Touch FM announces first ever Coventry Mela

Touch FM will become one of the first non-Asian stations to get behind Coventry’s first ever indoor Mela, in association with Ricoh Arena.

The Mela Coventry, as it will be known, will take place on 12-13th August this year with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan headlining the event, plus Bhangra music and dancing including Abrar Ul Haq, Shazia Mansoor, Sukshinder Shinda, Malkit Singh, The Legends Band and Dhol Drummers.

The Mela Dance School will host a series of free lessons in Bhangra and Bollywood dancing; and for the latest fashions and trends, you can visit the ��Mahal�۪ for a free South Asian lifestyle exhibition featuring around 25 Midlands-based retailers and manufacturers and showcasing three Mela fashion shows on a specially constructed catwalk.

Holden, Senior Account Manager at Quidem, which owns Touch FM and is the presenter of Touch FM�۪s Asian Connections show, said the radio station was proud to be associated with such an event.

She said: ���Rahat was the first Pakistani chosen to sing at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert and the fact he has over six million Facebook likes underlines his popularity across the world.

���I can�۪t wait to see him sing live and I�۪m also looking forward to the acts performing at the Bhangra concert. There are plenty of varied activities organised throughout the day on 13 August, with traditional Asian culture, fashion, food and a film to keep everyone entertained.�۝

Andy Gibb, Managing Director of the Ricoh Arena, said securing Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to open the two-day cultural Mela Coventry festival is a major coup.

He said: ���Rahat is a true global superstar and to hear him singing at the Ricoh Arena will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for his fans.

���He is a massive influence in the genre of Qawwali music which has led to Rahat contributing to Hollywood music soundtracks and he is at the pinnacle of his career in the extremely popular world of Bollywood.

���This is the first Mela we have held and it will be unlike any other similar event in the UK since we will be providing a range of different entertainment to appeal to families from all communities in the Midlands.�۝

The Mela Coventry will be a celebration of music, dancing, fashion, film and wonderful cuisine. Tickets for the concerts go on pre-sale on Monday (25 January) and on general sale on Tuesday (26 January).