Saturday Evening at The World Beat Fest

The 9th annual Salem World Beat Festival at Salem's Riverfront Park happens June 24th-25th, 2006.

Leroy Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners play Saturday Photo Courtesy www.lsue.edu

(SALEM) - Headlining this year`s World Beat Festival is Leroy Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners. A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Thomas and his band play authentic, Louisiana-style Zydeco.

Zydeco combines French dance melodies and elements of Caribbean music and blues into high-energy rhythms played on accordion, harmonica, washboard and guitar.

Zydeco is often referred to as a cousin of Cajun music. Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners are one of the hottest bands on the Zydeco scene playing throughout the country at venues such as the Kennedy center and being featured in Zydeco Road and on World Music Central.

Thomas` performance takes place Saturday evening after a professional Zydeco dance workshop.

Locals and visitors alike are invited to take the workshop and join this one-of-a-kind celebration of Louisiana roots music.

Another highlight of the Beat takes place directly following the Zydeco party: The Procession of Light which leads through the World Villages and ends in the amphitheater for the fire dancing finale performed by San Francisco-based Los Suenos del Fuego.

New to the Beat, Los Suenos del Fuego (meaning `dreams of fire" in Spanish) specialize in partner, group and theatrical fire-dancing choreography. The dances will be projected onto a 24x9 foot screen behind the stage for premium viewing throughout the amphitheater.

The 9th annual Salem World Beat Festival at Salem's Riverfront Park happens June 24th-25th, 2006. Recently voted Best Cultural Heritage Event by the Oregon Festivals and Events Association, organizers say World Beat is an international festival celebrating the cultures, customs, traditions and heritage that make Oregon such a wonderful place to live and visit.