then and now, a letter to Sierra Leoneans, a call for them to remember the roots of their culture. Janka Nabay goes on at 4pm and will be playing a longer set at the Blind Tiger’s “MOSAIC After Dark” show starting at 10 pm. Catch both sets and you won’t be sorry. 

Ricardo Diquez & the Tropic Orchestra

Born to Trinidadian and Puerto Rican parents, Ricardo Diquez fell in love with the music and dance that filled his home as a child and has been performing himself for over twenty years. He will be performing at MOSAIC with the Tropic Orchestra, a lively Caribbean dance band featuring musicians from Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico and the US  that has grown widely popular across NC. Ricardo Diquez and the Tropic Orchestra will hit the main stage at 5:45 pm – come ready to dance!

dub Addis

With soulful melodies embedded in the polyrhythm of Africa, dub Addis hails from the horn of Africa, Ethiopia. Led by Singer-songwriter Dereje Tesfaye, dub Addis has been performing original songs for the last decade. dub Addis’s songs vary from traditional Ethiopian rhythms to Roots Reggae. They have shared stages with Hugh Masekela, The Wailers, Steel Pulse, Culture, Arrested Development, Morgan Heritage, Buju Banton, Vieux Farka Toure and more. Find dub Addis at 2:30 pm & opening later that night at the Blind Tiger. 

The Brand New Life

Closing out the night with a 7:15 pm set on the main stage are local favorites The Brand New Life. The eight-piece band has become recognized as one of the Southeast’s top Afrobeat groups, sharing the stage with world-renowned all-stars such as Nigerian Afrobeat royalty Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 and American Afrobeat collective Antibalas. With an adventurous original repertoire, the band avoids being classified as purely Afrobeat by drawing on a number of musical influences including New Orleans jazz and indie rock. The result is a rousing, danceable melting pot of sound, powered by fierce polyrhythm and forceful horns that can be heard on their self-titled album (2010) and recently released single Gigs/$$$.

Joining these amazing artists is a full day of music and dance with sets throughout on two stages. Look for:

Belly Dance Troupe Three Graces on the main stage at 1pm!

DoDream Korean Drums

WareWare Band

Los Viejitos

Bhutanese Dance by Binita, Pyrinka and Chhaii & Shriya Acharya

Children’s Dances from Venezuela and Mexico

Bollywood Dance by Damali & Dumanis

Triad Nepalese Community Center Dancers

Indian Harmonium by Rajen Sukhadia

Sao Lao – Traditional Lao Dance

Congolese Gospel by AWA Boboto

Korean String Music

Flamenco by World Dance Exchange 

We have been busy working with performers, artists and vendors and plans are well under way for another awesome year. For those of you who are interested in participating and haven’t gotten your applications in yet – please make sure to get them in soon as slots are filling up quickly! Click here: for Vendor Applications and here for performers.

We are also thrilled to announce that we are adding an exciting new component to the event this year: The Culture Expo Tent will showcase workshops throughout the day where festival goers can engage with artists and speakers directly to learn more about the incredible music, dance, food and art on display. From dance and instrument demos to weaving to cultural discussions to learn more about the people and places that make up our community. If you’re interested in participating in a workshop – please contact us at mosaicfest@gmail.com!

Keep posted for updates as we get closer to the event including the mainstage music line up coming in May. We have some AMAZING artists this year and can’t wait for you to meet them!

The Ethnic Street Fair is always a fan favorite at MOSAIC and we expect June 2, 2012 to be no different! With 15 food vendors representing ethnic delights from all over the world, you’ll want to come back again and again. This year’s street fair includes master cooks from all across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Europe. Chirba Chirba Chinese Dumpling Truck will be on hand along with the ever popular Korean BBQ (bulgogi), Taco Corner, Sweet Breads and pastries from Jamaica, Chad and the Middle East, delicious curries and vegetables from Democratic Republic of Congo and the Carribean, and plenty of delectable finger foods from Bhutan, Nigeria, Vietnam, Burma, Iraq and more! Gia’s Italian Ice will be out there all day to cool you off and there’ll even be good old American hot dogs for the faint of heart. This is a food event you don’t want to miss!

Feeling full already? Take your time perusing through the street fair’s art and demonstration vendors. Browse hand made scarves, bags and other handicrafts from the refugee women’s crafts collectives, visit a Russian souvenir shop, learn about opportunities to become involved in your community and check out our AWESOME sponsors. Did you know that Greensboro is home to the largest Montagnard population outside of their homeland of Vietnam? Check out the gifts of their culture over at the back strap weaving demonstration and don’t forget to stop by leading sponsor Whole Foods’ stand for lots of free samples! 

Don’t forget to cool off with a cold drink. The United Caribbean Association will have their signature Ginger Pineapple and Hibiscus Drinks at their stand. Plus of course soft drinks, water, wine and beer will be available.

Take a peek at what’s in store:

This year, we are thrilled to bring you the eclectic sounds of Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands. Crystal’s background is in Ethnomusicology and it shows! The band’s genre is undefinable being described as everything from European carnival to gypsy folk to french parlor with a Latin flair. We don’t know what it is, but we sure do like it! Some of the instruments you’ll find on stage? Accordion, musical saw, Adungu (Ugandan harp), concertina, bombo (Argentine drum), jembe, congas, riqq, and horn. We can’t wait!!

Kicking off the main stage this year is Diali Cissokho & Kairaba!, back for a second year and even better than ever. In fact, national music publication Paste Magazine just named them one of their “Top 12 North Carolina Bands to Watch!” Led by Senegalese kora magician Diali Cissokho and backed by a clan of crazy talented music loving North Carolinians, Kairaba! has the kind of sound that will have your feet tapping and head groovin at the first beats. 

Hopping over to another continent, Greensboro’s own Braco Latin rock group is sure to get  you dancing. Braco’s sound is rooted in rock but crosses genres with a fusion of Latin jazz, funk, Caribbean, Spanish and even Middle Eastern sounds. Leader Cesar Oviedo’s energy is infectious, so make sure you’re at the park when they hit the stage!

We truly believe that Mosaic is more than just a fun time with awesome food, music and art (though it is definitely all of that). We think it’s one of the coolest ways that we can build community at the local level, crossing lines of ethnicity, class, race, religion and politics to come together to celebrate the diversity that makes our city what it is.

If you agree, head on over to KickStarter and give this great festival a boost!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR KICKSTARTER PAGE: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mosaicfest/mosaic-festival