Bringing the World to Our Neighborhood The Lotus World Music & Arts Festival With CD

Tuva... Madagascar... Paris... Bloomington

Traditional... experimental... acoustic... electric

Dozens of countries... dozens of cultures

Each September, the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival--a celebration of music, song, dance, and art---transforms a southern Indiana college town into an international oasis, featuring a dazzling array of talent, high spirits, and bonhomie. Bringing the World to Our Neighborhood portrays this unique event in photographs and music, and documents how Lotus has blossomed in the heart of middle America.

The vibrant images in this book provide an intimate look at the festival, highlighting the variety that has drawn crowds from within and beyond Bloomington since 1994. From the downtown stages to the street parades, free performance booths, and vendors; from the exhilaration of live performances to the bustle behind the scenes--the spirit of Lotus is showcased here, captured in more than a hundred photographs. It's the next best thing to being there!

Tuva... Madagascar... Paris... Bloomington

Traditional...experimental... acoustic... electric

Dozens of countries... dozens ofcultures

Each September, the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival-- a celebration of music, song, dance, and art- -- transforms a southern Indianacollege town into an international oasis, featuring a dazzling array of talent, highspirits, and bonhomie. Bringing the World to Our Neighborhood portrays this uniqueevent in photographs and music, and documents how Lotus has blossomed in the heartof middle America.

The vibrant images in this book provide anintimate look at the festival, highlighting the variety that has drawn crowds fromwithin and beyond Bloomington since 1994. From the downtown stages to the streetparades, free performance booths, and vendors; from the exhilaration of liveperformances to the bustle behind the scenes -- the spirit of Lotus is showcasedhere, captured in more than a hundred photographs. It's the next best thing to beingthere

LuAnne Holladay is Assistant Director of the Lotus World Music and Arts Foundation. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

1. How a Lotus Grew in Bloomington

2. From Bishkek to Bloomington: Building a Festival, One Musician at a Time

3. Today the World Comes to Our Neighborhood

4. Lotus Blossoms: Celebrating the Real Spirit of Our World