World Music Institute Announces Fall/Winter 2019-2020 Season

World Music Institute (WMI) prepares to celebrate its 34th year in NYC with a fresh roster of global artists for the Fall/Winter 2019-2020 Season

Curated by new Artistic Director Brian Keigher, WMI's 2019-2020 Season features an exciting, eclectic lineup of global artists from 15 cultures including five NYC debuts: Finland's Kardemimmit, Ethiopia's Girma Bèyènè with French band Akalé Wubé, Cape Verde's Lucibela, Madagascar's Toko Telo, and France's The Bongo Hop. See full schedule, with venue, artist, and ticketing info below.

A Message from WMI Artistic Director Brian Keigher:

As World Music Institute's new Artistic Director, I'm thrilled to share our Fall/Winter 2019/2020 Season program that reflects the mission and vision of WMI - to bring the most exciting and relevant traditional and contemporary world music and dance artists to New York audiences to enrich lives and promote cultural awareness and appreciation through the arts.

In keeping with WMI's tradition of often being first to introduce NYC audiences to up-and-coming global music talents, we're excited to present five NYC debut concerts. New venue partnerships include Chelsea Music Hall, Mercury Lounge, and The Sultan Room, with established venues such as Symphony Space, (le) poisson rouge, Littlefield, Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, and Storm King Art Center remaining valued program partners.

The first half of our Season is packed with performers from 15 different cultures including Bali (Indonesia), Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, India, Madagascar, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, The United States, and Venezuela, and we hope you will enjoy welcoming these outstanding artists to the city with us.

WMI Fall/Winter 2019-2020 Concert Series

The MASTERS OF INDIAN MUSIC series presents legends from the two primary forms of Indian classical music: the Northern Indian tradition of Hindustani classical music and the Southern Indian tradition of carnatic Indian classical music.

The MASTERS OF AFRICAN MUSIC series features some of the continent's most acclaimed musicians on New York stages.

The WOMEN'S VOICES series celebrates the role that female artists play in the preservation and promotion of their respective cultures and traditions.

The COUNTERPOINT series brings contemporary artists who push the boundaries of what world music can mean in the 21st century.

The ORIGINS series highlights artists who delve into the folklore and roots of their respective culture's music to tell the story of their origins, preserving and affirming cultural identities and legacies.

The GLOBAL/LOCAL series is dedicated to discovering and celebrating the international richness of the musicians and dancers living in the New York area. This series exposes these artists to wider audiences while celebrating the diversity of our city.

WMI 2019-20 Fall/Winter Concert Details

MASTERS OF INDIAN MUSIC SERIES

Saraswathi Ranganathan

Sunday, August 25, 2019, 2:00 pm
Storm King Art Center
1 Museum Rd, New Windsor, NY

Presented in Collaboration with Storm King Art Center
Free event with museum admission / Limited unreserved seating

Born into a musical family, Saraswathi Ranganathan is an Indian Classical veena artist and cross-cultural musical ambassador. The veena is a precursor to the sitar used in Southern Indian or Carnatic music, known for its mellow bass tone. Saraswathi is passionate about bringing the sounds of the veena to audiences through concerts, cross-genre collaborations, lecture-demonstrations, and educational outlets including her non-profit school Ensemble of Ragas.

COUNTERPOINT SERIES

Season Launch Party w/ Mames Babegenush &
Slavic Soul Party!

Tuesday, August 27, 2019, Doors: 6:30 pm | Show: 7:00 pm
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston St, Manhattan

Presented in collaboration with Mercury Lounge

Tickets: $20 Advance | $25 Day of Show
Standing room with limited unreserved seating

Formed in Copenhagen in 2004, Mames Babegenush is a six-piece ensemble that pushes the envelope of klezmer music by combining their Scandinavian roots with Eastern European dance beats and traditional folk songs. Fiery Balkan brass from six horn players and irresistible driving beats from two drummers, combined with Roma (Gypsy) accordion wizardry make Slavic Soul Party! one of the most popular international brass bands for Balkan soul and Gypsy funk.

MASTERS OF AFRICAN MUSIC SERIES

Girma Bèyènè & Akalé Wubé
Ethiopian New Year Celebration
NYC Debut!

Thursday, September 12, 2019, Doors: 6:30 pm | Show: 7:30 pm
(le) poisson rouge
158 Bleecker St, Manhattan

Tickets: $25 First 100 tickets | $30 Advance | $35
Day of Show | $40 VIP seating
Standing room with reserved VIP seating and limited unreserved seating

Born in Addis Ababa, Girma Bèyènè is a composer, arranger, performer, bandleader, and a true legend of Ethiopian music. A contemporary of fellow musicians Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed, and Hailu Mergia, Girma is credited for arranging over 60 tracks in the 1960s and 70s in "Swinging Addis" during the Golden Era of Ethiopian music. After a long hiatus from music he was drawn back to performing by his musical disciples, the France-based band Akalé Wubé, leading ambassadors of Ethiopian groove.

WOMEN'S VOICES SERIES

Lucibela - NYC Debut!

Tuesday, September 17, 2019, Doors: 7:30 pm | Show: 8:00 pm
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
129 W 67th St, Manhattan

Presented with Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
Tickets: $25 | $35

Often compared to Cesária Évora, Lucibela sings traditional Cape Verdean music including the bittersweet ballads called mornas. Lucibela recorded her first album, Laçon Umbilical, in 2018 with Toy Vieira, a legendary Cape Verdean musician who has played with other critically-acclaimed vocalists such as Tito Paris and Lura. This will be the first time that Lucibela will bring her rich and expressive vocal style to a New York City stage.

MASTERS OF AFRICAN MUSIC SERIES

Toko Telo - NYC Debut!

Friday, September 20, 2019, Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 8:00 pm
Chelsea Music Hall
407 W 15th St, Manhattan

Tickets: $35. Advance | $40 Day of Show
Standing room with limited reserved seating

The Malagasy supergroup Toko Telo consists of legendary guitarist and Madagascar's most well-known musician D'Gary, singer Monica Njava -- hailed as "the voice of Madagascar" by Afropop Worldwide -- and rising star Joël Rabesolo, the most celebrated guitarist of his generation. The trio reinvents Malagasy instrumentation and styles such as tsapiky, a joyful guitar-led dance rhythm often played at traditional ceremonies, with unequaled artistry, which will be on display at this NYC debut appearance.

MASTERS OF INDIAN MUSIC SERIES

Purbayan Chatterjee & Ojas Adhiya

Sunday, September 22, 2019, Doors: 7:30 pm | Show: 8:00 pm
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
129 W 67th St, Manhattan

Presented with Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
Tickets: $25 | $35

Kolkata-born, Mumbai-based Purbayan Chatterjee is one of the most exciting and brilliant sitar players from India alive today. He represents the Maihar Gharana style of north Indian classical music which he learned from his father Parthapratim Chatterjee. His vibrant playing and beautiful tone have led to collaborations with Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Kala Ramnath, and more. Accompanying on tabla is gifted young virtuoso Ojas Adhiya who has been taking the art of playing tabla to new heights. Ojas, a former child prodigy, has been supporting the top instrumentalists and vocalists of India over the last decade.

ORIGINS SERIES

Väsen &
Kardemimmit - NYC Debut!
Thursday, September 26, 2019, Doors: 6:30 pm | Show: 7:30 pm
Littlefield
635 Sackett St, Brooklyn

Standing room with reserved VIP seating and limited unreserved seating
Tickets: $35 Advance | $40 Day of Show | $45 VIP Front Row Seats

A very special evening dedicated to Nordic roots music with Sweden's Väsen and Finland's Kardemimmit, who will be making their NYC debut. Kardemimmit is a female quartet dedicated to bringing the Finnish national instrument, the kantele, to new audiences worldwide. Their music has a strong foundation in Finnish, Eastern European and Scandinavian traditions, including Finland's unique reki singing style. Väsen is a veteran trio of Swedish virtuosos who've been bringing the five-string viola, the 12-string guitar, and the nyckellharpa (keyed fiddle) to life for 30 years.

COUNTERPOINT SERIES

KOKOKO!

Friday, October 4, 2019, Doors: 6:30 pm | Show: 7:30 pm
(le) poisson rouge
158 Bleecker St, Manhattan

Presented in collaboration with (le) poisson rouge

Standing room with limited unreserved seating
Tickets: $20 Advance | $25 Day of Show

KOKOKO! is a collective of artists from Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are best known for creating a contemporary and unique style of music using instruments constructed by up-cycling cans, engine parts, plastic containers, and other trash found on the city streets. Their new urban sound and political messaging mirror the harsh realities of life in Africa's third largest city.

ORIGINS SERIES

Gamelan Çudamani

Sunday, October 6, 2019, Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 7:30 pm
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th St, Manhattan

Tickets: $30 | $40 | $45

Gamelan Çudamani is a 24-member music and dance ensemble from Bali that weaves layers of intricate sound -- from deep bronze gongs to delicate, fluttering flutes -- in the Indonesian gamelan tradition. The group also performs dances such as the legong - one of the island's most revered and demanding classical dances which was historically seen only by the royal family. These talented young performers bring to life vivid tales of the gods and heroes of Balinese mythology and history, exploring the shifting dimensions of human emotion, nature, the spirit world, and the cosmos.

WOMEN'S VOICES SERIES

Julie Fowlis

Thursday, October 10, 2019, Doors: 7:30 pm | Show: 8:00 pm
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
129 W 67th St, Manhattan

Presented with Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
Tickets: $30 | $40

Julie Fowlis is a multi-award winning Scottish Gaelic singer and the voice behind "Touch the Sky", the theme to Disney Pixar's Oscar-winning animated film Brave. Nominated as 'Folk Singer of the Year' at the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and 'Best Artist' at the Songlines World Music Awards, Julie is a warm and engaging live performer who has enchanted audiences around the world with her 'crystalline' and 'intoxicating' vocals.

ORIGINS SERIES

Flamenco Legends by Javier Limón: The Paco de Lucía Project

Sunday, October 13, 2019, Doors: 7:30 pm | Show: 8:00 pm
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th St, Manhattan

Tickets: $35 | $45 | $55 | $75 VIP - VIP ticket includes post-concert meet and greet with the performers (limited availability)

Created by Grammy Award winning guitarist and producer Javier Limón, The Paco de Lucía Project honors one of Spain's contemporary Flamenco legends, the late guitarist and composer Paco de Lucía, whose music Javier Limón produced and with whom he worked closely. Limón has reassembled Paco's acclaimed sextet -- including de Lucía's own nephew Antonio Sanchez on guitar, Israel Suárez "Piraña" on percussion, Alain Perez on bass, Antonio Serrano on harmonica, David de Jacoba on vocals and acclaimed dancer Antonio Fernandez Montoya 'Farruco' -- who will pay tribute to the late maestro and the art form he so advanced.

WOMEN'S VOICES SERIES

Nella

Sunday, October 20, 2019, Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 8:00 pm
(le) poisson rouge
158 Bleecker St, Manhattan

Tickets: $25 First 100 tickets | $30 Advance | $35 Day of Show
Standing room with limited unreserved seating

Nella is an exceptional young vocalist from the Venezuelan island of Margarita. She is a graduate of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where she met Flamenco guitarist Javier Limón, with whom she has collaborated frequently. It was Limón who encouraged her exploration of the flamenco traditions of Andalusia, which she incorporates into the folkloric music of her homeland.

COUNTERPOINT SERIES

The Bongo Hop - NYC Debut!

Friday, November 1, 2019. Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 8:00 pm
Chelsea Music Hall
407 W 15th St., Manhattan

Tickets: $20 Advance | $25 Day of Show
Standing room with limited unreserved seating

After eight years in Cali, Colombia, working as a DJ, promoter and music journalist, trumpeter Etienne Sevet returned home to Lyon, France to form the Afro Caribbean band The Bongo Hop. The rich, layered quality of their music is the result of many influences including Sevet's time in Cali, the African rhythms he encountered at home among France's African immigrant diaspora, and his many musical adventures abroad. After touring in France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Tanzania, and Cape Verde, The Bongo Hop make their NYC debut in November.

GLOBAL/LOCAL SERIES

Ani Cordero

Friday, December 6, 2019, Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 8:00 pm
The Sultan Room
234 Starr Street, Brooklyn

Tickets: $20 Advance. $25 Day of Show

Ani Cordero is a passionate Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, drummer, guitarist, and activist living in Brooklyn, NY. Her upcoming, full-length record 'El Machete' is a nod to Puerto Rican resistance and features collaborations with fellow Puerto Rican artists (among other musicians). Ani was a founding member of the celebrated Mexican rock band Pistolera and recent drummer for the legendary Brazilian group Os Mutantes. Her critically-acclaimed albums have received attention from NPR's All Things Considered, Alt-Latino, Soundcheck, Billboard, USA Today, PRI's The World, Brooklyn Vegan, and more.

Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute (WMI) has served as one of the leading presenters of world music and dance within the United States. WMI is committed to presenting the best in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world with the goal of inspiring wonder for the world's rich cultural traditions, promoting awareness and appreciation and encouraging cross-cultural dialog and exchange. WMI presents at venues throughout the city and depends on both public and private funding to accomplish its mission.

The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.