Vivian Green

Today....One of fastest growing and most diverse festival in Birmingham, last year the festival attracted over 10,000 people. Simmer Down is a totally free family fun-day festival which celebrates Birmingham's rich diversity by paying tribute to the centrality of reggae and other musical genres that make it such a city of culture.

As part of The Drum's 20th Anniversary Celebrations, we are delighted to confirm our headline act as the Grammy Award winning international Reggae Legends Steel Pulse , master of Ragga Fusion Apache Indian and Reggae Revolution, and chart-topping Birmingham Reggae band Musical Youth! Plus many more special guests, performers, artists, musicians and bands are still to be announced. So make sure you've got the date in your diary!

There will be a wide range of live performances and arts participation activities taking place across several stages and marquees, plus plenty of fun activities for all the family including arts and education workshops, face paintings, and a selection of belly-busting food stalls offering treats from across the city. Don't miss the biggest and best free party of the year! In the words of Steel Pulse, it's a "Handsworth Revo-Revo-Revolution!" To find out more about Simmer Down 2014, you can call The Drum Box Office on 0121 333 2444, and make sure to Follow us on Twitter @SimmerDownFest with hashtag #SimmerDown14
Presented by Simmer Down CIC, The Drum in partnership with Perry Barr Constituency Arts Forum, Mind Birmingham, and The Phoenix Newspaper. Security provided by Leon Security

Main Stage Running Order: after 4pm

4:45PM – 5:30PM
APACHE INDIAN BACKED BY REGGAE REVOLUTION
The Don Rajah of Ragga fusion backed by Birmingham’s stellar musicians. Boom Shakalaka!
6PM – 7:30PM
STEEL PULSE
Grammy Award winning International Reggae Revolutionaries comes home to Handsworth!
Time To Change Stage Running Order:
12:30pm - 12:45pm
SIMMER DOWN SCHOOLS: HOLLY HEAD
Holly Head’s dancers deliver Hot Moves and Cool Shapes to kick off the Stage in style.
12:45pm - 12:55pm
DRUM ABOUT BRUM
Bangin’ Beats and Pieces from Brum’s finest drumming group.
12:55pm - 1:05pm
ACE DANCE
Leading innovative dance company ACE showcase their youth programmes’ rising stars.
1:05pm - 1:15pm
DRUM ABOUT BRUM
More beats from Brum’s best.
1:15pm - 1:30pm
YOUNG GIFTED BRUM
The Drum’s Youth programme invite you to the stage for a vocal adventure.
1:30pm - 1:40pm
SIMMER DOWN SCHOOLS: ALUM ROCK YOUTH GROUP
Alum Rock’s young creatives deliver insightful lines and slick rhymes.
1:40pm - 1:55pm
STICKY TOFFEE DANCE
Sticky Toffee Dance showcase the dance stars of the future.
2pm - 3:50pm
BIRMINGHAM MIND
A special showcase performance from our proud festival sponsors Birmingham Mind and Time To Change.
4pm - 4:20pm
AFRO MIO
Rhythmic conga, melodious African guitar, and rich vocals in five languages!
4:30pm - 5:15pm
JAM TIDY
Gypsy-Swing-Reggae-Hip Hop mash-up to close the show in style.
This weeks tracklist for Sunday 20-072014



Rome - I Like You
DaPaul - She So Entertaining
Art Porter - Under Cover (inst-sax)
Papik - I Feel Alive
Brydge - I Try
EOL - Make Sure Your Right
Raw Shaw - Ghetto Tactics
Joe - Baby
Shaylin D. Mack - Can't Wait
Papik - Baby Love Your Way
EOL - Love The Way

Vivian Green x3

1 Cursed 2 What Is Love

3 Sweet Memory (Beautifully Young)

B.Thompson - Jameela

Don-E - Spirital

Somi - Ginger Me Slowly

Godchild Presents - Where Are You Going

Rick Clarke - Call Me Up

Maxwell x2- Ascension (inst/+remix) 2011

Don-E Feelin' U

Imaaai - Found My Light

Vivian Green Biography:

Adult contemporary R&B vocalist Vivian Green grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she started singing at an early age. She began playing the piano at age eight and writing songs when she was 11. At 13, she joined a girl group called Younique. She spent her teens writing, sending out demos, and singing wherever she could. Her break came when she was hired as a backup singer for Jill Scott, who took her on tour internationally. That connection eventually led to record company interest, and Green signed to Columbia in November 2001. Her debut album, A Love Story, was released one year later and narrowly missed the Top 50 of the Billboard 200 album chart. Vivian followed in May 2005 and reached number 18. Though it was a little pop-slanted, the follow-up featured collaborations with many of the same producers, including James Poyser. Beautiful, dominated by songs written with producer/songwriter Anthony Bell and released on eOne, followed in 2010 and debuted at number 101 on the Billboard 200. For October 2012's The Green Room, Green's second album for eOne, the singer worked with Vidal Davis, Steve McKie, Phillip "Phoe Notes" Randolph, and Brian Culbertson. (allmusic.com)

Next week-end, don't miss...

Mr Merry recommends Impressed Irioning