New York City, USA – Globalfest 2005 will feature 13 artists from five continents on three stages at The Public Theater (New York City) on January 8, 2005. A $40 ticket allows all-night access to all three stages, which run from 7:30 p.m. till after midnight at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. (at Astor
Place), in New York City.
General admission tickets can be purchased in advance from www.telecharge.com or 212-239-6200, or at The Public Theater box office. Three of the top US presenters of world music—The Public Theater, World Music Institute, and World Music/CRASHarts, Boston—come together to produce the world music party of the year. Globalfest was launched in January 2004 in association with the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) conference, where performing arts centers and festivals from across North America seek out new acts and plan future performance seasons. However, Globalfest goes beyond being a trade show—it opens its doors to the public.
“The debut Globalfest filled a void in the market,” says Yusuf Gandhi of Times Square Records. “Concert presenters outside of the world music circle were exposed to exciting performers, such as Mariza, for the first time, leading to her receiving offers from some mainstream venues and festivals. And our signing of Haitian singer Emeline Michel was a result of the event.”
Artists featured this year include Juana Molina (Argentina), Rokia Traore (Mali), Warsaw Village Band (Poland), The Yoshida Brothers (Japan), Mory Kanté (Guinea), Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Eva Ayllón, Lokua Kanza (Congo), Spain’s Noche Flamenca, featuring Soledad Barrio under the artistic direction of Martin Santangelo, The festival closes with a DJ party showcasing bhangra, Bollywood, and Asian Underground beats from New York City’s pioneering DJ Rekha.
[Photo: Yoshida Brothers].
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.