Quaye lined up for Croydon Summer Festival

4:19pm Thursday 12th June 2008

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The list of top artists filling the bill for next month's Croydon Summer Festival just keeps getting bigger.

Already confirmed are reggae artist Finley Quaye, fantastic live performers Stereo MCs, as well as the winner of the best act and album at this year's Asian music awards, Sukshinder Shinda.

The free two-day event in Lloyd Park, sponsored by the Croydon Guardian, was launched last week at the Croydon Clocktower with Testing 123 winners Cellar Door entertaining guests, along with junior students from the Kerla Cultural and Welfare Association's dance class, who performed a captivating routine.

The main action takes place over two days in the middle of July though, with the World Party on Saturday and the Mela on Sunday.

Quaye will be the headline act on Saturday, having had two top twenty hits in 1997 with Sunday Shining and Even After All, winning best reggae act at the MOBO awards and best male solo artist at the Brit awards the following year.

Following on from him will be the Stereo MCs, another act who rose to prominence in the 1990s with hits including Connected and Elevate My Mind. The electronica group are releasing their sixth album, double bubble the week after the festival.

At the Mela on Sunday, singer, composer and producer Sukshinder Shinda headlines the main stage. Shinda has spent the last 15 years as a major force on the Asian music scene and recently won best act and best album at the 2008 Asian music awards.

Other performers over the weekend include Cellar Door, Trickbaby - whose latest release is popular with Radio One, the Bollywood Brass Band, The Dhol Blasters, Speed Caravan, Joji Hirota and The Taiko Drummers, Massukos - Mozambique's most successful band, and Nathan Lee, who combines beatboxing with playing the flute.

There will be activities for children in the kids area on both days as well as outdoor performances including giant slinkies and a demonstration of the fast-moving Asian sport of Kabaddi.

Croydon Summer Festival, Lloyd Park, July 12 and 13, 1pm to 8pm, free. Visit croydonfestival.com.