'We learnt to speak to each other through music'

Music is known for its ability to bring together many different cultures, cross barriers and create something unique.

One group, Citadels of the Sun, have found a pairing that you might not expect - traditional Irish folk music and traditional Indian folk music blended together.

The group, who are taking part in Belfast Mela, said that is something they use as a focus when songwriting and performing.

The festival has been taking place over the past week with final celebrations taking place on Sunday at Botanic Gardens.

Sunday is the final day of the Belfast Mela Festival

'Can't wait for our performance at Belfast Mela'

The final event is taking place at Botanic Gardens in south Belfast

The musicians are performing at the Showcase Stage after performing to a sell-out crowd at The Mac on Friday.

The distinctive name for the group, Citadels of the Sun, refers to two sun forts: Grianán of Aileach in Donegal and Mehrangarh in Jodhpur and was set up in 2019 as a joint collaboration with Earagail Arts Festival and Jodhpur RIFF (Rajasthan International Folk Festival).

The group is made up of Martin Coyle, Paul Cutliffe, Sarah E Cullen, Asin Khan Langa and Sawai Khan Manganiyar.

Asin and Sawai told BBC News NI they loved performing worldwide and "can’t wait for our performance at Belfast Mela”.

'We could only communicate through music'

Martin Coyle said the project was initially daunting

Martin Coyle, from Londonderry, plays the Irish Bouzouki – a stringed instrument which is similar to a mandolin.

“Initially I found the project very daunting as we didn’t know how it was going to gel together but after spending more time with Asin and Sawai, we found out we had much more in common than what we thought,” he said.

“It turns out Indian and Irish culture is much more similar than you would believe as a lot of it is based on folk tales, so this gave us a strong base to write some lyrical narratives for our music.”

“Our collaboration has highlighted the universal beauty of music - Sawai and Asin’s English was not very strong at the start so we could only communicate through music.

"However, this developed the project really well and quickly,” Martin continued.

“Music was our only form of expression and we learnt to speak to each other through music as it was our only form of expression. Now, language barriers do not hold us back,” he added.

'The instruments blend together just as we are'

“It feels amazing to perform in Northern Ireland to new audiences who have not heard this type of music before," Martin explained.

"It’s a pleasure to tell the story of these two sun forts and how they feel each other’s presence while being worlds apart.

“We let the traditional folk instruments from each country talk to each other throughout the performance and blend together just as we are."

Nisha Tandon is the chief executive of the group behind the Belfast Mela festival

Nisha Tandon is the chief executive of ArtsEkta, the group behind the Belfast Mela festival.

“The word Mela comes from South East Asia and it means ‘getting together’ and that is what we really try to do here," she said.

"There are no barriers and everyone is equal, no matter what.

“Mela brings a sense of pride to many diverse communities who call Northern Ireland their home and celebrates what the bring to the island.

Nisha continued that Northern Ireland has been "so welcoming" to many different cultures, "however, recently there has been a lot of issues".

The organiser was referring to recent race hate violence, particularly in Belfast, which followed anti-immigration protests.

A number of homes and businesses belonging to ethnic minorities have been targeted, with police making dozens of arrests.

“Mela is a time to forget about these issues, celebrate inclusivity and work together to be united,” Nisha added.

Organisers say Mela "brings a sense of pride" to diverse communities

Belfast Mela has been running for 18 years in Northern Ireland and attracts thousands of people each year.

“Citadels of the Sun is the perfect example of interweaving cultures together and that is what we are all about at Mela," Nisha said.

"By mixing Irish and Indian culture, something unique and special is created, giving a platform for people to mingle and collaborate."

Asin Khan Langa (left) and Sawai Khan Manganiyar are members of Citadels of the Sun

Asin and Sawai have both travelled from India to Belfast to perform in the group for Mela.

Asin plays the Sindhi Sarangi (a stringed instrument not unlike a fiddle) and performs vocals.

Sawai plays a long list of traditional Indian instruments including Dholak (a two-headed drum), Khartal (a percussion instrument similar to the cymbals) and Morchang (similar to the mouth harp).

'Both cultures love storytelling'

Belfast Mela has been running for 18 years

“We come from different communities in India– one Hindu and one Muslim. But through our traditional Indian instruments we have come together,” Asin said.

“We took inspiration from both Indian soil and Irish soil, both cultures love storytelling and that is why it has worked so well,” he continued.

What is happening at Belfast Mela on Sunday?

The event attracts thousands of people

Sunday is Mela day.

It is the finale of the festival and is taking place from 12:00 - 18:00 BST at Botanic Gardens.

The event's website promised that the venue would be "transformed into a wonderland of world music, dance, food and art".

The event was opened with a procession, led by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Micky Murray, and Nisha Tandon.

Attendees have been able to sample food from around the world, with cook-along sessions and other dancers performing from as far afield as China and Mexico.

A full list of the festival's events can be found here.

The word 'Mela' comes from South East Asia and it means 'getting together'