Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2014, Page 31

Description:	Bloomington South students experienced a Saturday night likeno other at the 20th annual Lotus World Music & Arts Festival.THREEThere was half an hour scheduled inbetween shows on September 28, thesecond night of the Lotus World Musicand Arts Festival - just enough time forsenior Maira Brondizio to create alasting Lotus memory.Brondizio was practicingcapoeira, a form of Brazilian martialarts, with her friends and sister, whenmembers of the Canadian hip-hopgroup Nomadic Massive approachedthe circle and joined in, clapping andsinging to the rhythm and laterconversing with Brondizio inPortuguese and French. A group ofself-proclaimed nomads, the bandimmediately connected with Brondizio,who has lived in three countries andspeaks five languages. The coolestthing was that they told us, Whoa, youguys are actual little nomads,Brondizio remembered.This was the type of spontaneous,cross-cultural encounter that could onlyhappen at Lotus, an annual traditionthat brought music from all over theworld to seven venues in downtownBloomington. Lotus has a generalBloomington vibe thats not presentanywhere else, Brondizio said. Itsbecause of the people ... everyonewants it to be a great experience.Throughout the evening, studentsfrom Bloomington South came acrossthis one-of-a-kind Lotus atmosphere.Junior Sydney Spencer, who hadbeen attending the festival since shewas a baby, took full advantage of theLotus experience by stationing herselfin the front row at two concerts. Lotusshows a lot about Bloomingtonsculture and how diverse it is, Spencersaid, citing the citys open-mindedness as the reason for Lotuslasting power.Senior Minhwa Choi alsowitnessed this Lotus spirit up close — soclose, she was actually on the stage atthe largest venue. At the festivalsconclusion, Choi was one of the firstfestival-goers to climb onto the stageand dance with Red Baraat, aBhangra group. I wanted to make thisexperience the best one ever, Choiexplained. Go big and go hard.Lotus did not let her down. Itwas a freeing experience, she said. Ifelt limitless. Dancing with the band,looking into a crowd of smiling people,Choi - like Brondizio, and so manyother festival attendants — was sure itwas a Saturday night she wouldalways remember.
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/9137
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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