The popular local folk festival is taking place from 16-19 September and will see a fusion of traditional folk favourites with the new folk that has emerged in Deal around the 'Smuggler's Sessions'
Deal Maritime Folk Festival
The popular local folk festival is taking place from 16-19 September and will see a fusion of traditional folk favourites with the new folk that has emerged in Deal around the ‘Smuggler’s Sessions’
The festival is only happening this year thanks to the efforts of a number of local bands and great support from the Astor and several of the town’s pubs. 50 performers are coming together in 60 sessions at 10 venues to produce a great weekend of music for the town.
Many of the past festival favourites can be found – The popular ‘Day of Dance’ hosted by Offcumduns will have seven Morris and traditional dance groups performing throughout the town centre on Saturday with a Ceilidh dance in the evening.
The Deal Hoodeners will be doing their popular session at the Walmer Lifeboat House on Sunday morning; and there is a special ‘Songs of the Sea’ concert on Saturday with traditional singers Chris Roach, Kerry and Mandy and Paul Sirman at the Royal Hotel.
New this year are sessions from the Tom Farrer and the Pharaohs, The Turncoat, Trent Miller, Lucy Kitt, Uncle Meat and The Highway Children and Ben Thomas . On Saturday night there is a World Music first for Deal with a special concert with the Cocos Lovers supporting the great soulful Senegalese singer Nura Kane.
There will also be workshops on African drumming and harmony singing with some short folk films. The Festival kicks off with the new season of Smugglers Sessions at the Astor Community Theatre on Thursday 16 September. Other venues include The Bohemian, The Ship Inn, The Saracen’s Head, The Deal Hoy, The Royal Hotel, The Prince Albert and the Green Berry
