Tag: World Music

Alash are masters of traditional Tuvan instruments as well as the ancient art of throat singing, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, the musicians subtly infuse their songs with western elements, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new, yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage.

Las Guaracheras is a powerful Latin music sextet formed in 2017 in the city of Cali, Colombia. Their repertoire spans Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as salsa, as well as music from Colombia’s Pacific region. In their compositions, Las Guaracheras place a strong emphasis on gender perspective and on the recognition and empowerment of women’s roles in the music industry – particularly within Colombia’s Latin Music scene. Through their lyrics, they convey a manifesto of female power and resilience.

YAGÓDY arrives in communities across North America with a clear purpose: to preserve Ukrainian folk traditions while demonstrating their continued relevance during a time of ongoing turmoil.
For centuries, folk music has carried history, identity, and collective memory through periods of occupation, censorship, and attempted erasure. As Ukraine continues to endure sustained attacks, these events serve as living expressions of resilience and continuity. Praised as “mesmerizing” by the Chicago Sun-Times, YAGÓDY’s concerts feature material from their self-titled debut album alongside recent releases and ancestral hymns reanimated for modern times.

Masters of Hawaiian Music features three of the most popular musicians from Maui’s renowned “Slack Key Show”, all from celebrated Hawaiian cultural lineages. 4-time Grammy winner, slack key guitar master George Kahumoku Jr, National Heritage Fellow Led Kaapana, whose picking style in slack key guitar is unrivaled, and award-winner Sonny Lim, on lap steel (invented in Hawai‘i), slack key guitar and vocals. Together they share Hawai‘i’s unique guitar styles and songs that trace their roots to the paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys), along with captivating stories of Hawai‘i and their lives in music.

Born from a thunderstorm, FRÄNDER emerged like lightning — a fusion of Nordic roots and modern attitude became HEAVY FOLK. From the deep forest of Sweden & Estonia, with energy and a warm presence they deliver heavy grooves and seductive harmonies that weave a mesmerizing soundscape.  FRÄNDER is one of Sweden’s biggest folk music exports. In 2024 alone, they completed three U.S. tours and they have surpassed 100 concerts only in Canada. They continue building cultural bridges beyond the stage through their festivals in Uppsala, Sweden and Nordic Nights Festival at Lincoln Center in New York City — bringing the power of modern Nordic tradition to audiences around the world.

The Klezmatics are the only Grammy Award-winning klezmer band and one of the most iconic and adventurous groups in modern Jewish music. Since emerging from New York City’s East Village in 1986, they have led a global revival of klezmer, combining centuries-old Yiddish tradition with radical contemporary sensibilities.

Afro Dominicano is a World Music band that centers its music on what they call Afro Caribbean soul. They blend traditional folkloric genres from the Dominican Republic such as Perico Ripiao, Palo, Merengue de Orquesta, Bachata with Reggae, Bembe, Calypso, and Samba, Funk, Rock, and other African rhythms. They have completely impacted the performance art industry by breaking the barrier of the musical genre; seamlessly entering and exiting them with grace and expertise.