Peace Arch concert series to feature international music and dance groups

By Jami Makan

A series of free concerts will take place in August at Peace Arch State Park featuring international music and dance groups.

The free one-hour concerts start at 2 p.m. each Sunday in August, beginning on August 4. The concerts are being presented by the Washington State Parks Folk and Traditional Arts Program, with additional support from the city of Blaine’s tourism advisory committee.

The Peace Arch International Concert Series celebrates the Pacific Northwest’s diversity of cultures and traditions with music and dance performances from communities around the world, including those in Thailand, Brazil, Texas/Mexico and Eastern Europe.

On August 4, the Chaopraya Ensemble will perform Thai classical and folk music along with a wide range of dances, from lively regional folk dances to graceful court dances.

On August 11, En Canto will perform. A multi-ethnic female-led sextet, En Canto is Seattle’s only Forró band. Forró music has origins in the agricultural traditions of northeastern Brazil and is a combination of multiple Brazilian rhythms.

The August 18 concert will feature a performance by Juan Manuel Barco, a well-known conjunto and Tejano music performer.

The final concert, on August 25, will feature the Radost Folk Ensemble and Dunava. Since 1976, the Radost Folk Ensemble has presented the dance, music and song of Eastern Europe throughout the Pacific Northwest. Joining the group will be Dunava, a Seattle-based women’s vocal ensemble specializing in the a cappella folk music of Eastern Europe.

For more information about the events, visit parks.state.wa.us/folkarts. The park is accessible by foot from either side of the border without border-crossing formalities.