Influential world music showcase festival globalFEST will be held January 11 – 14, 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulty of international travel affected globalFEST’s 2021 plans so the organizers came up with a partnership with National Public Radio Music’s Tiny Desk concerts.
The festival will present exclusive video performances by 16 artists through NPR Music’s digital platforms, in a series titled NPR Music’s Tiny Desk meets globalFEST. The concerts will feature 12 new artists, as well as 4 yet to be announced artists who have performed at previous globalFEST editions. The four night series will be hosted by African world music star Angélique Kidjo, who performed at the inaugural edition of globalFEST in 2004.
“globalFEST was founded in the early 2000’s as xenophobia was rising post 9-11,” stated co-directors Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer, and Shanta Thake. “We’ve always had to contend with the vagaries of visa policy, and the fact that presenters in the U.S. and artists from abroad need to work against bureaucratic and financial obstacles in order to share their art for the benefit of American audiences. It’s more urgent than ever to push to retain global perspectives amidst an increasingly isolationist world, where the pandemic is just another obstacle that makes our collective work harder. With Tiny Desk meets globalFEST scheduled for the week before the inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, this is a perfect opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity and our global interconnectedness.”
“Since the early 2000s, globalFEST has been my high point for uncovering new music from around the world. The annual NYC gathering inspired me to bring many of my discoveries to the Tiny Desk,” said Bob Boilen, creator of NPR Music’s Tiny Desk series. “Korea’s SsingSsing, the Palestinian electronics of 47Soul, and Jamaica’s Brushy One String have been a few stellar discoveries. And though we can’t gather together in a club this year, I’m thrilled that team globalFEST will bring new remarkable talents to our Tiny Desk (home) concert series, and we can all celebrate the joys of these expansive talents together.”
Tiny Desk meets globalFEST confirmed 2021 performers include:
Aditya Prakash Ensemble – California, USA | India
Dedicated Men of Zion – North Carolina, USA
Edwin Perez – Pennsylvania, USA
Elisapie – Nunavik | Montreal, Canada
Hit La Rosa – Peru
Labess – Algeria | Canada
Minyo Crusaders – Japan
Natu Camara – Guinea | New York, USA
Nora Brown – New York, USA
Rachele Andrioli – Southern Italy
Sofia Rei – Argentina | New York, USA
Vox Sambou – Haiti | Canada
The 2021 lineup was selected by Thake, Soffer, and Bragin, along with this year’s guest curator, Viviana Benitez.
More information at globalfest.org
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central