THOUSANDS of revellers witnessed the hottest international Asian pop acts as Barking Park was turned into a fun-packed festival site. The sixth annual East London Mela in Barking Park, Longbridge Road, attracted 15,000 visitors on Sunday. Dozens of artist

THOUSANDS of revellers witnessed the hottest international Asian pop acts as Barking Park was turned into a fun-packed festival site.

The sixth annual East London Mela in Barking Park, Longbridge Road, attracted 15,000 visitors on Sunday.

Dozens of artists - including Imran Khan, Mumzy, Shahin Badar, H Dhami and headliner Sukshinder Shinda - took to the stage during the eight-hour celebration of culture, food and music.

Alongside the main acts, there were performances from a Polish dance group, stalls with clothes, Asian and Afro-Carribean food and jewellery. Face painting and bouncy castles was provided for children.

Sombrero

Bhangra star H Dhami took the multi-cultural message to heart and wore a sombrero onstage, while Dutch-Punjabi artist Imran Khan offered tunes from his new album, Unforgettable.

Lybian-born Canadian artist Roach Killa presented hip-hop and the bewitching Shahin Badar performed her fusion of Arabic and Asian-influenced dance music.

This year's Mela was supported by BBC Radio's Asian Network, Zee TV television and network telecommunications giant O2. The arts and community stage was sponsored by Nu Sound Radio.