LOTUSFESTIVAL 2003 2003 2002003

When three strangers sat in a coffee shop over ten years ago and discussed the production of a world music festival, none of them even fathomed it would come this far. \n"It was inspirational -- we shook hands and there was this symbolic moment for the three of us when we sat down for coffee the first time we met," recollects Lee Williams, now executive director of the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation. "We shook hands on it and said we were going to do this. It was a powerful statement." \nThis powerful statement along with multicultural sounds of music and arts is still heard around Bloomington as the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival began its tenth annual running yesterday and continues throughout the weekend. The Lotus Festival concludes Sunday with the World Spirit Concert from 2-5 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre.\nThe Lotus Festival, named partially in honor of Lotus Dickey, an Indiana singer, songwriter and musician, represents the ideas of the world, culture, humanity and of course, music.\n"We wanted it to represent something about southern Indiana and music and the arts, but also we wanted it to represent something bigger, because of the world music idea," Williams reveals. "When someone suggested Lotus Dickey, we all knew that was it -- it was his spirit, his personality. He was a very wonderful person, very giving, and just had boundless energy. With lotus also being a flower that had an international presence, we knew that was perfect."\nNow, with the innovative idea and the perfect name for the event, it was time for the production. Williams and his crew not only wanted to bring cultures together as a showcase of world music for the city of Bloomington, but also as a showcase of Bloomington for the world. With a very small budget and a group of enthusiastic volunteers, the Lotus Festival brought 14 artists from all over the world to Bloomington in the summer of 1994, and has not stopped growing ever since. As the festival expanded from the 14 artists that year to over 30 this year, it will feature groups from Latin America, Hungary, Africa and India, and the world seems to be growing a little smaller for the residents of Bloomington. \nThe increasing number of artists as well as other fast-paced changes the event has encountered over the years has kept Williams and his associates on their toes. This year's additions to the festival include a street parade on Kirkwood Ave. on Saturday morning as well as the inclusion of acts to appeal to the IU student market. \nSince this year marks the first time Lotus organizers have actively sought out the student audience, Williams feels that providing a free event on campus will hopefully draw out those interested students. The free event, a film of "The Life of Bob Marley" by Marley biographer Roger Steffens (see sidebar), will be featured tonight at both 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. at the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union. \nJoining forces with IU Union Board, Williams and the Lotus Festival group are also offering student discount tickets through the IMU. If students do decide to take up the offer of discounted tickets, their cultural tour begins in any one of the nine different venues for the festival. The "around the world in just a few blocks" scheme set up for the festival is also one of the many changes Lotus has undergone \n"This was a powerful thing, because people could pay their money to go to this thing, and if they didn't like the Irish group upstairs (of the John Waldron Arts Center) they could go see the Nicaraguan group downstairs, or go see the African group across the street," Williams says. "You can go from one culture to another just by going across the street."\nThis year the event has expanded to include the Buskirk-Chumley, First Christian Church, First United Methodist Church, the Herald-Times stage, the InterArt Tent, the John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium, the Monroe Bank tent, the Monroe County Convention Center and the Union Board tent. \nHowever, not all changes have been positive. Williams and the Lotus staff have also experienced some turmoil with the events of Sept.11 and the recent war with Iraq. The unfortunate tragedies of the former brought an increased scrutiny upon student-issue visas. For many musicians, a simple uncertainty in visa requirements blocked their entry to the States. The Iraqi war brought more unforeseen problems for the festival. \n"There were a lot of international artists canceling tours in protest of the war," Williams says. "And there are still a lot of artists that are frustrated with the United States, and some artist are still a little concerned in making the trip." \nAlthough these problems are still ongoing, the setbacks have not discouraged Williams and his staff to stop what they do best. "We just have to do whatever it takes to make it happen," says Williams. \nAs they say, the show must go on. And go on it will. \nStudent tickets for the event can be bought in advance at the IMU for $15 per night or at the festival for $20 per night. A schedule of the festival's events can be picked up when purchasing a ticket, but Williams suggests that all festivalgoers consult www.lotusfest.org for last minute updates.