The Houston International Festival, better known as iFest, announced its 2011 lineup late Thursday night. Here are some of the highlights:
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
World Stage: Kronos Quartet feat. Homayun Sakhi; Houston Youth Symphony String Quartet; Houston Grand Opera
SATURDAY, APRIL 30
World Stage: Mayapuris; Kora Konnection; Rootz Underground; Jimmie Vaughan feat. Lou Ann Barton; Jonny Lang
Louisiana Stage: Voodoo Brass Band; Corey Ledet Zydeco Band; Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole; African Zydeco Revue feat. Kora Konnection; Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws
Houston Stage: Funk Bank; Chango Man; Free Radicals feat. Subhendu Chakraborty; Corey Ledet Zydeco Band; Kyle Turner
Latin Stage: Francisco Guevara Trio; Chango Man; Karina Nistal
SUNDAY, MAY 1
World Stage: Mayapuris; Atash feat. Abbos Kosimov; Keb' Mo'; Robert Cray Band
Louisiana Stage: Ruben Moreno & His Creole Soul Band; Mia Borders; Lil Brian & the Zydeco Travelers; Soul Rebels Brass Band
Houston Stage: HSPVA Jazz All-Stars; H-Town Jukes; Come See My Dead Person; Mike Stinson Band
Latin Stage: Mariachi MECA; Francisco Guevara Trio; Mark Townes Latin Jazz Band; Rainel Pino Afro-Cuban Orchestra
SATURDAY, MAY 7
World Stage: Space City Gamelan; Los Skarnales; Red Baraat; Robert Randolph & the Family Band; Michael Franti & Spearhead
Louisiana Stage: Voodoo Brass Band; Chris Bell & 100% Blues; Honey Island Swamp Band; Glen David Andrews (from HBO's Treme); Buckwheat Zydeco
Houston Stage: Leo Trio; The Octanes; Blaggards; Chris Bell Band; Emory Quinn
Latin Stage: Danza Azteca Teokalli; Mariachi MECA; Los Pistoleros de Tejas; Los Skarnales
SUNDAY, MAY 8
World Stage: Jud Johnson Band; Little Earth Orchestra; Lucinda Williams; Joe Ely Band
Louisiana Stage: Curtis Poullard & the Creole Zydeco Band; Red Baraat; Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners; J. Paul Jr. & the Zydeco Nubreeds
Houston Stage: Tyagaraja; Grandfather Child; Buxton; Jud Johnson Band
Latin Stage: Danza Azteca Teokalli; Mariachi MECA; Los Guerreros de la Musica; Norma Zenteno Band
Once again, iFest is downtown in the area surrounding City Hall, Sam Houston Park and Tranquility Park. Tickets for the Kronos Quartet's Friday-night preview are sold separately from iFest tickets. Performances on iFest's smaller stages will feature music, dance and other cultural exhibitions from countries along its 2011 theme, "The Silk Road," including India, China and the Middle East.
More information and tickets for tonight's fundraiser featuring the Joe Ely Band and Mike Stinson are available at www.ifest.org.
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