The outdoor boutique festival, Live at the Manor, will return for the second time on Saturday from 4pm to 10.30pm.
After a successful sell-out event last year, producer and festival director Benjamin Levy said he hoped that staging his ‘LIVE AT’ festivals will be a regular occurrence on the local calendar. With nearly 30 years’ experience in the international music industry, he strives to bring world-touring artists to his Channel Island home, and cultivate a cultural bridge between the UK and France.
‘Through music and culture, we have an opportunity to create something internationally distinctive here,’ said Mr Levy.
‘I saw the islands were not bringing any artists from abroad, or very rarely, because accommodation, hospitality and flights was quite expensive. And there’s no music infrastructure here, really. But the Channel Islands have quite interesting potential – uniquely positioned between Britain and France.
‘In the south of England there’s lots of artists coming for festivals like Glastonbury – and in Brittany, you’ve got all the artists in the world, but they’re going through Calais to the UK.
‘They’re doing the tours, but not going through the islands. So I started to look into it, and I hope to establish some roots for the music industry to develop.’
This year’s line-up will see a blend of soul, house and jazz influences with Afro-diasporic culture at the historic gardens in St Martin’s. With live sunset performances from Tortured Soul, Malka Family, Claudia Isaki and Oliver Bolger.
‘I want our kids here to have the capacity to be inspired and influenced by musical artists from all over the world,’ said Mr Levy.
‘Everything about Guernsey is fantastic, but the thing it’s missing a little is diversity.
‘That can be seen as a bad word, but to me it means value. I want our community to be open to the bigger world – I think our children, friends, people and businesses will profit from it.
‘We want to keep the festival as small as possible. To keep quality music, quality environment, and to work with the heritage and culture.
‘The idea is to create a relaxing summer experience for all generations.’
Originally from France, Mr Levy has worked with artists such as James Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire and Roy Ayers, booking shows and tours all over the world.
‘I’ve been very lucky that my vision has aligned with States’ long-term initiative to connect the Channel Islands with artistic networks across France and the UK,’ he said.
‘There’s a big appetite for this here, and I feel that States is super keen to support.
‘And I couldn’t do it without all the help and encouragement from people in the community, my friends and family. Together, I’m looking forward to showing what’s possible.’
Presented by Guernsey Make Music Live, this weekend’s event is supported by PwC, Sure by Beyon, Visit Guernsey and the Tourism Advisory Board. Tickets can be purchased at https://my.weezevent.com/live-the-manor
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