THE memory of a stalwart from one of the UK's premier music and dance folk festivals will be kept alive by a violinist from Europe.

Stockton musician Jack Keane played violin in each one of the previous 39 Billingham Folklore Festivals, but died on New Year's Eve.

Now a Latvian musician is to use his treasured violin after her own was broken in an accident.

Elita Kolcha, of Riga, in Latvia, was devastated when her violin was cracked when a microphone fell on it at the Forum Theatre, at Billingham, near Stockton.

Mr Keane's family stepped in and allowed her to use the same violin that Mr Keane had played in the previous 39 festivals.

A big hit at this year's festival has been the Taiwanese dance troupe Yi-tzy. The 12 and 13-year-old girl dancers don colourful masks as part of their routine and have proven a hit with younger children.

Another crowd favourite has been the Mexican group Compania de Danza Folkorica Tenochtitlan, who use the world's biggest make of guitar and one of its smallest for their brand of mariachi folk music.

Festival spokesman Keith Proud said: "Talking to the people here from all round the world, you realise just what an incredible asset this festival has been to the North-East, and Billingham in particular.

"We come across people who have heard of Billingham who have heard of virtually nowhere else in the North of England.

"We think this is now very possibly the biggest festival of its type in the world."

Published: 10/08/2004