MIDDLESBROUGH Mela organisers have suffered another blow this week when headline act Lehmber Hussainpuri failed to board his flight this morning in Amritsar, India.
The international Punjabi legend was due to perform on Sunday but unfortunately suffered a serious family incident which meant he had to cancel his UK commitments at the eleventh hour.
Mela Programmer Kash Patel said: “I was woken at approx 2am with a phone call from Lehmber’s manager informing me that Lehmber had missed his flight due to being at the bedside of his father who was suddenly rushed into hospital with heart complications.
“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing as I was only speaking to the man himself the day before!”
Now with two big name acts cancelling in the same week the pressure was certainly on to pull out all the stops as organisers were determined the show must go on.
Up step hit-making producer brothers Bhota and Bally Jagpal of legendary B21 fame.
Hailing from Birmingham where a galaxy of top Asian stars have emerged nobody has quite hit the dizzy heights of these boys.
Popular with both the young and old their music spans all generations and their appeal is endless.
They have won countless awards, performed in every continent across the world and produced hit after hit making them one of the most sought-after bands in the UK.
Kash said: “This is a fantastic coup for us to be able to replace one legend for another with less than 48 hours to show time.
“I’m extremely grateful to B21 for dropping their recording commitments and agreeing to come and headline Middlesbrough Mela at such short notice.
“I remember when they first came on to the scene they rejuvenated the whole Asian music industry and tore up dancefloors across the country with their infectious sounds.
“They’ve even appeared on Hollywood blockbuster movie Bend It Like Beckham, so it will be great to see them perform in Middlesbrough for the very first time.”
Visit www.boromela.co.uk or www.lovemiddlesbrough.com/mela for further details.