A three-day celebration of international song and spoken word, The Spirit of Voice festival takes place in Galway this year from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November. This year's festival features artists from Ireland and beyond and Galway audiences will be entertained and enthralled by acts such as Linton Kwesi Johnson, Martin Toal, Carosel, Size2shoes, Rong, Toluking, Marty Mulligan and many more with events taking place in The Cellar Bar, Kelly's, St Nicholas Collegiate Church, The Crane Bar, Aras na nGael and The Western Hotel.

Hailed as one of Britain's most influential and original voices by the Arts Council of England and as a 'brilliant Jamaican poet - the alternative poet-laureate' by Time Out, Linton Kwesi Johnson is one of the most well known poets of our generation. He has toured the world from Japan to the new South Africa, from Europe to Brazil. His recordings are amongst the top-selling reggae albums in the world and his work has been translated into Italian and German. Unsurprisingly, he is known and revered as the world's first reggae poet.

Carosel released their debut album Kaleidoscope in February of this year and the opening track, 'Easy as it Flows' has already made the soundtrack of hit Canadian television series 'The Best Years'. They have notched up some memorable gigs and TV appearances, including the Late Late Show, the Guinness Storehouse and the main stage at the Cork Jazz Festival. They were invited to perform at the Jazz Festival again in 2008, and also played at Electric Picnic last year. With comparisons being made to Feist and Regina Spektor, this year's festival circuit has already seen Carosel play on the IMRO stage at Oxegen to a packed out tent with many more sell out gigs following this summer.

Gerry Mulkerrins started the very first Spirit of Voice in 2004 as a one day event in Galway featuring choirs, sean nós singers, poets, rappers and opera soloists and over the years the event has grown in scope and stature. It has featured many national and international acts of renown, such as Julie Feeney, People of Note choir, Orlaith Ni Mheachair, Sheila Chandra, Princeton Katzenjammers, Donnacha Toomey, Michel Brandt, Shaz Oye, Nicola Williams, Rónán O Snodaigh, Mfa Kera, Eric Ekhart; Sean Tyrrell's Midnight Court and many more.

Spirit of Voice focuses on world voice styles and international singers and spoken word artists working together in the same arena. The festival stages events that unite language and cultural songs, describing audibly the traditional vocal core that is derivative within music.

For all info on this year's artists and shows, go to www.spiritofvoice.com.

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