Heritage never sounded so cool. The artists of globalFEST (globalfest.org; @globalFEST_NYC, #gfsxsw) show how “world music” has matured from a quaint, catch-all niche to a deeply rooted challenge to the musical status quo.
This year, the annual world music showcase fest is bringing the all-night party to Austin on March 16 at Speakeasy (412 N. Congress Ave)—and a bevy of respected global performers.
Balkan Beat Box: Sonic pranksters throw a mean party and speak truth to power, with edgy electronics and trans-Mediterranean flair.
“An undeniably visceral performance…If BBB is world music, it's in the most literal sense—not because it comes from a relatively exotic area, but because it can move anyone in the world.” – Time Out Chicago
Chicha Libre: Psychedelic reveries, vintage grit, and Latin spark leap from Peruvian backwaters to cosmopolitan hipness thanks to this multinational band.
“For lack of a better word, an amazing show.… indigenous accordion-driven cumbia with American psychedelia, comparable to what Os Mutantes were doing in Brazil a few years earlier but more rock-oriented…Chicha Libre are as hypnotic as they are danceable, the relentless clatter of the percussion and the wild, soaring tones of the Electrovox trading off harmonies with the guitar” – Lucid Culture
Debo Band: Boston-based crew reinvents the Golden Age of Ethiopian and East African funk and jazz.
“Earth-rattling horns and mesmerizingly oscillating vocals: Boston's Debo Band takes the funky, psychedelic groove of 1960s Ethiopia and transplants it firmly onto a 21st-century dance floor.” - NPR
Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang: Hard-hitting beats from the grand master of Sierra Leonean bubu, an age-old ritual music turned modern hybrid thanks to a Brooklyn-based gang of musicians.
“Nabay severely strips down this (traditional Bubu music) setup while preserving its teeming twitchiness, using keyboards and carburetor pipes to create a minimal but undeniably kinetic brand of music that he weds to socially conscious lyrics.”- Pitchfork
M.A.K.U. Sound System: Queens, NY-based Afro-Colombian underground band’s roaring guitars, bold brass, and furious Latin beats and vocals bring down the house.
“Punk, funk and jazz via Afro-Colombia and Queens: That's the driving and gritty energy behind New York's M.A.K.U. Sound System. Led by vocalist Liliana Conde and outfitted with horns and guitars, this raw-edged, punk-tinged band explodes with the propulsive force of traditional rhythms and urban restlessness.” - NPR
globalFEST at SXSW free with badge or wristband, with limited tickets available at the door. Show starts at 8 PM.
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“Through our first nine editions, globalFEST has established itself as the most influential international music event in the performing arts world,” explains festival co-organizer Bill Bragin (Acidophilus: Live and Active Cultures). “But many of the artists who perform are just as relevant, if not more so, to indie music clubs and festivals. By bringing a taste of globalFEST to SXSW with four alumni artists and one artist new to the family, our hope is to expand the touring options for some of the music’s most compelling live acts.”
“We love our indie rock as much as (if not more than) the next guy, but sometimes it's necessary to push your cultural boundaries a little. Know what we're sayin'? …globalFEST…has opened our eyes and ears to some incredible talent far beyond rock's spectrum.” – Flavorpill
The goal of expanding world music’s horizons and audiences has been at the heart of the festival’s mission since it was founded post-9/11, when dedicated global music presenters looked to restart the stalled influx of international music at a crucial moment. globalFEST remains committed to supporting exchange—both cultural and economic—emphasizing artists of note fromLouisiana after Hurricane Katrina, and from Haiti since the earthquake that struck there in 2010.
2012’s festival continues with this first-ever SXSW showcase. It’s a logical extension of globalFEST’s emphasis on access—access to the U.S. market for innovative musicians, continued access to new global music for music fans through reasonable ticket prices—beyond good times in New York. “The lines are becoming more blurry all the time between so-called mainstream genres like pop and rock and new sounds from all over,” notes globalFEST co-organizer Shanta Thake (Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater). Artists are being influenced by international sounds and the SXSW audience is increasingly seeking out new sounds.”
“globalFEST needs to constantly be aware of its mission,” continues co-organizer Isabel Soffer (Live Sounds). “We spotlight artists we believe presenters and promoters will want to book, will be successful in their venues and will bring new audiences. Our curatorial decisions are made with this in mind, and in this way, we feel we can encourage presenters to rethink artists that are on tour.”
Another way globalFEST has extended its mission is the inauguration of the globalFEST Touring Fund (gFTF). With support from the Ford Foundation, the gFTF provides artists who have performed at previous editions of globalFEST the ability to apply for tour support to offset tour expenses in order to help them to play new markets. In the first round of the gFTF, two grants were awarded: to French gypsy jazz band Samarabalouf (gF 2008) to support performances in Juneau, Alaska and other U.S. cities, and to New York's Brooklyn Qawwali Party (gF 2009) to support performances inSchenectady and Hudson, New York.
“We hope that the globalFEST Touring Fund will enable some of the artists who showcase at our first gF@SXSW to play in some new markets, and possibly use the grants to enable them to play club dates and smaller festivals they wouldn’t be able to afford to play without this support,” says Thake. “We are excited about the possibilities that these new programs will widen globalFEST’s geographical and musical scope.”
globalFEST, Inc. is a not-for-profit production presented in association withLive Sounds, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, and Acidophilus: Live & Active Cultures
globalFEST SXSW media sponsors are PRI’s The World and Time Out NY.
Publicity services are provided by rock paper scissors, inc.
Additional Info
gFSXSW: globalFEST, the Top Springboard Festival for Global ...
All-Access Planet: globalFEST 2012 Opens New Spaces for Traditions ...
Malian roots rap and sensually fresh samba. Eerily avant jaw harps and 21st-century tarantella. Heritage never sounded so cool.
Whether continuing famous musical lineages or pushing forward on new paths, the artists of globalFEST (January 8, 2012 at New York City’sWebster Hall; full info at globalfest.org) show how world music has matured from a quaint, catch-all niche to a meaningful, deeply rooted challenge to the musical status quo. Artists are crafting history into new sounds.
This year’s edition of the annual world music showcase and all-night party includes three U.S. debuts, as well as several fresh programs and approaches from a bevy of respected global performers.
BélO: Haiti’s acoustic innovator and social activist channels his home’s deep and diverse Afro-Caribbean roots with catchy, reggae-inflected songs.
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino: Southern Italy’s hottest band revitalizes the ancient ritual pizzica tarantata, said to cure the deadly spider’s bite with frenzied trance dances.
Debo Band: Boston-based crew reinvents the Golden Age of Ethiopian and East African funk and jazz.
Diogo Nogueira: Brazil’s red-hot samba (and television) star adds a contemporary twist to the beloved rhythms of Rio.
M.A.K.U. Sound System: Queens, NY-based Afro-Colombian underground band’s roaring guitars, bold brass, and hard-hitting Latin beats and vocals bring down the house.
Mayra Andrade: Golden-voiced Cape Verde-born singer brings a Parisian and Brazilian flair to her island roots with a new acoustic trio.
SMOD (U.S. Debut): Malian folk rappers, featuring the son of Amadou and Mariam, work serious lyrical flow to create Afro-Rap, wrapped in Manu Chao’s signature globe-trotting production.
The Gloaming (U.S. Debut): Irish and American roots supergroup (Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Iarla Ó Lionaird, and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh with NY’s indie pianist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), marries edgy but harmonious, sparse yet beautiful elements to age-old and new tunes.
The Silk Road Ensemble: An international collective of virtuoso musicians from around the globe, this ensemble carries on the cross-cultural legacy of founder and artistic director Yo-Yo Ma, drawing inspiration from the historical Silk Road and contemporary musical crossroads.
Wang Li (U.S. Debut): France-based Chinese jaw harp master-improviser creates wildly unexpected and deeply meditative melodies, discovering the infinite nuances that breath, tongue, and throat can make.
Yemen Blues: Yemeni-Israeli electrifying singer and his global band make Mediterranean sounds rock and soar.
Zaz: French street sounds meet quirky global influences in young singer's plush bluesy voice.
***
Though many of this edition’s artists have taken up the torch from family members or musical mentors, they are reaching into new sonic territory, whether they are funkifying cumbia or transforming the role of the spike fiddle or jaw harp. globalFEST, as America’s vital world music springboard event coinciding with the annual Arts Presenters Conference (APAP), aims to bring musicians to ears and even into venues once closed to global artists.
“In addition to summer rock and folk music festivals, we’ve started to see an embracing of world music throughout the performing arts field, including more traditionally classical venues,” explains festival co-organizer Bill Bragin (Acidophilus: Live and Active Cultures). “Many of this year’s globalFEST artists are performers who would be appropriate in more traditional concert halls, which are responding to the desire to diversify their programs.”
The goal of access has been at the heart of the festival’s mission since it was founded post-9/11, when dedicated global music presenters looked to restart the stalled influx of international music at a crucial moment. globalFEST remains committed to supporting exchange—both cultural and economic—and has emphasized artists of note from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, and from Haiti since the earthquake that struck there in 2010.
“globalFEST needs to constantly be aware of its mission,” continues co-organizer Isabel Soffer (Live Sounds). “We spotlight artists we believe presenters will want to book, will be successful in their venues and will bring new audiences. Our curatorial decisions are made with this in mind, and in this way, we feel we can encourage presenters to rethink artists that are on tour.”
2012’s festival promises to indeed be great, filling the multiple, varied performance spaces at Webster Hall with irresistible dance sounds, reflective beauty, and singer-songwriter intensity. globalFEST’s emphasis on access—access to the U.S. market for innovative musicians, continued access to new global music for music fans through reasonable ticket prices supported via globalFEST’s Kickstarter campaign—now extends beyond good times in the early January cultural doldrums.
With support from the Ford Foundation, the globalFEST Touring Fund is launching to support festival alums on U.S. tours, as well as creating a new program to reimburse festival performers for expenses related to their globalFEST appearances. This, added to ongoing support from founding sponsor, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, will strengthen the festival’s ability to find uncommonly good, often unheard sounds and bring them to the States.
“Starting this edition, we will be able to offset some of our artists’ expenses, the cost of coming to New York to play a showcase festival,” notes globalFEST co-organizer Shanta Thake (Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater). “It will encourage musicians and expand the pool of artists who can commit to that investment. We are excited about the possibilities these new programs will create to widen globalFEST’s geographical and musical scope.”
“Global citizenry is a priority for France, and for many people worldwide. We support globalFEST in hopes of sharing the multicultural musical heritages of France-based, France-produced and Francophone artists," says Emmanuel Morlet, Director of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the festival’s on-going supporter since its first edition. “From increasing cultural understanding to the real economic role the festival plays for emerging performers, now more than ever globalFEST plays a great role in connecting people across political boundaries.” And gets them dancing while doing it.
globalFEST, Inc. is a not-for-profit production presented in association withLive Sounds, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, Acidophilus: Live & Active Cultures and The Bowery Presents. Support provided by The Ford Foundation and The Cultural Services of the French Embassy with additional support from the French Music Export Office, recognizing France’s pre-eminent role as a hotbed of global music activity. The globalFEST media sponsors are WNYC Radio and NPR.org. Artist visa services are provided courtesy of Tamizdat. Publicity services are provided by rock paper scissors, inc.
Additional Info
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Roadworthy: globalFEST, the Preeminent Global Music Springboard ...
globalFEST, the New York-based gateway festival for revelatory global artists, had a problem.
For one night every January, the festival’s organizers—Isabel Soffer of Live Sounds, Bill Bragin of Acidophilus: Live and Active Cultures, and Shanta Thake of Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater—gather high-caliber musicians from around the world, artists prepared to showcase their music in order to build their North American touring careers. They attract diverse, enthusiastic presenters from across the country, in town for the annual Association of Performing Arts Conference (APAP), who are increasingly eager to book unexpected, engaging sounds. They garner major press coverage, often the first national—or even first English-language—media attention for festival performers.
But obstacles to spreading the music remained. A particularly daunting one: The cost for many large international ensembles to tour in the U.S. is prohibitive. Complicated visa expenses, transportation and hotel costs, and sky-high baggage fees mount before musicians have even played a single show.
Enter the new globalFEST Touring Fund (gFTF), a unique program and part of a generous grant from the Ford Foundation to support the festival and its mission of cultivating the world music market by showcasing tour-ready artists and expanding world music audiences.
“We’ve done a great job at stimulating the market and creating interest in global music, by focusing on artists who are new to the field or ready to leap to a new level in their careers. From the beginning, we’ve focused on expanding the numbers of presenters interested in world music, which helps build a stronger touring base,” notes Bragin. “But there remains a gap between that interest and the real costs of touring, between presenters’ fees based on their local market realities and artists’ actual touring expenses. Now, with the globalFEST Touring Fund, once artists create demand, it will be easier to fulfill a tour. It’s helped us return to the roots of globalFEST, which is about bringing more world music to more communities.”
With the support of the gFTF, artists can bridge this gap and reach new markets. All past and present globalFEST performers will be eligible to apply for a competitive grant for reimbursement of qualified touring expenses, helping to defray the costs of coming to and traveling within the U.S. Artists will have two opportunities to apply for funding. The gFTF will require artists to hit at least one new market during their tour—a club date, festival appearance, concert, or industry showcase —thereby spreading the festival’s impact throughout the country and year in a significant way.
In addition to supporting the establishment of the gFTF, the Ford Foundation’s grant will also allow globalFEST to help artists cover the cost of performing at the festival itself for the next two editions, as well as allow the festival to establish itself firmly as an independent, non-profit organization. Invited artists have always supported their own showcases, raising and investing their own funds for travel and non-production expenses. For the first time, globalFEST will now be able to offer modest stipends to help reimburse artists and offset some of these costs.
Since its inception, globalFEST has been a volunteer-run, showcase festival that has relied primarily on ticket sales to cover its costs, augmented by an annual grant from its founding partner, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York. Starting last year, and continuing this year with a launch on October 3, globalFEST has appealed to its fans to help support the event and maintain its low ticket price, through a crowdsourced funding campaign on Kickstarter.
“Now, globalFEST will be able to give back to artists in a more meaningful way and really show our support, not just through the festival itself,” explains Soffer. “This is something we wanted to figure out from very early on. We’re moving beyond a one-night event that has been incredibly productive for the artists and presenters, and can now create year-round opportunities that move forward our mission to build a diverse world music touring force in the U.S.”
globalFEST 2012 will be held January 8, 2012 at NYC’s Webster Hall. This edition’s line up will be announced Monday, October 24, 2011. For updates, event info, and tickets, go to globalfest.org.
