Photo Gallery:

World Music Institute Fall 2019

The World Music Institute’s fall 2019 season cast a wide net, 13 shows highlighting artists from across the globe, ranged Kardemimmit, a beguiling vocal quartet that makes Finnish traditional songs feel contemporary to the pounding rhythms of Kinshasa street percussion from KOKOKO! Artists from 12 different cultures, graced local venues. A striking aspect of the season is seeing world renowned artists such as Toko Telo in Chelsea Music Hall’s intimate setting. Toko Telo and Lucibela both played the Kennedy Center after stopping in New York. Girma Beyene made a much anticipated New York debut at Le Poisson Rouge. Unforgettable was the theatrical performance of the 24 member Gamelan Çudamani ensemble from Bali at Symphony Space. Women’s voices headlined shows in Artistic Director Brian Keigher’s first season at the World Music Institute including Julie Fowls from Scotland, Nella from Venezuela, Kardemimmit from Finland and New Yorker Ani Franco. The schedule for 2020 will be announced soon.

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Just announced is the Spring 2020 schedule, 18 concerts beginning with the Zhou Family Band at Flushing Town Hall January 26th.

Scheduled concerts are from Faraj Abyad & Orchestra, Sahba Motallebi & Rahim AlHaj, Altan, Niño de Elche, Bulgarian Voices & Navatman G. Mazumdar, R. Kulkarni & H. Majumdar, Paris Combo, Los Aurora Africa Now!, Natu Camara & DJ Sabine Blaizen, Orchestre les Mangelepa, A Moving Sound, DTG: Aditi Mangaldas, DTG: Revanta Sarabhai & Parshwanath Upadhye Derek Gripper & Yacouba Sissoko, DÜNYA directed by Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, Nayan & Ishaan Ghosh

WMI paired Slavic Soul Party!, locally based titans of Eastern European dance music with Copenhagen band Mames Babegenush. The Danish roots/klezmer fusion band returns to NYC for the APAP conference with three dates, kicking off the 2020 US tour. Slavic Soul Party! performed from the dance floor before a semi circle of dancing fans. The band appears every Tuesday night at Barbes and will perform at the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival January 20th at Brooklyn’s Grand Prospect Hall.

Girma Bèyènè & Akalé Wubé  Ethiopian New Year Celebration
NYC Debut September 12th at Le Poisson Rouge

Ethiopian musician Girma Bèyènè made his New York City debut at Le Poisson Rouge Rouge September 12th. Known for his body of work in Addis scene during the 60s and 70s, he appeared with Akalé Wubé. In 2019 Bèyènè and Akalé Wubé (Paul Bouclier: trumpet, krar, percussions; Etienne de la Sayette: baritone & tenor sax, bansuri flute, washint, mbira; Loic Rechard: guitar; Olivier Degabrielle: bass; and David Georgelet: drums) released a collaborative album Ethiopiques 30: Mistakes On Purpose, leading to his return to the stage after 25 years. Paris based Akalé Wubé’s music is inspired by the ethio grooves of the Ethiopiques series of reissues. The album of new material was produced by Ethiopiques’ Francis Falceto.

Lucibela made her NYC debut at Merkin Hall September 17th, although it was her first appearance the music was familiar to many in the audience. Lucibela interpreted traditional and standard songs of her native Cape Verde, elegantly and with morabeza. The bittersweet Laço Umbilical, by Adalberto “Betu” Silva and a humorous coladeira Profilaxia stood out. Both songs are from her 2018 release Ti Jon Poca which reworks her debut to include Angolan singer Bonga in a duet (“Dona Ana”), and a Sofiane Saidi duet on a Elida Almeida original retitled “Sai Fora”. Her band included: Stephane Almeida guitar; Pericles Ascençao drums, percussion, Zec Antonio, cavaquinho; and Aldair Lima da Costa Neves, guitar

Toko Telo, a trio of artists from Madagascar made its New York City debut at the Chelsea Music Hall September 20th. Monica Njava’s vocals were complemented by D’Gary and Joël Rabesolo on guitars. Each are well known for their individual careers, but as a trio focus masterfully on Malagasy folk traditions of the southwestern region.

From a stage set up in the middle of the Le Poisson Rouge dance floor KOKOKO! evoked a Kinshasa street party with the ecstatic fans getting an interactive experience. KOKOKO! creates music from self made instruments cobbled together from found materials that is as much an artistic statement as the entrancing rhythms evoked from them. The band is featured in Renaud Barret's film “System K” being shown at Film Forum January 8th-14th documenting the Kinshasa street art scene and also Featuring Freddy Tsimba, Béni Baras, Kongo Astronaut, Géraldine Tobe, Yas Ilunga & Majestikos, Strombo Kayumba, Flory et Junior.

Julie Fowlis is a multi-award winning Scottish Gaelic singer and the voice behind “Touch the Sky”, the theme to Disney Pixar’s Oscar-winning animated film Brave. Nominated as ‘Folk Singer of the Year’ at the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and ‘Best Artist’ at the Songlines World Music Awards, Julie is a warm and engaging live performer who has enchanted audiences around the world with her ‘crystalline’ and ‘intoxicating’ vocals. 

Nella is an exceptional young vocalist from the Venezuelan island of Margarita. She is a graduate of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where she met Flamenco guitarist Javier Limón, with whom she has collaborated frequently. It was Limón who encouraged her exploration of the flamenco traditions of Andalusia, which she incorporates into the folkloric music of her homeland.

Slavic Soul Party! has released 7 albums over its 15 year history. New York’s premier Balkan Soul Gypsy Funk band reimagines Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite on its latest release.

Ani Cordero is a passionate Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, drummer, guitarist, and activist living in Brooklyn, NY. Her upcoming, full-length record ‘El Machete’ is a nod to Puerto Rican resistance.