Global flavour to National Day, WEC off-track entertainments

The off-track entertainment happening at this year’s BIC National Day Festival and the FIAWEC Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) will have plenty of exquisite international flavour.  Set to be a major part of the colourful attractions from December 13 to 16 at “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East” are the roaming performers. They are coming from all corners of the globe to entertain all those in attendance for the biggest occasion at BIC outside of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

Among the acts that race fans will be able to enjoy are The Black Angels from Kenya, Mariachi Jaliso Group from Mexico, and Six Harmonies Lion Dance Team plus Spark! LED Drummers from the UK. One of the most successful exports to come from Kenya in the last 20 years, The Black Angels were formed in 1992 on the south coast of Mombasa. They are a group of unbelievably talented and vastly experienced acrobats who have performed in over 25 countries over the last decade and are especially popular in the US.

Former chat show host David Letterman saw a YouTube clip of them and invited them onto his show, and from there The Black Angels haven’t looked back. Their show blends circus acrobatics with popular dance moves set to traditional Kenyan music. Incredible displays of strength, balance and speed have left audiences all around the world, including the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, stunned and amazed.

Mariachi is a type of traditional Mexican folk music, typically performed by a small group of roaming musicians dressed in native costume. The roots of Mariachi go back hundreds of years. The word “Mariachi” is derived from the word marriage due to its prominence at weddings. It started as the music of country people but quickly came to represent all parts of Mexico. The music celebrates the joys, struggles and eventual triumphs of the Mexican people.

Mariachi Jalisco Group is a world-renowned Mariachi band. They fuse several styles of Mexican music together by using a broad range of instruments such as rattles, drums, flutes guitars and other brass instruments together with fast-paced beats and light rhythms. Based in the UK but bringing a taste of Chinese Lion Dance, Six Harmonies Lion Dance Team are a product of the Northern Dragon Lion Dance Team.