World on the Beat - June, 2008

If June is nearly as scorchio as May has been, then Beats - nay, Clubs - readers may be seeking their global beats in the great outdoors. Now if you are seeking the beats that move your feet in the streets, then The Glasgow West End Festival’s carnival procession is the thing for you (Byres Road to Botanical Gardens, 15 June, 12pm, Free).

There will also be an indoor Samba Showcase, featuring booming beats from Brazil, Brighton, and Glasgow’s own Samba Ya Bamba (Queen Mary Union, 14 June, 8.30pm, £8/£6 conc.). Other highlights of this fortnight-long Glaswegian knees up are Skatologiical, a latin/ska/dancehall/reggae shakedown party (Curlers, 15 June, 8pm – 1am, £5), a show of flamenco hip-hop fusion (La bodega [at Dance with Attitude studios], 29 June, 5.30pm, £10/£8 Conc./Adv. £5 Kids). Also, calypso chaos and wild polka dancing will no doubt ensue as Orkestra del Sol bring summer reflected off a sousaphone to Glasgow (Oran Mor, 13 June, 8pm, £10).

For something more chilled, but nevertheless fast and rhythmic, sit under a tree and listen to the hypnotic sounds of a gamelan orchestra (Glasgow Botanical Gardens, 22 June, 1.30pm, Free). Should it be a hot night, and your feet feel like doing the salsa after all that, Candido Fabre will make it even hotter and take you all the way back to Havana (Classic Grand, 15 June, 7.30pm, £13/10 Adv.), and there’s always the free salsa social if you need to practice (Tiger Tiger, 1 June [and every first Sunday of the month], 4.30pm – 7.30pm, Free). Yes, Edinburgh people will have to do a lot of travelling on the train this month. But there is one thing to note – anyone who has never thought that life is good simply because of being alive should go see Doctor Luciano to shake their bones with some good-vibes reggae (Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh, 23 June, time tbc, £16.50).