A world in the park

By programming much of its music into three free weekend festivals, Diaspora Music Village brings sounds from around the world to audiences beyond regular world music fans. Strolling through Kew Gardens, Regents Park or Greenwich Park, you can hear bands from Argentina to South Africa (including the Warriors, pictured), Yemen to Colombia.

The focus is on the fusions wrought by the transmigration of populations - not the global dance beats beloved by club DJs, but more traditional syntheses like that of the Malindi Orchestra, born of the Arabic, African and Indian influences characterising the Swahili music of the island of Zanzibar.

Inevitably, there's a lot of island music to be heard, including the Baja Baje Bhojpuri Boys from Mauritius with a mix of African and Bollywood sounds. There are also more than 25 groups form London.

He underlying message, says organiser Prakash Daswani, is to show how emigration, while often traumatic, is a source of endless creative renewal.

Diaspora Music Village Festivals, Sat 29 to Sun 30 of June, Kew Gardens, Surrey, Sat 6 and Sun 7 July, Regents Park, NW1, Sat 13 and Sun 14 Jul Greenwich Park, SE 10. Other events from Tue 26 June (info 020 7456 0404 or www.culturalco-operation.org)