New York’s globalFEST has announced the return of its influential world music showcases to two stages at the newly renovated Webster Hall on Sunday, January 16, 2022. globalFEST also revealed the full 2022 lineup. The festival will present artists from around various parts of the world and nearby as well.
In addition, the second edition of National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk meets globalFEST series will take place Tuesday, January 18th through Thursday, January 20th through the NPR Music YouTube channel. Hosted for the second time by Angelique Kidjo, the series will present exclusive video performances from the globalFEST’s live performers plus artist from previous editions.
The 2022 lineup is selected by festival co-founders and directors Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer and Shanta Thake plus guest curator Gabrielle Davenport.
“globalFEST came of age at Webster Hall, so it’s a thrill to be back after several years of renovations and the pandemic. To that end, last year, our longtime friends at NPR Music saved the day with the inaugural Tiny Desk meets globalFEST series, introducing the festival to hundreds of thousands of new fans,” said the organizers. “Now, as live concerts return, we want to keep both the incredible momentum of Tiny Desk and re-embrace the ecstatic in-person community that we have missed. So we will! All in the service of our catalytic mission to move international and roots music to the center of the performing arts.”
The Tiny Desk meets globalFEST series was created out of the challenges of the pandemic and international travel restrictions in 2021, building on a long relationship between globalFEST and NPR Music. Bob Boilen said, “For the past dozen years, the globalFEST team has meant so much to me, curating memorable nights of brilliant discoveries from around the world. Last year, we teamed up to bring those magical moments to people’s homes all over our planet. I think this tradition will have a long life and a meaningful one to artists and audiences.”
globalFEST 2022 Live Lineup:
Kiran Ahluwalia
Kiran Ahluwalia* (India | Canada | U.S.A.) leads a band of electric guitar, accordion, organ, tabla and drums, combining open-hearted Indian songs, Sufi songs and African grooves. More about Kiran Ahluwalia.
Al Bilali Soudan
Al Bilali Soudan* (Mali) is a family band from Timbuktu playing traditional and contemporary Tuareg music. This is their U.S. debut. More about Al Bilali Soudan.
Nora Brown
Nora Brown (U.S.A.) is a banjo virtuoso from the New York area specializing in music from southeast Appalachia. She also sings traditional unaccompanied ballads from the region and beyond. Brown performed in the 2021 Tiny Desk meets globalFEST video series.
Bedouin Burger
Bedouin Burger* (France | Lebanon | Syria) is Lebanese producer Zeid Hamdan and Syrian singer Lynn Adib mixing electronic music with traditional Arabic music (maqam), religious songs of ancient Syria, and jazz. This is their U.S. debut.
Kombilesa Mí
Kombilesa Mí* (Colombia) is a collective that combines Afro-Colombian traditions from San Basilio de Palenque with rap, folklore and Palenquero styles.
Northern Cree
Northern Cree* (Canada) is a powwow and Round Dance drum and singing group from Maskwacis, Alberta. Founded by the Wood brothers of Saddle Lake Cree Nation, most members are part of Cree Nation.
Son Rompe Pera
Son Rompe Pera* (Mexico) is a band of brothers rethinking tradiitonal music, playing their own unique fusion of garage, marimba, cumbia and punk rock.
(*Included in the 2022 Tiny Desk meets globalFEST series)
Additional 2022 Tiny Desk meets globalFEST performances by:
Ak Dan Gwang Chil (ADG7) (South Korea) is a wildly imaginative pop trio of powerhouse female singers inspired by the sacred shaman ritual music and folk songs of old-world Korea.
Suistamon Sähkö (Finland) plays a high energy, explosive mix of hip-hop and ethno-techno music, utilizing Soviet-made accordion, synth buzz and smoke shack sounds.
Tufan Derince Group (Turkey | Netherlands) weaves jazz, hard rock, hip hop and EDM with the raw and heavy sound of contemporary electrified Kurdish folk and wedding music.
The lineups of both components are subject to change.
The festival will be accompanied by Wavelengths, the leading world music (also called global music by the organizers) conference in the United States, on January 27, 2022. The conference serves as a space for critical dialogue between artists and industry professionals (booking agents, managers, etc.) to keep the industry moving forward. Wavelengths serves as the host of the globalFEST Awards that rewards the artists and performing arts leaders making a major effect on the growth and spread of truly diverse cultural programming in the United States.
globalFEST tickets are available at https://www.axs.com/events/416270/globalfest-2022-tickets
NPR Music YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/nprmusic
Wavelenghts tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-wavelengths-global-music-conference-tickets-204478048347
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.
The in person event at Webster Hall has been cancelled due to ongoing concerns related to the Omicron variant. The virtual Tiny Desk meets globalFEST series will become the main event in 2022.