Barbican's club Med

The Mediterranean has been called 'the sixth continent' - the idea being that the countries bordering it have much in common because the sea has been a conduit for trade, emigration and travel for thousands of years.

Naples is culturally and geographically closer to North Africa than Milan, Marseilles is equi-distant from Algiers and Paris.

The Med was the escape route for Sephardic Jews who fled Spain in 1492 and settled in North Africa, the Middle East, Turkey and the Balkans. In short, the Mediterranean has rich cultural crosscurrents.

In a festival over three weekends, the Barbican is presenting Mediterranean music and culture, films, workshops, family and children's events, food and drink along with club stage events.

Music from the Moroccan Rolling Stones (Nass El Ghiwane) to the Turkish Madonna (Sezen Aksu). Performing are Enrique Morente, one of the greatest singers of Andalusian flamenco, and Eleftheria Arvanitaki, the striking Greek diva who is making international waves. The distinctive sounds from Corsica and Sardinia are being showcased, as are those of Algerian rai - a mix of traditional music and Western pop.

Also appearing are musicians pursuing the cultural connections between Palestinians and Jews in Israel, despite the circumstances. Politics, conflict and emigration collide with warmth, seductiveness and soul. It's all here.

MedFest 2002
Barbican, Silk Street EC2, St Giles Cripplegate, Fore Street, EC2
Information: 020-7638 8891

Sat 8-Mon 10; Sat 15; Mon 16 & Fri 21 Jun
Family day: Sunday 16 June