Every year in early January the Arts Presenters industry conference (APAP) brings a slew of artists to New York to play showcase concerts, many in a multi-culti vein. The highest profile and most ambitious event is the annual globalFEST. Unlike most of the other showcases which are organized by promoters or bookers to specifically present the artists they represent, globalFEST is programmed more like a general world music festival – but in compressed form.
Here’s a rundown of some of the coming attractions:
Globalfest 2010 at Webster Hall, 125 E 11 St, Sunday Jan 10th. 12 Artists on 3 stages starting at 7 pm. Highlights include Parisian / Vietnamese jazz / world hybridist Nguyên Lê; Namgar, mixing Buryat / Mongol musical traditions with rock; acclaimed Celtic vocalist Cara Dillon; budding Creole / Zydeco star Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole.
Charisma Agency showcase at Drom, 85 Ave A, Friday Jan 8. A highlight is Fishtank Ensemble’s East European and gypsy-jazz blends – early, at 6 pm.
Mondo Mundo Showcase at The Bell House, 149 7th St., Brooklyn, Friday Jan 8. Highlight is Congolese vocal great Samba Mapangala’s new collaboration with Chicago’s Occidental Brothers (Samba is also at Le Poisson Rouge as part of the NYC Winter Jazzfest on Saturday – see below).
Trouble Worldwide Showcase at 92 St Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St, Friday Jan 8: San Francisco’s feisty Cuban Cowboys mix Afro-Cuban sounds and rock, plus an array of local talent including Slavic Soul Party.
NYC Winter Jazzfest – events at multiple venues Friday and Saturday. Including at the Zinc Bar, 82 W 3rd St., on Saturday Jan 9: Globetrotting banjoist Jayme Stone’s Africa to Appalachia featuring Yacouba Sissoko on kora.
Mondo Mundo Showcase Saturday Jan 10 at Maritime Hotel’s Hiro Ballroom, 88 9th Ave: Featuring pan-Mediterranean multi-instrumentalist Abaji from Lebanon via France; Burkina Electric’s African/avant/electronica blends; and folk blues singer Toshi Reagon.
Northern Realms Showcase at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave., Monday Jan 11. Afternoon and evening concerts, free admission if you RSVP. Featuring the Sweden / Norway / Shetland Islands collaboration Nordic Fiddler’s Bloc among others.
Eye for Talent Showcase at Highline Ballroom, 431 W 16th St, Monday Jan 11: A second crack at Cedric Watson if you miss globalFEST – plus Son de Madera playing Mexico’s lovely string-driven jarocho, Quebecois rootsters De Temps Antan and others.
Comments [7]
By the way folks - now that globalFEST is over - one group I didn't mention on the air that made a big impression live was Caravan Palace from France: Big disco beats mixed with post-Django Reinhardt "gypsy jazz" styling, excellent musicianship and boundless youthful energy... didn't look so special to me on paper, but live they were irresistible, and drove the crowd wild.
Matt, glad you enjoyed it and don't worry, he played for a totally packed house at Le Poisson Rouge and got rave reviews there! And I appreciate the Bell House for trying to book some multi-culti artists since it can still be challenging to pull people in - we taped a pretty rocking cumbia show there for my WFMU radio program during the summer that was also not well attended. But I give Bell House an A for effort and hope they keep trying! Actually the great Tuareg guitar band Tinariwen is playing there Feb. 19 (we will probably also preview that show here on the WNYC Music Hub) and it will be interesting to see if they can pull a big crowd there - I think they may; it would be a great place to see them...
Rob- on your recommendation we went to see Samba Mapangala last night at the Bell House. He was amazing, and the band rocked the place to the ground. So thanks for the tip.
(oh, and there were about 40 people there, sadly).
As for Namgar - she's at Globalfest. Check her out here, including the song I sampled, "Tunka": http://www.myspace.com/namgarmusic
The Congolese singer via Kenya is Samba Mapangala. He's not at Globalfest this year - but he's on the bill of the Mondo Mundo showcase Friday night (Jan 8) at Bell House, 149 7th St in Brooklyn; and Saturday night Jan 9 at Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St (on an amazing NYC Winter Jazzfest showcase bill with a slew of really great jazz / improv artists - James Blood Ulmer, Vijay Iyer and a bunch more.) See links above.
I tried to re-listen to this segment after hearing it this morning, but can't; there was a fantastic piece of music--I think it was Namgar--with an asian female voice set to a rock groove... what was this? Would love to find it again!
Thanks
Rob you just mentioned a Congolese singer that came to fame in Kenya. I cannot find that description among the bios for GlobalFest. Is it Alif Naaba whom they list as from Burkina Faso?
Thanks
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