The Mandingo Festival debuted at SOBs notable for the NYC debut of Kandia Kora and the return of Maate Keita. It also pointed to a post pandemic problem in New York City, there is no place where African music is played consistently. Alex Boicel spent the past few years living in Senegal and C’ote d’Ivoire, He is drawing on his recent experience to bring aritists from Africa to North American stages. Kandia Kora is not only well versed in musical traditions he is one of the biggest afropop artists in his native Guinee. Maata, known best here for as lead singer for Les Go de Koteba, has re-established herself as a solo artist with the release of her latest album “Djigui”. Alex envisions producing shows on a weekly basis, an “African Music Night” of touring artists as well as the locally artists.

Kaethe Hostetter has made New York City her home base and has been performing “Ethiopiques” music inspired by years living in Ethiopia and playing with artists there.

50 years after releasing his debut album, Arthur Verocai made his NYC debut . It was a triumphant moment for the Brazilian composer at Lincoln Center, he walked on stage to thunderous applause. The event was a bi-coastal collaboration between New York’s World Music Institute and LA’s Jazz Está Morto. “Artur Verocai” the album was not appreciated at the time of its release by Continental records but is nw considered a maserpiece. His music reached a new generation of listeners through samples by major artists. So the celebration was timely, locally, the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop was also being marked in New York City.

Hearts of Steel has been a local favorite for many years, well respected for thier integrity to the music. However, it was the band’s regular sunday evening pandemic lockdown sessions in Prospect Park (with Kutters Rhythm section and other steel pan artists) that put the music in a new context. The events became an important community gathering during the lockdown and that continues to the present. Bandleader Mike Demas grew up playing pan in a nearby yard at Flatbush and Woodruff behind Peppa’s Restaurant is now.“It’s Flatbush music” he explains, even as it harkens back to the early years of steel pan, known as “Pan round the neck” in his native Trinidad and Tobago.

The Wazumbians from Ghana were a revelation to audiences on their US tour, winning over listeners with their funky upbeat sound and exuberance on stage. The percussion rich 7 member group, just a fraction of the full band which has over 20 members, honed their sound to sharp Afrofusion grooves based in Highlife, Afrobeat and indigenous rhythms on original songs written by leader Francis Chapman Abban-Hagan, more broadly known as “Wazumbi”. We had the opportunity to see the band at SOBs and the International African Arts Festival in Brooklyn.

KreyolFest the annual Haitian Times concert returned May 28th as the inaugural Banboch Kreyol Festival, moving from Wingate Park to the Coney Island Amphitheater. Known for presenting very best of Haitian music, it delivered with Tabou Combo, Paul Beaubrun, Klass, RAM, Riva Nyri Percil, Feet off Rhythm, and others performing in the day long event. 

Hearing the music of Tabou Combo live is an unforgettable experience and the moment couldn't haver been more perfect when Tabou's timeless Kompa rhythms wafted over the boardwalk. When Tabou plays it is impossible not to feel a link to the origins of the music, in the 1950's when large bands blended Merengue, jazz, contradance and rara/voodoo rhythms. Tabou Combo came together in Petion-ville in 1968. Founding drummer Herman Nau said Rhythm is the essence of Tabou Combo"  and that remains true for contemporary artists such as T-Vice, Klass and Carimi. (Carimi vocalist Mikaben, deceased October 16th 2022, was remembered with a moment of silence.)

Paul Beaubrun and Zing Experience performed a rasin driven set. Beaubrun’s music is a spectrum of his musical influences including reggae, rock, and blues, particularly in the guitar playing, without straying from its Haitian roots. A theme constant in his music is that of unity, a call for unity within the Haitian community, often expressed in call and response with the audience. He was backed by Chico Boyer on Bass, Morgan Zwerlein on Tanbou and Peter Barr on drums and featured a guest appearance by Lolo and Manze Beaubrun of Boukman Eksperyans.

It was at typical night at El Sido’s, but the opportunity of a lifetime for us to hear Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas at the legendary club, which is a story in itself. We arrived prior to the performance, and found Nathan sitting on a stool quietly playing melodies while the stage was being readied. We relished the contrast of the smaller club atmosphere as compared to his earlier performance in front of a large crowd at the festival stage where Nathan performed with Rockin’ Dopsie. we savored every note from Nathan’s accordion and responses from Dennis Paul’s guitar added poignance to the moment. It was a night of music that will not be forgotten.

Sid Williams, Nathan’s eldest brother, built the club 38 years ago at a time when zydeco artists were struggling to reach audiences. Sid recognized that the music needed to be heard to survive. Preserving zydeco was on Sid’s mind and his instincts were correct - Zydeco music took off in popularity, and El Sido’s became the go-to spot in Lafayette to hear Zydeco music.

The Lost Bayou Ramblers were joined by Lisa Leblanc and her band at the Blue Moon Saloon during the Festival International Festival in Lafayette Louisiana. The two Acadian two heavyweight bands, one local, the other from Rosaireville, New Brunswick represented the opposite poles of Acadian music created a true fusion while playfully sparring on stage at the Blue Moon Saloon.

Lokassa Ya Mbongo, the influential guitarist and a pioneer of the Soukous genre, originally from Congo (DRC) but living the past two decades in the US, sadly passed away in March 2023. When Lokassa played Soukous guitar, his smile always radiated from the stage and he gained many lifelong music fans from his superb guitar skills and the warmth of his stage presence. He was a band leader who provided stability and consistency within an often revolving African music scene. His impact on the African music scene in the US (and in music communities across Colombia, Paris and Central Africa) was immense. In appreciation of this legend’s career, musicians and fans gathered at Silvana in Harlem to remember him at a tribute event this past Saturday April 22nd.

Tamikrest led by Ousmane Ag Mossa created an amiable groove drawing on the new album Tamotäit during their globalFEST appearance.

Son Rompe Pera, from Mexico City, closed out the globalFEST 2023 festivities with a manic set of marimba led cumbia-punk. Led by brothers Jesús Ángel and Allan Gama (Kacho and Mongo) on marimbas. They blazed through their set with both mastery of the traditionally based tunes and a ferocity that cast the songs in a new light.

Moonlight Benjamin, the Haitian singer based in France, performed at globalFEST in January at Lincoln Center. After witnessing the stunning set we look forward to her return. Moonlight spoke to MondoLocal afterwards and described her music which draws on Haitian voodoo in the vocals and rock and blues instrumentation, in this way: “Certainly, the rhythm is different but on the other hand all my melodic structure comes from traditional music. My melodies are inspired by voodoo music. And since I was born there, and I have my culture there,  all my music is tied to voodoo, however, even though what happening around the music like all  the instruments, are not voodoo, instruments that play the blues. which is slaves' music, in fact, it all derives from the slave's music. Rock comes from blues, and in the end, I am playing our ancestors' music.”

The Duo Justin Adams (guitar) and Mauro Durante (violin, frame drum and vocals) seemed like an unlikely pairing. In fact it was a brilliant collaboration, Adams, a rocking blues guitarist known for his work in Robert Plant’s Sensational Spaceshifters, while Durante is the leader of Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, masters of Taranta, the folk music of southern Italy. They met, playing in Ludovico Einaudi’s Taranta Project in 2010 performing a concert that closed a big festival in Salento. Folklore says that in southern Italy the trance inducing music/dance was thought to be the result of being bitten by a tarantula spider which caused a psychological illness characterized by an extreme impulse to dance.

Bnat el Houariyat, an all-women Moroccan chaabi and houara music group led by Khadija el Warzazia. Moroccan chaabi is uptempo dance music of the popular culture often performed at parties and dances. At globalFEsST the music was more traditional than modern, featuring Esraa Warda, a New York based dancer. Led by Khadija el Warzazia the group has been together over 20 years and performed worldwide. Powerful vocals and handheld percussion instruments (bendir, darbouka, taarija, dohdoh, and tebsil) are the backbone of the music, her songs, traditionally played for other women range over a number of subjects.

Akawui’s sound is percussion rich and packs an electronic punch. He is a singer-songwriter from Quebec of Chilean / Mapuche indigenous origin. He merges many tribal musical genres, including; cumbia, First Nations chants, and Andean music along with the contemporary sounds of EDM and Hip-Hop. Akawui returns to NYC at Drom, January 12th, 2024 at The Good Night Showcase.

Fanta Diabate blended traditional Manding singing and modern selections written by Gilbert Diabate her bass and guitar player at SOBs. Fanta, from Guinee, has been living in New York for 8 years and performing in clubs as well as cultural events.

Lionel Kizaba a Montreal based Congolese musician, known as an innovator performed at the Afromondo showcase with his band (he also does one-man shows). At the core of his Congolese Afro-House sound is a mix of electronics and percussion that create a “Kizavibe”, a raw edgy put your hand in the air energy, and the audience responded enthusiastically.musical innovator, at the core of his Congolese Afro-House sound is a mix of electronics and percussion that create a “Kizavibe”. The live show had a raw edgy put your hand in the air energy and the audience responded enthusiastically.

Yasser Tejada performed his last show of the year at Harlem Stage and it was a sweaty one on the dancefloor at this intimate venue. The audience responded to traditional folkloric rhythms fused with jazz, and rock energy from this excellent band. Tejada next appears in New York City at globalFEST January 14th at Lincoln Center.

Maate Keita’s set at SOBs was drawn mainly from her latest album “Djigui” released this past year. She says “I am inspired by everything that has African sounds, to open it to the world. It's my base and I don't limit myself only to Madingue music. Some say that my music is very jazzy, yes because jazz comes from Africa. She will appear next in New York City at the January 11th Afromondo showcase at SOBs

During the pandemic leader Francis “Wazumbi” Chapman Abban-Hagan, initiated “Jankalanga”, monthly live broadcasts on Facebook, from ASK-TK studios in Accra. “Jankalanga is a festival I created to present Africa rhythms, melodies, knowledge and stories, sometimes alone sometimes with other artists.” It reached artists weell beyond Ghana and led to the recent US tour.

Bombino had us had us hanging on every note of his solos. When when performs he locks in, completely absorbed in his guitar as if he himself is searching for where it will take him. The energy level in the audience built with each song and the trio locked into a groove. He was joined by Violinist Kaethe Hostetter late in the set for an improvised jam.

Loboko is the project of Congolese guitarist Yohni Djungu Sungu, with multi-instrumentalist and producder Nikhil Yerawadeckar, and drummer Morgan Greenstreet. At the Barbes show he was joined by bass player Ngouma Lokito (Soukous Stars) and vocalist Lollise who raised the energy in the room a notch. The set drew on music from the recent vinyl release of Loboko’s debut album, “Kanyuny”.

Yacouba Sissoko performed a solo set at Flushing Town Hall, preseted by the World Music Institute. The Malian kora played is familiar to New York City audiences for his collaborations with artists here including Natu Camara and Banning Eyre.

The band was founded in 2011. when leader Maestro Richie left Zeglen he joined with El Pozo, Nixon Mésidor and Hervé Bastien to form KLass. The band went on to become the most popular Konpa band in Haiti and is known for using a variety of rhythms (Konpa Manba, Kadans Ranpa, Rap, Konpa Rousi, Troubadour, Techno, Afrobeat) in the music. The lead singer is Edersse Stanis, “Pipo”

Iconic Brazilian musician Hermeto Passcall made a rare appearance in New York City at Lincoln Center presented by the World Music Institute.

Nathan Williams one of the great musicians currently playing zydeco, jamming with the Dopsie Jr. (David) and the Zydeco Twisters at Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette. Later that evening Nathan played a club date with his band The Zydeco Cha-Chas.

Bassakou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba at the Festival International de Louisiane,

Natu Camara performed at Drom in April (where she will reappear January 12th 2024 at the Good Night vent) and a Summer Stage event in August before returning to her native Guinee. There she recorded 6 new songs for her next album.

Kokoko! performed at Public Records as a stripped down duo, including artists Makara Bianko, and electronics wizard Débruit. The two filled the room with a scorching set that livened up the crowd, and on this tour they exchanged the anticipated homemade instruments for a drum pad and electronics, distilling the various organic elements of the full group’s sound and reassembling it into a driving processed 45 minutes of peak energy.Over recent years, Kokoko! has gained notoriety as a collective of musical sound artists who grew out of Kinshasa’s DIY scene and burst on to the international scene after the release of System K, a documentary film by Renaud Barret. The film, released in 2020.

Nuevo flamenco diva Maria José Llergo put an ethereal spin on the passionate music of her heritage, bringing the energy down to a reflective, meditative level during her globalFEST set. He rmusic, by De-emphasizing elements of traditional flamenco, calls attention to preconceptions around her Romani culture.

The New York Arabic Orchestra globalFEST performance was conducted by artistic director and violinist Layth Sidiq, co-founder April Centrone on percussion, Karim Youssef and Nano Raïes vocals. Founded by Bassam Saba, it has been opening eyes to Arabic classical music since 2007 through performances worldwide and education programs here in the city and universities across the country.

The Legendary Ingramettes began as a family gosple group, The Ingramettes, in the early 1960’s led by Maggie Ingram. The Ingramettes were Maggie’s children, Maggie taught the children to sing pounding time with a stick, and patterned the music on the male gospel quartets of that era, the 50s. “The Time is Winding Up” was one of the early songs that Maggie wrote about her life. It appears on the new album “Take A Look at the Book” from the Legendary Ingramettes, led by her daughter Almeta Ingram-Miller, with niece Cheryl Maroney-Yancey, and sister-in-law Carrie Jackson.

Haitian singer Sherlee Skai released “Misyon” (mission) her second album weeks after her Afromondo Showcase set and has been debuting the music for audiences on the east coast since. On “Misyon” she collaborated with producer Dener Ceide and says the work is her way of healing from that traumatic experience at the Del Rio Bridge and memorializing what happened there. As a social activist she works to resettle Haitian migrants, 10 people a day on average lately, (there are currently 40,000 Haitians waiting at the border). “Events in Haiti and the plight of the migrants fuels my artistry,” she told us, “We leave home because we can not stay home, you are not there but you are with them”.

Cheikh Guissé played an acoustic set, voice and solo guitar. The acoustic selection included a wistful song about the nomadic life, a song celebrating friendship and did a stunning version of “Stand By Me” (Ben E, King) with Yacouba Sissoko on Kora. Cheikh and his brother Djiby on guitar and Alioune on percussion have performed folk music in the tradition of the Fouta region in Northern Senegaltogether as Les Freres Guisse for over 30 years.

“One is born a griot, But one becomes an artist.” - the words of Djely Musa who has a multifaceted musical resume. On this night she was a rock and roll griot, eschewing traditional instruments (except a large drum she played with two mallets) backed by a rock trio drum, bass and guitar. The daughter of Kandia Kouyate, but now based in Montreal, she infused the soul of a jelimuso into her Good Night showcase, reaching back to the Mande tradition. Djely’s songs on her award winning album “Barokan” convey a message of strength and hope, giving voice to the struggles of the marginalized. And while the words are Malinke, Bambara and Kassonke, the power of her voice conveys her message opening the ears of a new generation of listeners.

New York based Grupo Rebolu, performing at the Good Night showcase at Drom. Grupo Rebolu’s music is rooted in the Afro-Colombian traditions of the Caribbean coast, bullerenge, gaita, tambora, and chalupa. Led by Ronald Polo, Moris Canate and Johanna Castaneda they have developed a devoted following many of which were on hand for the show.

Sekouba Bolomba is from the Abidjan waterfront in Treichville, a historically cosmopolitan blue-collar zone, with late-night clubs during the 70’s when reggae music took hold in Abidjan. In the early 80’s Alpha Blondy released “Jah Glory” and it was a huge hit selling over a million records. It was the dawn of the African Reggae era. Blondy was a step ahead of Tiken Jak Fakoly and Bolomba’s older brother Ishmael Isaac, artists who were able to bring the message of the music to the people in their own languages, Dioula, Baoulé, and the common language French.