http://www.wfmu.org/world
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Transpacific Sound Paradise
Popular and Unpopular Music from Around the World
With Rob Weisberg on WFMU
New York / Northern NJ World Music Events Listings
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"Transpacific Sound Paradise" can be heard Saturdays 6-9pm New York / New Jersey time
on WFMU 91.1 FM in the New York Metropolitan area / 90.1 in New York's Hudson Valley.
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To submit an event to be listed on this page, send an email to Rob here and please include the word EVENTS in the subject line.
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To be added to the TSP email list for notification of upcoming special guests, Barbes remotes and other
show-related news send an email to Rob here and please include the word LIST in the subject line.
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Listen to WFMU’s Transpacific Sound Paradise past shows any time (and see corresponding playlists):
http://www.wfmu.org/Playlists/Robw
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Visit the Transpacific Sound Paradise homepage for info on upcoming shows, recent specials etc: http://www.wfmu.org/tsp.
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A listing of NY metro area summer concert series websites (and some series and festivals outside New York) is here: http://tinyurl.com/wfmu-world-summer-series
Work-in-progress: A directory of clubs and other venues / presenters that feature at least some "world" music: http://tinyurl.com/wfmu-world-clubs
Other Concert Listing Pages
Africasounds (Africa in NYC): http://www.africasounds.com/concerts.htm
Afropop Worldwide NYC concert listings via http://www.afropop.org/
Brazilian music in NYC: http://www.brazilny.org/cultural/boletip.htm
Brazil Society calendar: http://www.braziliansociety.org/call/default.asp
Brooklyn live venues (especially small / indie) from GO Brooklyn: http://www.go-brooklyn.com/index.html?html/venues/nightlife.html
Dirty Linen state-by-state (folk/world): http://www.dirtynelson.com/linen/special/bystate1.html
Flamenco in New York:
http://www.flamencomania.com/NYC.html
HarmoNYom - Indian Classical events: http://www.harmonyom.org/concerts__events
Indian/South Asian dance parties and shows in NYC, NJ and beyond: http://www.desiparty.com
Live is Better - Indian / South Asian concerts in North America, listed by artist: http://www.liveisbetter.com/artists/
Merengue tipico and bachata venues for weekly events: http://www.iasorecords.com/index.cfm?subsecid=100
NYC Folk Dance: Balkan and East European music and dance in NYC including periodic Balkan Cafe concerts at Hungarian house: http://nycfolkdance.org/
New York Led: Free concerts in NYC: http://www.newyorkled.com/nyc_events_Free_Concerts.htm
NY Remezcla: Hip and rootsy Latin-tinged happenings: http://www.nyremezcla.com/
World Music Institute (WMI - presenters of world traditional concerts) calendar:
http://www.worldmusicinstitute.org
NYC Cool Music Listings: General page, but lots of free, less-publicized events.
http://newyorkcool.com/listings/music.html
WFMU’s Arbitrary Guide to Popular Culture (Music of all types):
http://www.wfmu.org/arbguide.php
Upcoming NYC Area Concerts
All events take place in New York City, borough of Manhattan unless indicated. Any copy in italics is courtesy of program presenters or artists.
Important: Confirm all dates / times with the venues – there may be errors, or changes not reflected in this calendar (follow the web links!)
Nov 21 (Sat)
El Taller LatinoAmericano - Argentine guitarist / composer Pedro Reñe. 8 pm. http://www.tallerlatino.org
In conjunction with Latin American Cultural Week, Pedro Reñe a Argentine guitarrist singer and composer. He will present his songs that are influenced by tango and Argentine folklore from his two albums, "Pinceladas del Sur" & "Nos". Pedro will present his own songs and songs by other Latin American composers such as Silvio Rodriguez, Falu, and many others.
Barbes, 376 9th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn: Short Brazilian films all afternoon starting at 4 pm; Pe De Serra Forro All Stars (featuring Rob Curto of Forro for All, Scott Kettner of Nation Beat and others) at 10 pm. http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com.
Symphony Space, Broadway and 95th St: Extremely Hungary Presents "Fire + Fire" featuring Hungarian and African-American artists: David Pleasant + Valerie June + Mazz Swift + Ayodele Maakheru + LaTasha Nevada Diggs + Marilys Ernst + Fatima Mohamed + Ági Szalóki + Robert Farkas + Mihály Farkas + Richard Farkas + Béla Szakcsi Lakatos + Zsolt Farkas + Gusztáv Balogh + Kiégő Izzók. http://www.symphonyspace.org and http://www.extremelyhungary.org/
Fire + Fire is curated by Andrea Gáncs (Hungary) and Greg Tate (USA). Gáncs is an independent music producer and manager who founded the successful Budapest Bar with gypsy musicians and Hungarian rock singers. Tate is a longtime staff writer at The Village Voice, author of the acclaimed essay collection Flyboy In The Buttermilk, and leader of the conducted improv ensemble Burnt Sugar who are currently preparing for a Parisian stage revival of Sweet Sweetbacks Badass Song with the legendary Melvin Van Peebles. In collaboration with Musical Director Melvin Gibbs, a New York composer, producer and bandleader celebrated for his work with a diverse range of artists, Dramaturge Eisa Davis, a playwright, musician and actor recently seen on Broadway in Passing Strange and whose play Bulrusher was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2007; Curacao-born dancer and filmmaker Gabri Christa who will orchestrate multi-media projections as well as pull together the various elements of the piece as Choreographer and Director.
On the Black American side these include drummer, percussionist and Gullah musicologist David Pleasant; Delta blues guitarist, vocalist and banjoist Valerie June; vocalist and violinist Mazz Swift; guitarist, banjo and kora player Ayodele Maakheru; electronic vocal maven LaTasha Nevada Diggs; and visual artist Marilys Ernst. From Hungary's Gypsy community we'll be welcoming vocalists Fatima Mohamed and Ági Szalóki; members of the brilliant band Budapest Bar: violinist Robert Farkas, cimbalom player Mihály Farkas, and bassist Richard Farkas; as well as pianist Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, percussionist and dancer Zsolt Farkas; vocalist and guitarist Gusztáv Balogh; and visual artist Kiégő Izzók.
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Kagero. http://www.mehanata.com/
Zinc Bar, 82 W 3rd St: Desination Guadeloupe festival event with Kriyolio + Francois Ladrezo (sometimes spelled Ladrezeau). Ladrezeau is a veteran of the band Akiyo and has also recorded with jazz great David Murray. http://www.zincbar.com. Festival page: http://www.destination-guadeloupefestival.com/UShome.html
Brick's Lounge, 22 Warren St: Desination Guadeloupe festival event with Panik + Luc Leandry. Festival page: http://www.destination-guadeloupefestival.com/UShome.html
The Shrine, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd: Ansambl Mastika: Great local Balkan-inspired band from 8-10 pm (other artists earlier and later). http://www.shrinenyc.com/schedule.php
With song styles ranging from the heart-wrenching clarinet 'miroloi' of northern Greece to the funkier chocheci of the Serbian and Macedonian Roma (gypsies); from the oriental mystery of Turkish and Middle Eastern chalgi ensembles to the driving power of Bulgarian wedding bands and Klezmer kapelye, Ansambl Mastika’s music is rooted in the myriad styles of Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East. We blend these tumultuous and irresistible sounds with the spontaneity and global sensibility of downtown jazz musicians in an approach we like to call the ‘New Balkan Uproar’. Since 2006, Ansambl Mastika's joyful synthesis of such traditional influences has captivated audiences from the dance floor to the concert hall to the festival stage.
Zebulon, 258 Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Kaleta and Zozo Afrobeat + Cool Places Radio DJ. 10 pm. http://www.zebuloncafeconcert.com
“Zozo,” taken from the Goun and Fon word for “something hot,” truly keeps the Afrobeat fires burning. A 13-piece ensemble from New York City, Zozo Afrobeat features musicians from around the world and is led by African music luminary Kaleta. Born in the Republic of Benin and raised in Nigeria, Kaleta grew up recording and performing with legendary Nigerian musicians Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti and King Sunny Ade, shina Peters. After moving to the U.S., Kaleta toured with akoya afrobeat and most recently with Lauryn Hill.
With Zozo Afrobeat, Kaleta’s music pays homage to the greats, and yet has its own distinctive sound and energy. Like Fela Kuti, who used his music to challenge a corrupt Nigerian government, Kaleta has written songs that are socially and politically provocative. At the same time, his lyrics reflect a keen sense of humor and a message of hope. He also co- arranged/produced New york based Akoya Afrobeat ensemble written all the bands' songs.On Zozo Afrobeat’s 2008 release, “Country of Guns,” Kaleta scatters pop culture references and marvels of a country with “250 million people and 250 billion guns.” On other songs, Kaleta sings in Yoruba, Goun, Fon, and French. He is currently working on 2 cds with 16 songs FELABRATION & AFROBEATOLOGY to be released in conjuction with his book on his former master Fela Kuti.
Nov 22 (Sun)
SOBS, 204 Varick St: Destination Guadeloupe Festival event featuring: Luc Leandry, Joelle Ursull, Joeclyne Labylle, Francois Ladrezo (sometimes spelled Ladrezeau), Kriyolio. http://www.sobs.com. Festival page: http://www.destination-guadeloupefestival.com/UShome.html
All of the aforementioned stars return to S.O.B.'s for the evening's sprawling MAIN EVENT, and to boost the energy level even higher, Luc Leandry, the King of Zouk, headlines along with the Divas of Zouk, Joëlle Ursull (known for her work with Zouk Machine and French pop provocateur Serge Gainsbourg) and the sultry Jocelyne Labylle, who has also taken France by storm. Panik's versatility will again be on display, as the dynamic ensemble handles the wide-ranging repertoires of each star. Kriyolio plays GwadaJazz, and Francois Ladrezo plays traditional GwoKa (Ladrezeau is a veteran of the band Akiyo and has also recorded with jazz great David Murray). In addition, audiences can also enjoy the native haute-cuisine of Chef Georges Césarin, who will be in the kitchen at S.O.B.'s for one night only, having made the trip all the way from the Casino de Gosier on the Guadeloupe island of Gosier.
Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre St: The EastRiver Ensemble explores spring themes in sizhu music. Part of the series Silk and Bamboo Sundays. Museum info: http://www.mocanyc.org/; presented in collaboration with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance http://www.ctmd.org. Daytime event: 3:30 pm.
EastRiver Ensemble was established in 2000 from musicians from northern Hebei, Dongbei and Hunan regions of China. Led by the director of the Chinatown-based Mencius Society/AiCenter, Julie Tay, the Ensemble is distinguished by a gutsy approach to traditional winds, lutes and percussion of Chinese music, and by virtuosic experimentation on the yangqin zither and a passion for simple folk songs and operatic fiddles (jinghu and banhu). Combined with martial performances of Beijing opera, the group reinvents Chinese music and stagecraft to connect with the everyday American audience.
Mexicali Live, 1409 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck, NJ: The English Beat (really, California-based original Beat singer Dave Wakeling and friends playing English Beat repertoire) + the Waffle Stompers. http://www.mexicalilive.com/
"The Lounge" at Hudson View Gardens, Pinehurst Ave at 183rd St: Gerard Ederly performs a solo concert of Sephardic music to benefit the Children Art Foundation. Note early time: 5 pm. http://hudsonviewgardens.com/
Barbes, 376 9th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn: Stephane Wrembel's Django Experiment at 9 pm, also, probably, something, TBA @ 7 pm. http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com.
Nov 23 (Mon)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: Cape Verdean singer / songwriter / guitarist Ilo Ferreira, who is something of a Jimmy Buffet protege (for better or worse). 7:30 pm. http://www.joespub.com
Barbes, 376 9th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn: Pierre de Gaillande sings George Brassens early; Chicha Libre plays classic chicha / cumbia at a little later. This double bill repeats most if not all Mondays in November; confirm bill and show times w/ venue http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com.
Nov 25 (Wed)
SOBs, 204 Varick St: Red Baraat live digital release party as part of DJ Rekha's annual Basement Bhangra Thanksgiving eve party. 7 pm doors (w/ free frozen Mojitos in the first hour!). http://www.sobs.com.
Drom, 85 Ave A: Synolon: Music of Greece. http://www.dromnyc.com
Nov 26
Bally's, Atlantic City DVH Music Productions Vietnamese Thanksgiving Spectacular
Featuring a cornucopia of performers including Ngoc Ha, Hoangh Thanh, Phuong Vy, Luong Chi Cuong, Thien Kim, Uyen Trang, Truong Vu, and many others. Shows at 7:30 pm and 11:30 pm.
Nov 27 (Fri)
Barbes, 376 9th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn: Post Thanksgiving Balkan Brass Hoedown and stomp with Raya Brass Band. 10 pm. http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Grand Masters of Gypsy Music http://www.mehanata.com/
Highline Ballroom, 431 W 16 St: Forro in the Dark + Pistolera. 8pm. Two of New York's sharper southward-leaning bands share the bill, Pistolera exploring Mexican roots from a socially aware feminist perspective, and Forro in the Dark taking the rollicking accordion-driven forro dance music of NE Brazil in new directions. http://www.highlineballroom.com
Atlantic Oceana, 1029 Brighton Beach Ave, Brooklyn: Albi's Party Albanian show with Valdet Luka, Vesel Pelinku, Gezim Salaj, Sead Asllani, Hajro Ceka, Antigona Rrustolli. Info: http://www.albanianevents.com/event_details.php?id=466
Barbes, 376 9th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn: Michael Wingorad's klezmer machinations at 8 pm, Balkan brass madness with Raya Brass Band at 10 pm. http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com.
SOBS, 204 Varick St: Classic Latin sounds w/ Bronx Horns Mambo Orchestra Early; Haitian music w/ T-Vice and Nu-Look late. http://www.sobs.com
Nov 27-28
BAM Cafe at Brooklyn Academy of Music - Akim Funk Buddha's Hip Hop Holiday (with many special guests TBA). 10 pm nightly, free. http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=38
From rhyming, Tuvan Throat singing, beat boxing to Balinese body popping, there’s little performance guru Akim Funk Buddha hasn’t embraced as means of revealing the true richness of hip-hop culture.
Night 1: Back to the Essence - Akim looks to new artists and inspirations for a night of old-school-meets-nu-school hip-hop, orchestrated by this true BAMcafé Live favorite.
Night 2: Cultural Collisions with the Funk Buddha Chamber Orchestra: Opera meets hip-hop in Akim Funk Buddha’s re-imagining if Bizet’s Carmen. Samara Cohen aka Princess Lockerooo plays the infamous seductress, while a troupe of dancers in period costumes who body-pop, pop-and-lock, breakdance, and soul train throughout the evening’s adventures.
Nov 28 (Sat)
Queens College Colden Auditorium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, Queens: Jagjit Singh.
Considered to be the most successful ghazal singer of all time, in terms of both critical acclaim and commercial success, Jagjit Singh is accredited with bringing the ghazal genre of sung poetry, which was previously restricted to the elite classes, to the masses. Along with his wife and performing partner Chitra Singh, ghazal was taken out of the elite mehfil concert-parties and brought to public stages for general audiences. They began recording together in 1976 and their breakthrough album The Unforgettables was released in 1978.
Jagjit Singh's music direction can be seen to be pioneering in changing the sound layout by adding more Western instruments while mostly retaining the traditional orchestra, and using Hindi, Bengali and Punjabi lyrics in addition to the classical Urdu.
After the death of their 18 year old son, Vivek, in a car accident in Bombay (c1990), Chitra Singh stopped singing and retreated from the limelight. (She has since been learning and working on different forms of spirituality, and practices spiritual healing therapies.)
Today, Jagjit Singh the perfectionist, motivates himself to ever-newer musical achievement. His latest commitment is to popularize Hindi all over multi-lingual India as a connecting language that the whole country should share. In recognition of his yeoman contributions to music and literature, Jagjit was awarded the Padma Bhushan title by the government of India.
Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Pl (a/k/a "Fillmore at Irving Plaza"): Los Amigos Invisibles. The Venezuelan - via - NYC party band just bagged its first Latin Grammy for their latest release, "Commercial". http://www.irvingplaza.com/
Los Amigos Invisibles are notorious for their electrifying live sets. “Being a touring band is a great way to test songs and to try out new ideas,” primary songwriter/lead guitarist Jose Luis Pardo says. “We now write most of our music with the purpose of fitting them into our live sets. Playing so much live makes you really aware of what kind of stuff gets people this way or that way. Aside from testing songs, we can't hold new tracks for that long. As soon as we think a song is ready to be played, we let loose. It's like having a new weapon, a funky weapon.”
With new album “Commercial,” the group has tightened their hooks and focused their songs, recording their most accessible work yet. The album features a variety of snb pecial guests from Jorge Gonzalez (of Chilean rock legends Los Prisioneros) and Mexican songstress Natalia Lafourcade to Senor Coconut vocalist Argenis Brito and Los Tetas’ C-funk. Los Amigos also enlisted production work from friends like Dimitri From Paris and Cachorro López (Belanova, Miranda).
Wellmont Theater, 5 Seymour St, Montclair NJ: The popular Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto. http://www.wellmonttheatre.com/events/
Barbes, 376 9th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn: Andy Statman bridges American and Jewish roots, and Red Baraat Festival plays Indian brass band wedding / roots / party music. Not sure as of press time who's playing first but see http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com.
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Italian roots with Alessandra Beloni. http://www.mehanata.com/
The Shrine, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd: Rafael Gomez and Nuevo Circo play Latin / Caribbean music at 10 pm (plus other bands before / after). http://www.shrinenyc.com/schedule.php
Eastwood Manor, 33712 Eastchester Road, the Bronx: Albanian popular concert with Meda, Aurela Grace, Nora Istrefi, Gzim Nika. 7 pm - 1 am. Info: http://www.albanianevents.com/event_details.php?id=464
SOBS, 204 Varick St: Dirty Sexy Soca - soca dance party. http://www.sobs.com
Nov 30 (Mon)
Barbes, 376 9th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn: Pierre de Gaillande sings George Brassens early; Chicha Libre plays classic chicha / cumbia at a little later. This double bill repeats most if not all Mondays in November; confirm bill and show times w/ venue http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com.
Dec 1 (Tues)
Bell House, 149 N 7th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Alex Meixner - A Bavarian X-Mas. 7:30 pm.
Grammy Nominated Polka Sensation Alex Meixner and the girls of Wasabassco Burlesque are back for another round. Come join Alex and the girls as they present their risque take on the classic Christmas show genre. Also... Those fab chefs Theo and Nick will be back selling their amazing pork belly bratwurst.
SOBS, 204 Varick St: Javier Ruibal. http://www.sobs.com
Within the variety of legendary musicians Spain holds, Javier Ruibal holds the title of being one of the few artists who has the ability in mixing different musical styles into one of his own. The Spanish songwriter, born in Southern Spain, is known for his vocal gift and talent by combining Flamenco, Arabian, and Jazz music into one personal genre. To acknowledge his genius, the Spanish government of Andalusia awarded Ruibal with the Medal Of Andalusia. His accomplishments do not cease there. Javier Ruibal's demonstrated his singing and guitar playing abilities in countries such as England, United States, Algeria, and much more. On December 1st, immerse yourself in the rhythm of Ruibal's compilation of sounds.
Dec 2 (Wed)
Drom, 85 Ave A: Razia Said (birthday show). http://www.dromnyc.com
Razia's latest cd Zebu Nation is a back-to-roots tour de force using the native instruments, voices and chants of Razia’s homeland. For Razia, Zebu Nation represents a journey that began when she returned to visit Madagascar last year. “I was privileged to meet some amazing local musicians,” she says from her home in Harlem. “They inspired me to write an album in Malagasy, my native tongue.” The music crosses over from tsapiky to salegy and even into African house. Jazzy soft rhythms give way to upbeat AfroPop, with unexpected detours to a mountain sound reminiscent of Appalachian folk music.
Zebu Nation also features the gifted artistry of guitar and marovany player Dozzy Njava and the world-renowned accordionist Regis Gizavo. “Their presence in these songs really gives this CD that special Malagasy feel,” notes Razia.
Dec 3 (Thurs)
Workmen's Circle, 45 E. 33rd St. between Madison and Park Ave: Tantshoyz Yiddish Dance event. Discussion starts at 6:30, dance at 7 pm. This month's event will feature master dance leader Walter Zev Feldman and live klezmer music by clarinetist Michael Winograd. A presentation of CTMD's An-sky Institute for Jewish Culture: http://www.ctmd.org
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Yuri Yunakov and Avram Pengas - great Eastern European / Mediterranean music via NYC. This is a weekly gig, most Thursdays but check with the venue to make sure it's on: http://www.mehanata.com/
Drom, 85 Ave A: Synolon: Music of Greece. http://www.dromnyc.com
Dec 4 (Fri)
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Grand Masters of Gypsy Music http://www.mehanata.com/
SOBs, 204 Varick St: Latin music early with Jerry Hernandez Y Orch. Dee Jay; Haitian music late with Tempo featuring Nia. http://www.sobs.com
Dec 5 (Sat)
Puffin Cultural Forum, 20 Puffin Way, Teaneck NJ: Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales. http://www.puffinfoundation.org
Bulgarian-born singer Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales brings an exciting, contemporary approach to the traditional songs of Bulgaria and the Balkans in a new CD release (Kuker Music).
Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales offers a fresh take on Bulgarian folk songs, weaving together traditions from the Balkans, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East in their new full-length disc, recorded at Looking Glass Studios and The Argot Network
Conceived by Tomova, called “a Bulgarian vocal sorceress” by nymosaico.com, Balkan Tales weaves traditional songs into a contemporary acoustic sound, mixing old world flavor with modern concepts. The album consists largely of original arrangements of Bulgarian traditional songs, as well as songs in Greek, Kurdish, and Russian. The ensemble produces an array of textures and moods, blending fiery vocals, mournful taqasims, driving percussion, and colorful harmonic treatments.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Park Blvd W, the Bronx: "Navidad Para el Pueblo" concert with Yomo Toro, Cabán Vale and Zon del Barrio. 8 pm. http://www.lehmancenter.org
Yomo Toro, master of the cuatro (10-string miniature guitar), is acknowledged for his lively and innovative approach to the driving jibaro (mountain string band) music of his native Puerto Rico. Roswell Rudd, one of the greatest trombonists in jazz, is known for his groundbreaking cross-cultural collaborations, including Malicool and the Mongolian Buryat Band. Together with musical director/drummer Bobby Sanabira and Ascencion they create rousing and fiery music, rich in improvisation and Latin rhythms. The program also features guest dancers.
The poet Cabán Vale was born and raised in the town of Moca, which is located in the western part of Puerto Rico. In the 1970s, he began to add music to his poems and later founded a band which he named "Taone". He was the lead singer of the band through which he performed his compositions. His compositions contained simple verses and created a new style of popular folklore music which became popular in Puerto Rico. His musical style includes the use of those musical instruments which are typically Puerto Rican such as the "Cuatro" (a Puerto Rican guitar) and the "Guiro". Some of his compositions were popularized in many different versions by other artists.
Bronx Library Center, 310 E Kingsbridge Rd, Bronx: Chris Washburne and the SYOTOS Band. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. 2.30 pm.
Chris Washburne & the SYOTOS Band synthesizes Afro-Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, and Armenian jazz styles and is one of the most sought-after Latin jazz groups in New York City.
Dec 6 (Sun)
Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre St: Music from China explores summer themes in sizhu music. Part of the series Silk and Bamboo Sundays. Museum info: http://www.mocanyc.org/; presented in collaboration with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance http://www.ctmd.org. Daytime event: 3:30 pm.
Music From China performs classical and folk masterpieces as well as new Chinese music by living composers to audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad. A proponent of new music, Music From China produces Premiere Works, an annual concert series of new music and commissioned works by established and emerging composers. It has toured extensively throughout North America, and received a Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, in recognition for its contribution to music that mixes East and West. Music From China has can be heard on the Smithsonian Folkways and Metropolitan Museum of Art labels.
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard (at the corner of Linden Place), Flushing, Queens: Klez Dispensers Hanukkah show. Daytime event: 2 pm. http://www.flushingtownhall.org/.
Brooklyn Public Library Brighton Beach branch: Weekday afternoon concert (with the old Russian folks in mind) with opera vocalist Mikhail Kalinovsky singing classical romances and international songs. 2 pm, free. http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org
Dec 8-13
The Blue Note, 131 W 3rd St: Eddie Palmieri y la Perfecta II. 73rd birthday celebration for the Latin jazz piano great. Two shows nightly. http://www.bluenote.net/newyork/index.shtml
Eddie Palmieri, known for his charismatic power and bold innovative drive, has a musical career that spans over 50 years as a bandleader of Salsa and Latin Jazz orchestras. At the Blue Note, Palmieri will bring La Perfecta II, revisiting the music from the original 1960s group La Perfecta, featuring new versions of the band’s salsa music and new compositions.
Dec 10 (Thurs)
South Orange Performing Arts Center, 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange NJ: The Klezmatics. 8 pm http://www.sopacnow.org
The Klezmatics started in New York City in 1986, and have since developed into world music luminaries. Twenty years and nine albums later, their sound is still fresh and their lyrics thought-provoking, combining Eastern European spirituality with politically charged themes. The Klezmatics have toured extensively and topped Billboard World Music charts multiple times, and will be performing a special holiday concert at SOPAC.
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Yuri Yunakov and Avram Pengas - great Eastern European / Mediterranean music via NYC. This is a weekly gig, most Thursdays but check with the venue to make sure it's on: http://www.mehanata.com/
Dec 10-14
Webster Hall, 125 E 11 St: Matisyahu. http://www.websterhall.com/
Dec 11 (Fri)
Drom, 85 Ave A: Synolon: Ansambl Mastika + Debo Band. 9 pm. http://www.dromnyc.com
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Grand Masters of Gypsy Music http://www.mehanata.com/
Dec 12 (Sat)
92 St Y Tribeca: Smadar Levi, Sarah Aroeste, The Naming - opening night of Sephardic Music Festival.
Shemspeed presents the opening night of its annual Sephardic Music Festival with a lineup showcasing some of the top female talents in modern Jewish music. http://www.92yTribeca.org
The Naming: This new multi-disciplinary (original music, dance, story-telling, video art) work comes from the Persian Jewish vocal innovator Galeet Dardashti—the driving force behind the popular all-woman Middle Eastern band Divahn. Dardashti unites the Persian classical music that made her grandfather a musical icon in Iran with a deep connection to Jewish poetry and song to create lush electronica-edged Middle Eastern compositions in Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic and Persian.
Ladino chanteuse Sarah Aroeste, inspired by her Sephardic roots from Spain and Greece, brings a fresh, sexy sound to Ladino and Sephardic music, fusing both original and 15th-century Ladino folk songs with rock, funk, jazz and blues.
An exciting new voice emerging from the NYC world music scene, Smadar Levi's gypsy-influenced pan-Mediterranean sound has won her wide acclaim. The Israeli-Moroccan's creative renditions of traditional tunes in Hebrew, Arabic and Ladino moved the Epoch Times International to call her "a euphonious and haunting voice" for peace and unity, while the internationally-renowned nonprofit organization Seeds of Peace honored her with an award for "uniting cultures to achieve peace through music.
Brooklyn Public Library Central Library, Grand Army Plaza: Caribbean Holiday Celebration for Kids. Noon. Free. http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org
Celebrate winter holidays with refreshments, crafts and music. The first 500 children to arrive will receive a wrapped holiday gift. All attendees will have a chance to meet Santa Claus. This is held in partnership with the West Indian American Carnival Association (WIADCA).
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Kagero - Balkan inspired band. http://www.mehanata.com/
92 St Y, Lexington Ave and 92nd St: AcapaJewza - Featuring the popular Jewish a cappella group Six13 and others. Shows at 8 pm at 10:30 pm. http://www.92y.org
Branford Coffee House, First Congregational Church of Branford Auditorium, 1009 Main St, Branford CT: Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys. http://folknotes.org/branfordfolk/
The old-time, twangy bluegrass music of Appalachia and the South will meet the soulful melodies of Jewish music from pre-war Russia and Eastern Europe when the society once again presents Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountains Boys. Margot, the globally renowned clarinetist of today's klezmer music revival, teams up with a group of New York City-based bluegrass all-stars, including fiddle virtuoso Kenny Kosek (yes, the Nashville studio fiddler in the popular Viagra television commercial) to explore the shared musical spirit of two genres literally worlds apart. The resulting medleys and improvisations are at once raw, funny, melancholic and footstomping.
Margot has been in the forefront of the klezmer music revival. A founding member of the Klezmatics in 1986 and Mikveh in 1999, Leverett also enjoys a solo career. Together with renowned mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff, she formed the Klezmer Mountain Boys in late 2001 as part of her own exploration of taking various types of fiddle tunes for transposition to clarinet.
Dec 12-19
Shemspeed's 5th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival. Various Venues. Lineup / info: http://www.sephardicmusicfestival.com/events/
Dec 13 (Sun)
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, 140 2nd Ave: Neshat Zekirov + the Zlante Uste Balkan Brass Band. Info: http://zlatneuste.org/
US debut of the Romani (gypsy) trumpet player Neshat Zekirov A trumpet player from the rich tradition of Macedonian Romani brass, Neshat is a consummate musician whose expressive improvisations reflect the fascinating flavors of gypsy music in the Balkans. He is the leader of the well recorded Maleshevski Melos Band. If you’re into Balkan brass, you’ve definitely heard his band and his exciting arrangements.
Heavyweights Zlatne Uste Brass Band have been around for over a decade having played with Saban Bajramovic, Esma Redzepova and many other legendary Roma musicians from Eastern Europe. The foremost presenters of traditional Balkan dance music in the US, Zlatne Uste's repertoire spans the most important stops in the traditional music of the Balkans - Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Gypsy traditions.
Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd, Brooklyn - Klezmatics (Hanukkah show). Daytime event - 2 pm. http://events.cuny.edu/default.asp?CollegeId=12
The Grammy-winning Klezmatics share songs from their hit Hanukkah album featuring lyrics by long-time Brooklyn resident Woody Guthrie and music filled with high energy and old country charm.
Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre St: Music from China explores summer themes in sizhu music. Part of the series Silk and Bamboo Sundays. Museum info: http://www.mocanyc.org/; presented in collaboration with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance http://www.ctmd.org. Daytime event: 3:30 pm.
Music From China performs classical and folk masterpieces as well as new Chinese music by living composers to audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad. A proponent of new music, Music From China produces Premiere Works, an annual concert series of new music and commissioned works by established and emerging composers. It has toured extensively throughout North America, and received a Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, in recognition for its contribution to music that mixes East and West. Music From China has can be heard on the Smithsonian Folkways and Metropolitan Museum of Art labels.
Spanish Portuguese Synagogue, 3 West 70th St: Ladino song with Rivka Amado & Ellie Massias. Part of the Sephardic Music Festival http://www.sephardicmusicfestival.com/events/.
Ladino music, a blend of Jewish and Spanish traditions, has been a part of the cultural life of Sephardic Jews since they were expelled from Spain in 1492. For 500 years, the songs kept their history alive from generation to generation.
Rivka Amado was born in Holon Israel, and spent most of her adult life in Jerusalem before moving to Berkeley, California in 2004. She traces her roots back to prominent Sephardic families—the Amado’s and the Barbut’s--on both sides of her family. After their expulsion from Spain both families eventually found their way to the Balkans where they remained for generations. Rivka’s parents made aliyah (the Jewish return to Israel) in 1933.
She grew up In a Ladino-speaking home in Holon, where she learned traditional melodies from her grandmother, Rivka Amado-Mandil.. (Yes, Sephardim name their children after living relatives.) For years Rivka sang Ladino songs and played the piano informally, and as well as sang in her synagogue choir in Jerusalem. Since moving to Berkeley, she has dedicated much of her time researching Sephardic culture and performing traditional Ladino music. With the aid of guitarist Joel Siegel, she has developed a program, A Journey Back to Spain, in which she recounts the ways the Jews of Spain have been able to maintain their identity for five hundred years, long after their expulsion, first from Spain and then from the entire Iberian Peninsula. In this program she mixes historical narrative, accounts of Sephardic culture, and popular Ladino songs.
Dec 14 (Mon)
Union Hall, 702 Union St, Brooklyn: Yair Dalal. 7 pm. Part of the Sephardic Music Festival http://www.sephardicmusicfestival.com/events/.
Yair Dalal, born in 1955; composer, violinist, oud player and singer; is probably the most prolific Israeli ethnic musician and plays an important role in shaping the global world music scene. Over the last decade he has put 11 albums, covering wide and varied cultural territory, and authentically representing Israel’s cultures and fusing them through music as whole.
Much of Dalal’s work reflects his extensive musical skills in both classical and Arabic music and also reflects a strong affinity he has for the desert and its habitants. Dalal’s family came to Israel from Baghdad and his Iraqi roots are embedded in his musical work. Whether working on his own, or with his Alol ensemble, Dalal creates new Middle Eastern music by interweaving the traditions of Iraqi and Jewish Arabic music with a range of influences originating from such diverse cultural milieus as the Balkans to India. The evocative compositions comprise a unique and colorful sound.
Apart from creating music, Dalal devotes his time to preserving musical heritages from becoming extinct - the Babylonian musical heritage and the music of the Beduim (the Sinai desert nomads).
Besides his musical endeavors, Dalal is also a peace activist, devoting much of his time and energy to helping to remove ideological barriers between different cultures and, in particular between Jews and Arabs. Dalal performed at the Nobel Peace Prize gala concert in 1994 honoring the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Dalal has won several Israeli awards acknowledging his music and his contribution to Israeli music and was also nominated in 2000 for a Grammy as part of Jordi Savall’s ensemble and by BBC world music rewards 2003 for his musical achievements as best musician from the middle east.
Center for Jewish History's Forchheimer Auditorium/Kumble Stage, 15 W. 16th St: Ilyas Malayev: Remembering the Poet Laureate of the Bukharian Jews. A presentation of CTMD's An-sky Institute for Jewish Culture: http://www.ctmd.org
Ilyas Malayev (1936-2008) was an immensely popular musician across Uzbekistan, deeply loved by the Bukharian Jewish community. He was a master of the central Asian classical music cycles known as "Shash maqam," and a major innovator of traditional forms through his musical compositions, poetry and theatrical works. CTMD worked with Dartmouth ethnomusicologist Theodore Levin to produce Malayev's important 1997 recording, At the Bazaar of Love (Shanachie Records). A reception will follow the event.
Dec 15 (Tues)
CUNY Grad Center Segal Theater, 365 Fifth Ave @ 34th St (NOTE - we also venue listed at Center for Jewish History so PLEASE CONFIRM WITH PRESENTER): Sepharad: New Approaches to a Musical Identity. A performance by Aviva and Dan followed by audience-interactive panel discussion on Sephardic music curated by Samuel R. Thomas (of the group Asefa). Early evening event - 6:30 pm. Part of the Sephardic Music Festival http://www.sephardicmusicfestival.com/events/.
Dec 16 (Wed)
Knitting Factory Brooklyn, 361 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg: Pharaoh's Daughter (with special guests). Part of the Sephardic Music Festival http://www.sephardicmusicfestival.com/events/.
Blending a psychedelic sensibility and a pan-Mediterranean sensuality, Basya Schechter leads her band, Pharaoh's Daughter, through swirling Hasidic chants, Mizrachi and Sephardi folk-rock, and spiritual stylings filtered through percussion, flute, strings and electronica.Her sound has been cultivated by her Hasidic music background and a series of trips to the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Central Africa, Turkey, Kurdistan and Greece.
Dec 16-20
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N 6 St, Brooklyn: Matisyahu. http://www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
Dec 17 (Thurs)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: La Cumbiamba - cd advance release party. Limited edition Colombian-pressed copies of the band's 2010 release La Palma will be available only at this show. Late show: 11:30 pm. http://www.joespub.com
Performing genres from all over Colombia in a traditional, eclectic and contemporary way, La Cumbiamba eNeYé delivers an exciting, non-stop music and dance experience. The versatile ensemble performs in a variety of formats, including an 11-piece band, the traditional Gaitas Y Tambores sextet, and a Marching band quartet.
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Yuri Yunakov and Avram Pengas - great Eastern European / Mediterranean music via NYC. This is a weekly gig, most Thursdays but check with the venue to make sure it's on: http://www.mehanata.com/
Drom, 85 Ave A: Synolon: Music of Greece. http://www.dromnyc.com
Dec 18 (Fri)
Mehanata, 113 Ludlow St: Grand Masters of Gypsy Music http://www.mehanata.com/
Dec 19 (Sat)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: Electro Morocco + Diwon. New directions in electro-Judaic hybridism. Late show: 11:30 pm. Part of the Sephardic Music Festival http://www.sephardicmusicfestival.com/events/.
Electromorocco is a unique mixture of energetic electro beats, Middle Eastern flavor, with a retro rock and pop edge. The live performance combines live music with synced v
Dec 20
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard (at the corner of Linden Place), Flushing, Queens: Bakithi Kumalo Kwanzaa show. Daytime event: 2 pm. http://www.flushingtownhall.org/.
Dec 24
92 St Y, Lexington Ave and 92nd St: The popular Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza. 8 pm. http://www.92y.org
Dec 25 (Christmas Day)
SOBs, 204 Varick St: A hot Christmas night of Haitian music with T-Vice. http://www.sobs.com
T-Vice was formed in 1991 by brothers Roberto and Reynaldo Martino, sons of renowned Haitian guitarist Robert Martino of the classic Top Vice band and followed on his Konpa style.
Dec 26 (Boxing Day)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: NY Gypsy All-Stars. Zemog el Gallo Bueno. 9:30 pm. http://www.joespub.com
Zemog El Gallo Bueno plays 21st Century Latin music, reflecting all of the contradictions and cultural tensions of what it means to be Latin in America in 2009. Bandleader Abraham Gomez-Delgado, of Peruvian descent, left his native Puerto Rico as a child and relocated to the US, and as a result Zemog's music incorporates everything from bomba and plena to Sun Ra and Van Halen in an uncategorizable, unique sound. Downbeat magazine says Zemog "does for Afro-Latin music what Tom Waits did for Weillian cabaret, bringing a madcap energy and willful weirdness to the basic ingredients and blowing it up with his personality. ...Zemog has developed an original, satisfying spin on Latin rock that reveals a understanding of the plena and bomba and a desire to subvert [stereotypical ideas of 'Latin music']. Gomez-Delgado grounds his group's music in clave rhythms, but ranges far and wide in his melodic constructions without ever suggesting a glib mish-mosh of ingredients."
Dec 27
SOBs, 204 Varick St: Haitian Women in Jazz. A special evening of Haitian tinged jazz featuring Ginou Oriol, Melanie JB Charles, Pauline Jean and others. http://www.sobs.com
Dec 27-29
Webster Hall, 125 E 11th St: Gogol Bordello. The merry pranksters of East European-y roots rock. http://websterhall.com/
Dec 31
SOBs, 204 Varick
A pan-Caribbean new year's eve with the Bossa Casanovas (samba / Brazil), La Excelencia (salsa) and Stil (Kreyol / Haitian)
2010
Jan 2 (Sat)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: NY Gypsy All-Stars. Late show: 11:30 pm. http://www.joespub.com
The All-Stars showcases some of NY's finest Eastward-looking musicians including Ismail Lumanovski on Clarinet Tamer Pinarbasi on kunun, Panogiotis Andre
Jan 5 (Tues)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: Sanda Weigl: 7:30 pm. http://www.joespub.com
Sanda Weigl's life is larger than the gypsy lore reflected in her songs. As outspoken politically as she is uncompromising musically, Romanian singer-songwriter Sandafirst achieved fame as a teen-age member of Team 4, East Germany's most popular rock band of the 1960s. After publicly denouncing communism and Russia's invasion of Czechoslovakia, she was banned from performing and sentenced to two years in an East Berlin prison; then, expelled to the West where she was free to continue crafting her art.
Since relocating to New York in the early nineties, Sanda has performed her singular interpretations to critical acclaim throughout the United States, Mexico, Poland, Germany, Israel, and an especially triumphant series of concerts in her native Romania.
Jan 8 (Fri)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: Falu + Red Baraat. 9:30 pm. http://www.joespub.com
Falu is a classically trained Indian vocalist whose diverse musical repertoire captures both her traditional roots as well as her unique ability in combining Hindi music with an inventive rock sound. Her live performances from both genres have been featured nationally on FOX TV and internationally on National Geographic TV, while her voice has been captured in multiple films including Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut A Place in Time. One of Falu’s most stunning recent performances was at the Time 100 Gala where she was invited to perform a duet with Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman in front of the one hundred selection of Time Magazine's most influential people in the world of 2008, which not surprisingly included First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
Led by drummer Sunny Jain, Red Baraat is the first and only dhol ‘n’ brass band of its kind in the States, melding the infectious North Indian rhythm Bhangra with brass funk and expressing the human spirit through improvisation and a powerful live sound. Comprised of dhol (double-sided, barrel-shaped North Indian drum slung over one shoulder), drumset, percussion, sousaphone and horns, this NYC-based group plays fresh originals, as well as Punjabi songs and Bollywood numbers with an explosive stage performance.
92 y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St: Pistolera. (APAP showcase? Possibly with others?) http://www.92y.org/92yTribeca/
Pistolera led by Sandra Velasquez is a rocking NYC-based band that plays an original brand of latin pop-folklorico, drawing from traditional styles of Mexican music but with a rock and roll mindset, and socially aware songwriting.
Jan 8-12
Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, and other venues: APAP - the annual Arts Presenters conference features many musical showcases. Most of the on-site showcases are free of charge and open to the general public; off-site showcases are more likely to have an admission fee. Info: http://www.apapconference.org/
Jan 10 (Sun)
Webster Hall, 125 E 11th St: globalFEST - the annual world music showcase presented in conjunction with APAP http://www.apapconference.org/, the arts presenters' conference. 6 pm. Artists TBA. http://www.globalfest-ny.com
For the seventh year, this leading showcase for international sounds keeps a foot in the door of cultural exchange, giving dozens of musicians access to the national stage.
This year’s festival includes:
- Alif Naaba, West African acoustic song (Burkina Faso)
- Cara Dillon, striking Celtic vocalist (Ireland)
- Caravan Palace, swingin’ electro manouche jazz (France)
- Cedric Watson, Creole Zydeco heir from Louisiana (USA)
- Federico Aubele, bolero and cumbia meets electro
downtempo (Argentina/USA)
- La Cumbiamba eNeYé, Afro-Colombian roots from NYC
(Colombia/USA)
- La Excelencia, old-school salsa dura revivalists (USA)
- Meta and the Cornerstones, African roots reggae export
(Senegal/USA)
- Namgar, Siberian shaman rock from the Central Asian
steppes (Russia)
- Nguyên Lê, acclaimed French-Vietnamese guitarist leads a
Pan-Asian jazz trio (Vietnam/Japan/India/France)
- Nightlosers, Transylvanian blues-rock/Gypsy chameleons
(Romania)
Jan 11 (Mon)
Highline Ballroom, 431 W 16 St: Bajofondo. Eye For Talent agency's APAP showcase featuring: Cimarrón + De Temps Antan + Hector del Curto & Eternal Tango + La Fanfare Di Belgistan + Los de Abajo + Maria de Barros. 6 pm doors, 7 pm show. http://www.highlineballroom.com
Cimarrón: Los Llanos Orientales are vast plains that stretch from Colombia into Venezuela. The mestizo people that inhabit these savannahs on the great Orinoco river are descendents of Spanish settlers, African slaves and Indigenous Indians.This is cattle rearing country where music accompanies the daily working tasks such as milking and cattle drives. Most striking is the festive dance music called joropo, a fiercely virtuoso display of rippling melodies played on harp, bandola and cuatro accompanied by bass, cajon and maracas. Cimarrón is the most accomplished llanera group in Colombia. A seven piece led by harpist and composer Carlos Rojas, they have been working for over twenty years and have performed the world over. These musicians are immersed in the sounds of ‘los llanos’; they seek to explore and experiment with their rich heritage whilst retaining the essence of the tradition.
Jan 14 (Thurs)
Mexicali Live, 1409 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck, NJ: Crooked Still - young American roots band plays it more down and dirty than typical bluegrass circuit types. http://www.mexicalilive.com/
Jan. 15-16 (Sat-Sun)
Good Shepherd School 620 Isham (near 207th St. and B'way): Golden Festival of Balkan and East European Music and Dance. The hyper-festive annual gathering of Balkan music and dance aficionados. The founders and organizers, the Zlatne Uste Brass Band play a dance concert Friday night with a few additional musical guests; Saturday night is wall to wall music and dance (usually starting at 6 pm and going until the wee hours of Sunay morning) with multiple stages and scores of bands performing. Info to come at: http://goldenfest.zlatneuste.org/
Jan 16 (Sun)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: Bassam Saba Ensemble. 9:30 pm. http://www.joespub.com
In this exciting New York CD-release show, Bassam Saba performs the music of his long-awaited debut album Wonderful Land with his sextet, The Bassam Saba Ensemble. Saba's compositions, passionate and richly complex, are deeply rooted in Saba's native Lebanese and Arabic folk music, infused with elements of western classical arrangement. Saba, world-renowned nay virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist, has worked with an eclectic group of artists including Fairouz, Marcel Khalife, Sting, Alicia Keys, Simon Shaheen, Santana and Herbie Hancock. The Bassam Saba Ensemble features Bassam Saba on nay, oud, saz, flute and violin; Megan Gould on violin; William Martina on cello; Peter Slavov on bass; and April Centrone and Jamey Haddad (Paul Simon) on percussion.
Queens Public Library Flushing Branch, 41-17 Main Street, Flushing, Queens (check with presenter to confirm location): Chris Washburne and the SYOTOS Band. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. Daytime event: 2 pm.
Chris Washburne & the SYOTOS Band synthesizes Afro-Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, and Armenian jazz styles and is one of the most sought-after Latin jazz groups in New York City.
Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd, Brooklyn - Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company (Lunar New Year show). Daytime event - 2 pm. http://events.cuny.edu/default.asp?CollegeId=12
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company returns with a new show to celebrate the splendor of the Lunar New Year. Filled with festive music and dance, the agility of martial arts, and the beauty of colorful twirling ribbons and silks, their 90-minutes on stage is a stunning feast for the eyes.
Jan 17 (Sun)
Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island: Slavic Soul Party: Balkan brass mayhem. http://www.snug-harbor.org. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. Daytime event: 2 pm.
Jan 22 (Fri)
Queens Theatre, Flushing Meadow Park (adjacent to the National Tennis Center etc): Brian Gore's International Guitar Night. 8 pm. http://www.queenstheatre.org
International Guitar Night started as an impromptu concert in a converted laundromat in San Francisco. This year, celebrating ten years of touring, IGN founder Brian Gore will be joined by Lulo Reinhardt, from Germany, a descendant of the great Django Reinhardt along with Itamar Erez from Israel, and Stephen Bennett from Virginia. This promises to be a spirited evening of solo and collaborative guitar music performed in a number of musical styles.
Jan 22-23
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St: Django A-Go-Go featuring Stephane Wrembel & friends. Various show times; see http://www.joespub.com
100 years ago, was born one of the greatest genius in the history of guitar. Django Reinhardt, a French Gypsy, created all the foundations for modern guitar playing, as well as a very distinctive and unique style, called by many "Gypsy swing". Gypsy swing is an art, a universe of sound requiring the highest levels of guitar technic and virtuosity, as well as the deepest feelings and soul. It is not surprising that his music is performed all over the world, and is now the absolute reference for guitar mastery. Joe's pub will celebrate a century of his music for a unique series of concerts featuring French guitar legend Maie Bittel, Spanish and USA masters Biel Ballester and Stephane Wrembel, special guest Maie's Violinist John Intrator, and the famous American Django-fusion all style band "Babik".
Jan. 23 (Sat)
Symphony Space, Broadway and 95 St: World Music Institute (WMI) presents Yuri Yunakov Band. 8 pm. http://worldmusicinstitute.org
Bulgaria's famed saxophonist Yuri Yunakov, of Turkish Romani (Gypsy) ancestry, has enraptured audiences around the world with his electrifying performances of Bulgarian wedding music and Gypsy music from the Balkans. Known for his longtime collaboration with Ivo Papsov, he is the charismatic leader of Romani wedding bands and was a member of WMI's Gypsy Caravan tour. In this program, he and his 6-member ensemble will present Gypsy music from Bulgaria and Macedonia - joyful and ecstatic sounds filled with haunting melodies and dizzying rhythms.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Park Blvd W, the Bronx: Lebron Brothers + trumpeter Luis "Perico" Ortiz. 8 pm. http://www.lehmancenter.org
Purveyors of pure salsa, the LeBron Brothers are arguably one of the greatest bands of Latin music: guaguanco, bugalu, Latin soul, but especially salsa. The brothers include José, Angel, Francisco and Pablo. In the late 1960’s, at the height of the bugalu craze, the LeBron Brothers struck out from their home in Brooklyn, New York to begin a legendary career recording more than a dozen albums. In 1981, Pablo LeBron suffered a heart attack that forced him to retire, leading the band to a hiatus after the release of Criollo in 1982 - but the Lebron Brothers have been on the comeback trail since the release of I Believe in 1996.
DreamYard, 240 E 172nd St (please confirm address with presenters), the Bronx: Folklore Urbano fluidly blends jazz / improv with elements of pianist / leader Pablo Mayor's Colombian roots. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. 5 pm.
DreamYard is an innovative arts-in-education organization that integrates the arts into the curricula of elementary, middle and high school students.
Feb 3 (Wed)
Highline Ballroom, 431 W 16 St: Ladysmith Black Mambazo - the veneral South African mbube vocal ensemble. http://www.highlineballroom.com
Feb 6 (Sat)
Brooklyn Public Library Coney Island Branch: Slavic Soul Party - Balkan brass mayhem. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. Daytime event: 2 pm.
Brooklyn Public Library Central Library, Grand Army Plaza: Broadbelt Guitar Duo. Afternoon concert: 4 pm. Free. http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org
Brothers Sean and Girshwyn Broadbelt carry forward their family's long tradition of playing their native Trinidadian and Venezuelan music. With hints of Django Reinhardt, Paco de Lucia and combinations of Spanish Classical Jazz, Broadbelt Guitar Duo's unique style and sound is Latin Classical acoustic guitar with a twist of Latin Jazz, Blues and Spanish Jazz.
Montclair State University (Peak Performances Series), One Normal Ave., Montclair NJ: Miguel Zenón & Esta Plena. 8 pm. http://www.peakperfs.org
Be immersed in a jazz creation of real genius as saxophonist Miguel Zenón and his ensemble perform an original work inspired by plena, a popular folk music form that originated in Zenón’s homeland of Puerto Rico. A noted Guggenheim and recent MacArthur Fellow, Zenón reawakens the spirit of this traditional music in Esta Plena, an evening-long program that explores both the instrumental and vocal elements of this art form.
World Music Institute Presents at Symphony Space, Broadway and 95 St: JSamulnori Drums & Dances: Noreum Machi. 8 pm. http://worldmusicinstitute.org
Spectacular percussion dialogues, shamanic chants, and acrobatic dances. Korea's Noreum Machi troupe has been acclaimed for its innovative performances of the dynamic samulnori percussion music that has captivated audiences throughout the world over the past three decades. An exhilarating modern adaptation of the ancient p'ungmul nori farmers ritual, samulnori represents the soul of Korea. The group is led by Kim Juhong, who studied singing, shaman rhythms, and pansori with masters of their genres, including Kim Duk Soo, an original member of Samul-Nori.
Feb 7 (Sun)
Montclair State University (Peak Performances Series), One Normal Ave., Montclair NJ: Kronos Quartet. Daytime event: 3 pm. http://www.peakperfs.org
Kronos will perform a very international set:
John Zorn - Cat O’ Nine Tails*
Hamza El Din (Realized by Tohru Ueda) - “Escalay” (Water Wheel)*
Ramallah Underground (arr. Jacob Garchik) - Tashweesh*
Café Tacuba (arr. Osvaldo Golijov) - 12/12
Raymond Scott (arr. Randall Woolf) - Twilight in Turkey+
Traditional (arr. Jacob Garchik) - Smyrneiko Minore+
Ram Narayan (arr. Kronos, transc. Ljova) - “Alap” (Raga Mishra Bhairavi)+
Aleksandra Vrebalov - … hold me, neighbor, in this storm…*
Feb 11-13 (Thurs-Sat)
Feb 12 (Fri)
Montgomery County Community College, 340 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA: Paquito D'Rivera. http://www.mc3.edu/aboutUs/newsEvents
Born in Cuba, Paquito D’Rivera, composer and saxophonist, is the recipient of the National Medal of the Arts and the first artist in history to win Latin Grammy Awards in both the Classical and Latin Jazz categories. Most recently he received his 9th Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for his most recent recording Funk Tango. In addition to his extraordinary performing career as an instrumentalist, Paquito D'Rivera has rapidly gained a reputation as a dynamic composer winning a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition in 2007. His works often reveal his widespread and eclectic musical interests, from Afro-Cuban rhythms and melodies, back to his classical origins.
Feb 13 (Sat)
Wellmont Theater, 5 Seymour St, Montclair NJ: Neville Brothers + Dr John. http://www.wellmonttheatre.com/events/
Branford Coffee House, First Congregational Church of Branford Auditorium, 1009 Main St, Branford CT: Gerard Edery Ensemble. Sephardic music. http://folknotes.org/branfordfolk/
These gifted musicians bring an ancient repertoire to the contemporary stage, while fueling the evolution of Sephardic music with new arrangements and original compositions.
Feb 18
Skirball Center at NYU, 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square South:
World Music Institute Presents Masters of Persian Music Hossein Alizadeh, Kayhan Kalhor, & Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh. 8 pm. http://worldmusicinstitute.org
This program features three important figures in classical Persian music: tar (long-necked lute) maestro Hossein Alizadeh; Kayhan Kalhor, a virtuoso of the kamancheh (spike-fiddle) who has been instrumental in popularizing Persian music in the West through his solo concerts and work with Ghazal and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project; and Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh, a student of Mohammad Reza Shajarian and one of the finest Iranian vocalists today. Their program features new works drawing on Persian classical music and ancient Sufi and contemporary poetry.
Drom, 85 Ave. A: Samita Sinha. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. See also http://www.dromnyc.com. 8 pm.
Trained in classical Hindustani vocal music, composer/ performer Samita Sinha uses the range of her voice together with electronics and multilingual text in solo performance and multichannel vocal pieces. Besides her solo work, Sinha has a duo project with Marc Cary called ANATOMY (electronic/ Hindustani/ jazz), uses her voice as an improvising instrument in jazz ensembles (in Marc Cary’s FOCUS Trio, Sunny Jain Collective, Eternal Now and her own ensemble Kaash), and has toured internationally as a vocalist with the late performance poet Sekou Sundiata’s the 51st (dream) state.
Feb 21 (Sun)
Queens Theatre, Flushing Meadow Park (adjacent to the National Tennis Center etc): Zalmen Mlotek - 100 Years of Yiddish theater Music – From shtetl to Klezmer Revival featuring special guest Daniella Rabbani, and the New Yiddish Chorale. Daytime event: 3 pm. http://www.queenstheatre.org
Feb 25
Jorgensen Center For The Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road, Unit 3104 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT: Bela Fleck's African Project - featuring Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba.
Kouyate, former sideman with Toumani Diabate, has extended the repertoire of the traditional cigar-shaped ngoni lute, forming a band full of ngonis and modifying the instruments - creating a bass version etc. His band's enervating music has been praised by the likes of Fatboy Slim, Damon Albarn etc. http://www.jorgensen.uconn.edu/
The unrivaled master of the American banjo, Béla Fleck is also a historian of his craft. Several years ago he went from the U.S. to Africa, intrigued by the banjo’s ancestry and an urge to bridge the continents’ musical divide. In this collaboration with amazing African musicians, Fleck creates some of the most memorable music of his career.
About Kouyate's new cd "I Speak Fula":
From his early days in Bamako when he was playing in a trio together with Toumani Diabate and Keletigui Diabate till today where he is pursuing his own career, Bassekou has transformed the traditional music of the ngoni into the modern world of today. With his band ngoni ba he has created a new lineup as a quartet with a band's style of playing. The ngonis they play are still acoustic as in the old days, but Bassekou invented a bass ngoni even lower in pitch than the ngoni ba (low ngoni), and added extra strings to make their instruments harmonically more flexible. In the process Bassekou opened up the magic of an age-old music that he and his band have been playing for their entire lives, to people all over the world. Bassekou Kouyate has now become the ambassador of the ngoni. He has brought this ancient instrument back to where it used to be: to the center of Malian music. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba are now rocking the stages from Bamako to London. Their sucess has sparked off a new interest for this traditional instrument in Mali. Today not a week passes in Bamako without Bassekou being approached by young musicians who want to start a ngoni band.
Feb 26-27 (Fri-Sat)
Symphony Space, Broadway at 95th St: Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra: The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra goes Carioca. 8 pm nightly. http://www.symphonyspace.org
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra goes Carioca features guest Music Director Cliff Korman, and friends. The evening will be a celebration of the Samba, the Bossa Nova, and other Afro Brazilian rhythms. We will explore the genius of Hermeto Pascoal and feature special guests Vanderlei Pereira and Paul Leiberman, amongst many others.
March 6 (Sat)
Born in Gonaives, Haiti, Emeline Michel is the reigning Queen of Haitian Song. A captivating performer, versatile vocalist and one of the premier Haitian songwriters of her generation. For the past two decades, she recorded numerous albums and has appeared on concert stages throughout the Caribbean, Europe, North & South America. Singing both in French and Haitian Creole, her eight albums have catapulted her to international acclaim.
March 7 (Sun)
Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd, Brooklyn - Son de Madre. Daytime event - 3 pm; free. http://events.cuny.edu/default.asp?CollegeId=12 in conjunction with the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Series http://www.carnegiehall.org
This NYC-based Latin fusion band features top-notch players from all around the globe. Their versions of son, salsa, timba, cha cha, and more will have you dancing in the aisles.
March 11 (Thurs)
Symphony Space, Broadway at 95th St: Altan. 8 pm. http://www.symphonyspace.org
Altan, which has revitalized the Irish music scene both here and abroad, is now celebrating its 25th anniversary. Renowned for its dynamic twin fiddling and haunting renditions of old Gaelic songs in the sean nos (unaccompanied style), Altan specializes in tunes in the powerful Donegal style that is marked by a strong Scottish influence. This supergroup features Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, who has been acclaimed for her glorious vocals; Ciaran Tourish, Dermot Byrne, Daithi Sproule, and Ciran Curran.
March 13 (Sat)
Carnegie Hall, 57th St and 7th Ave: The dynamic Inuk singer Tanya Tagaq with Kimmo Pohjonen and the Kronos Quartet. 8 pm. http://www.carnegiehall.org.
March 19-20
Jorgensen Center For The Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road, Unit 3104 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT: Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy. 8 pm. http://www.jorgensen.uconn.edu/
Donnell Leahy, eldest member of the Canadian sibling powerhouse Leahy, joins Cape Breton Island native Natalie MacMaster for a fiddle-driven whirlwind of Celtic music and dance. They push the pedal to the floor as they roar across the musical map with jigs, reels and strathspeys. Their fiery, foot-tapping energy brakes only occasionally for a delicate air or a keening ballad, making a timeless tradition as fresh and new as a sunrise.
March 20 (Sat)
Queens College LeFrak Concert Hall, Kissena Blvd, Flushing, Queens: Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet. Ensemble led by the trumpeter and composer, fusing coastal Peruvian roots with jazz. Info: http://www.kupferbergcenterarts.org
Bronx Library Center, 310 E Kingsbridge Rd, Bronx: Falu (Falguni Shah). Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. 2.30 pm.
Falu is widely recognized for a rare ability to seamlessly blend a signature modern inventive rock style with a formidable Indian classically-shaped vocal talent. Falu's band brings together musicians who draw elegantly from Indian classical, alternative rock, contemporary pop, and electronic styles to create a tight mix of East and West, of ancient and modern. One of Falu’s most stunning recent performances was at the Time 100 Gala where she was invited to perform a duet with Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman in front of the one hundred selection of Time Magazine's most influential people in the world of 2008, which not surprisingly included Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
March 21 (Sun)
Grace Church, 33 Church St, White Plains, NY: Mariachi Real de Mexico. Daytime event: 4 pm. http://dtmusic.org/programs_weekend.htm
Mariachi Real de Mexico, the premiere Mariachi band, has performed in concert at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, and as part of numerous celebrations for luminaries in the world of music. A pre-concert talk about Mariachi and its history begins at 3:30 pm. A traditional Mexican fiesta follows the program.
Mar 26 (Fri)
Carnegie Hall Zankel Hall, 57th St and 7th Ave: Bassekou Kouyate. 8:30pm. http://www.carnegiehall.org.
Celebrated for his virtuosity on the ngoni, an ancient West African lute, Mali's extraordinary Bassekou Kouyate performs hypnotic music evocative of the blues with his band Ngoni ba, Mali's first ngoni quartet. New York debut.
Mar 27 (Sat)
Queens Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, Queens: Slavic Soul Party's Balkan Brass Mayhem. Free, part of Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. Daytime event: 3 pm.
April 9 (Fri)
World Music Institute Presents at Symphony Space, Broadway and 95 St: Ali Akbar Moradi and friends: Sacred Kurdish Music. 8 pm. http://worldmusicinstitute.org
The music of Kurdistan, little known in the US, is performed by Ali Akbar Moradi, the greatest living master of the tanbur. Known for his work as a soloist and with Shahram Nazeri and Kayhan Kalhor, he has created new interest for the tanbur - an ancient lute traditionally used in religious ceremonies. His program features both meditative improvisations based on the repertoire of the Yarsan people, the followers of a mystical faith associated with Sufism, and Kurdish folk music. Accompaniment on lutes and percussion is provided by his sons, Kourosh (daf, tombak, tanbur) and Arash (tanbur, shurangiz, setar), his daughter Faranak (tanbur), his nephew Jahanbakhsh Rostami (tanbur, setar), and his student Bahar Movaed Bashir (tanbur, vocal).
April 10 (Sat)
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway: Falu. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. Daytime event: 3 pm.
Falu is widely recognized for a rare ability to seamlessly blend a signature modern inventive rock style with a formidable Indian classically-shaped vocal talent. Falu's band brings together musicians who draw elegantly from Indian classical, alternative rock, contemporary pop, and electronic styles to create a tight mix of East and West, of ancient and modern. One of Falu’s most stunning recent performances was at the Time 100 Gala where she was invited to perform a duet with Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman in front of the one hundred selection of Time Magazine's most influential people in the world of 2008, which not surprisingly included Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
Jorgensen Center For The Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road, Unit 3104 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT: Oscar D'Leon / "Latin Fest 2010 - Dance Cabaret".
Oscar D'León is a Venezuelan-born salsa superstar, originally a double-bass player but now strictly a singer and bandleader. He is known as El Sonero del Mundo. His most famous song is perhaps "Llorarás," which he recorded in 1975 with his group La Dimensión Latina.
April 17 (Sat)
Highline Ballroom, 431 W 16 St: Rokia Traore. http://www.highlineballroom.com
Malian singer Rokia Traore burst onto the world music scene in 1997 when she was awarded the Radio France Internationale prize for African Discovery of the Year, only a year after she had become a professional singer. Traore, who sings almost exclusively in her native Bamanan language, has achieved international critical and popular acclaim as one of the most innovative stylists to emerge in the West African singing tradition.
April 18 (Sun)
World Music Institute Presents at Symphony Space, Broadway and 95 St: Ana Moura. 7 pm. http://worldmusicinstitute.org
Portuguese singer Ana Moura's stunning interpretation of her country's soulful fado has made her a rising star in Europe and brought her critical acclaim in her North American concerts. An outstanding voice in the new generation of fado singers, she transcends her youth with a maturity that speaks of the pain of separation, unrequited love, and longing - themes portrayed in this poetic, deeply expressive genre. Accompaniment on Portuguese guitar, acoustic guitar, and bass guitar.
Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd, Brooklyn - Dancing Crane Georgian Dance Theatre. Daytime event - 3 pm; free. http://events.cuny.edu/default.asp?CollegeId=12 in conjunction with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance http://www.ctmd.org
Mountain dances with swords; elegant court dances; ancient folk dances -- join this talented group of 25 dancers, singers and musicians on a cultural tour of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, joyously performed with traditional instruments and colorfully authentic costumes.
April 24 (Sat)
Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center, 100-01 Northern Boulevard, Corona, Queens: Kakande led by master balafon (xylophone) player Famoro Dioubate brings driving West African roots music to NY audiences. Free, part of Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. Daytime event: 2 pm.
World Music Institute Presents at Symphony Space, Broadway and 95 St: Vijayalakshmi: South Indian dance and music. 8 pm. http://worldmusicinstitute.org
Vijayalakshmi is one of the most highly regarded exponents of Mohiniyattam (literally "the dance of the enchantress"), the exquisite South Indian classical dance style from Kerala that is rarely presented in the U.S. today. She follows in the footsteps of her mother and guru, Bharati Shivaji, playing an important role in the revival and rejuvenation of this form that is deeply rooted in femininity, grace (lasya), and beauty (sringara). Performing pieces from the traditional Mohiniyattam repertoire, she is accompanied by musicians on veena, percussion & vocals.
April 29 (Thurs)
Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 161-04 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, Queens: Kakande led by master balafon (xylophone) player Famoro Dioubate brings driving West African roots music to NY audiences. Free, part of Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. Evening event: 7:30 pm.
May 1 (Sat)
World Music Institute Presents at Symphony Space, Broadway and 95 St: Shujaat Husain Khan. 8 pm. http://worldmusicinstitute.org
The extraordinary sitarist Shujaat Husain Khan, son and disciple of the late Ustad Vilayat Khan, is one of the leading Indian classical musicians of his generation. Seventh in an unbroken line in a family that has produced many musical masters, he performs in the gayaki ang style, which is imitative of the subtleties of the human voice. He has been acclaimed for his solo appearances of Indian music, as well as for his tours and recordings with the Grammy-nominated Indo-Persian Ghazal Ensemble. He is accompanied by the remarkable tabla player Yogesh Samsi.
May 7 (Fri)
Carnegie Hall Zankel Hall, 57th St and 7th Ave: Sones de Mexico Ensemble. 8:30pm. http://www.carnegiehall.org.
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This acclaimed Grammy-nominated Mexican folk music ensemble from Chicago specializes in the various regional styles of son, recreating the atmosphere of a traditional fandango (dance fiesta).
Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island: Celso Duarte. http://www.snug-harbor.org. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. Evening event: 8 pm. May 8 (Sat) El Museo del Barrio, 1230 5th Ave at E 104 St: Celso Duarte. Free event, part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_neighborhood_concerts.html. See also http://www.elmuseo.org/. Note early evening start time: 6 pm. Charismatic, talented and deeply profound, Mexico's Celso Duarte has been recognized as a virtuoso of the harp by many international critics. He’s also well known as Lila Downs’ harpist both live and on the Latin Grammy winning album, Una Sangre. May 14 (Fri) |
World Music Institute Presents at Symphony Space Thalia Theater, Broadway and 95 St: Joydeep Ghosh. 7:30 pm. http://worldmusicinstitute.org
This program provides a rare opportunity to hear the surshringar, a stringed lute that is nearly extinct in India today. The surshringar, derived from ancient instruments and probably introduced in the early 19th century, can be described as a bass sarod and is used mainly in the introspective dhrupad and dhamar styles. The award-winning Joydeep Ghosh, who has been hailed as one of India's most respected surshringar players of his generation, is helping to keep alive this venerable tradition. Tabla accompaniment by Subhen Chatterjee. This program is dedicated to the late sarod maestro Aliu Akbar Khan.
June 4-5 (Fri-Sat)
Symphony Space Thalia Theater, Broadway and 95 St: Afro Latin Jazz Alliance presents Musica Nueva 3: Latin Jazz Across the Americas. 8 pm nightly. http://www.symphonyspace.org
"Musica Nueva 3: Latin Jazz Across the Americas" showcases new works from composers throughout the Americas, including world premieres, part of the ongoing commitment of Symphony Space and the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance to new music through the Sonidos de Colores initiative. This concert has traditionally been an audience favorite and promises to be a peek into the future of the music we call jazz and Latin jazz.
June 4-6 (Fri-Sun)
Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta, NJ: Michael Arnone's Crawfish fest. Cajun food empresario puts on his annual festival with lots of great Cajun / Louisiana music. http://www.crawfishfest.com/. Note: Friday shows are limited to people camping at the festival (Sat / Sun are open to everyone).
Confirmed so far (more TK):
Friday June 4th-Campers and Crawfish Krewe Only Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience The Redstick Ramblers, Jeffrey Broussard and The Creole Cowboys + 3 TBA's
Saturday June 5th Amanda Shaw and The Cute Guys, The Redstick Ramblers Jeffrey Broussard and The Creole Cowboys Rosie Ledet, Polka Pot Summer Rae McLaughlan + 8 TBA's
Papa Grows Funk- Campers and Crawfish Krewe Only Sunday June 6th Galactic, The Redstick Ramblers, Jeffrey Broussard and The Creole Cowboys, Polka Dot Summer Rae McLaughlan
What started as a small crawfish boil for 70 people homesick for boiled crawfish in 1989, has turned into Michael Arnone's 20th Annual Crawfish Fest. Featuring the best Music and Food that Louisiana and New Orleans has to offer. Cajun, Zydeco, Delta Blues, New Orleans R&B, Brass, Gospel and Jazz on 4 Stages.
July 17
Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, Tony Bennett Concert Hall, 35-12 35th St, Astoria, Queens: NY Musical Saw Festival. A slew of musical saw performers. Last year a Guinness record was set at the festival for largest saw orchestra - 53. Daytime event: 2 pm. http://musicalsawfestival.org/
Venues and festivals:
A listing of NY metro area summer concert series websites (and some series and festivals outside New York) is here: http://tinyurl.com/wfmu-world-summer-series
Work-in-progress: A directory of clubs and other venues / presenters that feature at least some "world" music: http://tinyurl.com/wfmu-world-clubs
Concert audio and video archives online (born before youtube)!
Kennedy Center Millenium Stage. All types of music and performance but a strong emphasis on “world” music: http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/archive_index.html
BBC Radio 3 World Music Archive: With full concerts from the UK’s WOMAD festivals and much more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/archive_index.shtml
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To see playlists, listen to archived programs and learn more about Transpacific Sound Paradise,
go to http://www.wfmu.org/Playlists/Robw.
The WFMU main page is http://www.wfmu.org/.
To comment or to submit an event to be listed, send e-mail to Rob Weisberg.
Dedicated to Godfrey and Mr Tibbles, our former fact-checkers now in kitty heaven.
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