Fame Academy star Lemar, Asian band Shaanti and hip hop theatre performer Jonzi D will launch an innovative West Midland festival that celebrates African, Asian and Caribbean arts.
The dBXpo event will be kickstarted by the celebrities on February 9, 2004, at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
It will run until April and will feature culturally diverse arts, from Hip-Hop theatre to Chinese art, South Asian dance and Latin American film.
With more than 500 artists presenting over 80 events at venues across the region, the festival has something for everyone.
Highlights include jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine performing at The Drum (Feb 14) and Nitin Sawhney headlining at the Custard Factory (Feb 27).
At Symphony Hall the world-famous Bollywood composer AR Rahman will join the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for evenings of Bollywood blockbusters and excerpts from his hit West End musical, Bombay Dreams (March 5-6).
Exciting dance performances will be showcased throughout the festival, from South Asian Kathak dance and traditional African dance with Anurekha Ghosh in Ganges to Nile (The Drum, April 22 - 24), to a combination of Brazilian martial art, ballet and jazz in Union Dance (Ludlow Assembly Room, Feb 12).
Folk Dances of India by the Chitraleka Dance Company will represent the traditional community art form and the lifestyles and festivals of people from different regions in India (Coneygre Arts Centre, April 8).
Numerous diverse acts, mini festivals and special events will appear during the festival including the Stella Chiweshe Band from Zimbabwe, Abdullah Chhadeh, one of the Arab world's most innovative musicians, The Funjabis, an Asian comedy show, In Celebration of My Sisters with writer Iyanla Vanzant, Kodo, masters of Japansese Taiko drumming and Collide, a restless celebration of experimental new art.
The event is organised by decibel, an Arts Council England initiative committed to raising the profile of culturally diverse arts across the country.
