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Bands unite
\ay and Saturday for internationalMnusic festival
By Thomas Phillips
THE BATTALION
Planet Northgate returns after its year-long
revolution around the cultural cosmos. Five
professional bands, plus a slew of local talents
and amateur acts, will perform at the
International Student Association’s (ISA)
annual free festival celebrating the music from
cultures across the globe.
Friday and Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to
12:30 a.m., featured bands will entertain audi
ences with reggae, salsa and middle-eastern
sounds behind Northgate.
' In the past, it’s been this huge interna
tional music festival, and it’s cool and fun,”
said Smita Rewari, director for Planet
Northgate and a senior biology major. “But
in light of what’s happened recently, I think
what I’m hoping for is a new twist to it. It’s
almost an international music festival going
hand in hand with a unity festival.”
Unity through music is the focus of this
year’s Planet Northgate, that differs in format
Irom previous years. In the past, organizers
brought in vendors and planned activities to
involve the crowd, but this year, musical per
formances will headline. Also, the time
frame has been changed from an all-day
event to two consecutive evenings.
“This time, we’ve cut down to our most
successful part,” Rewari said. “We’ve found
that that has been the evening spot with the
bands coming in a playing their music.”
Featured performers include Mango Punch,
a Latin and salsa-flavored ensemble; reggae
band Drum; the Gypsies, a band of middle-
eastern musical influence; dance troupe
Guaguanco and Mauj with Indian and
Pakistani musical variations. Student perform
ers will entertain between featured sets.
Organizers had the choice of holding the
event in the parking lot behind Northgate or on
In the pasty it’s been this
huge international music
festival and it’s cool and fun.
But in light of what’s
happened recently y I think
what I’m hoping for is a new
twist to it. It’s almost an
international music festival
going hand in hand
with a unity festival.
— Smita Rewari
event organizer
the top level of College Station’s new
Northgate Parking Garage — an increasingly
popular venue.
“We had the option of having it on top of
that roof, and it sounds spectacular and
everything,” Rewari said. “Then I was like,
the whole point of having it the way we’ve
had it was because it’s right behind that
whole Northgate evening [where people
can| stroll in, stroll out.”
A rati Bhattacharya, a junior finance and.
marketing major, plans to attend Planet
Northgate and will give up one night of her
weekend to work as a volunteer.
“I’d probably be out somewhere hanging
out with friends on a Friday night, but I figure
that it only comes around once a year and I can
hang out with my friends at a cultural carni
val,” Bhattacharya said.
There are many reasons students look
forward to attending the annual music fes
tival. Bhattacharya said she wants to go to
experience the different cultures that will
be represented.
“I think it’s important to learn more about
many other cultures and things that they hold
valuable and so dear to them,” Bhattacharya
said. “It’s a big multicultural [festival}, so
many different cultures are going to be there to
represent things that are fun.” v
Holding Planet Northgate in the A&M
community serves to educate and enlighten the
students and community members.
“It just makes more sense to have Planet
Northgate here versus somewhere at a more
diverse campus like t.u.,” Bhattacharya said.
“We have to look at it as a chance to let other
cultures speak out and teach us so much
from their culture.”
Rewari said that in light of the recent ter
rorist attacks, the ISA and other Planet
Northgate organizers are not out to sound
political alarms, only to entertain the public
and spread unity.
“I do want to get across the idea that it’s
going to be cool, not that we’re trying to make
a serious political statement,” she said. “We
just want to say, ‘Hey, we love all kinds of
stuff, we want to learn about all kinds of stuff,
and it’s actually fun doing that.’ ”
U i f 1
i'
rrz -
~ in
2001
WEST - 845 0!<4
OLANV'
\UST
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Tim Reynolds
Monday, November 5th
Rudder Auditorium
8:00 p.m.
Tickets on sale this Saturday
October 13th
MSG Box Office
order by phone: 845-1234
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