The final set of Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST 2022 showcases took place on Thursday, January 20 at 8:00 p.m. This was an outstanding set featuring top talent in the multifaceted world music scene.
Al Bilali Soudan
The first performance was by Al Bilali Soudan from Timbuktu, Mali. The group traveled 1000 kilometers (about 620 miles) from Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali’s capital, to presents its showcase virtually.
Al Bilali Soudan plays a traditional form of Tamashek (Tuareg) music. Although western audiences are used to Tuareg bands playing electric guitars, Al Bilali Soudan uses acoustic instruments (with amplification) such as the small lute known as tehardent, which is known as tidinit by other Saharan tribes and ngoni in other parts of Mali.
Al Bilali Soudan music features a mesmerizing, trancy sound that is characterized by the exchange between the tehardent, vocals, hand percussion, and gourd. More about Al Bilali Soudan. Booking: www.clermontmusic.com,
Kiran Ahluwalia
The second concert introduced the colorful, infectious, and transglobal sound of Kiran Ahluwalia, performing at Small World Music Centre in Toronto, Canada. Kiran is a talented singer whose vocal style is rooted in Indian musical traditions. However, Kiran’s captivating hybrid music incorporates desert blues from the Western Sahara, jazz, rock, and R&B.
Kiran had a superb band of masterful instrumentalists, including acclaimed jazz guitarist Rez Abbasi. Kiran generously gave plenty of space to the instrumentalists who delivered dazzling guitar, keyboard and tabla solos. Kiran’s current booking agent is canismusic.com
Tufan Derince
The final concert presented the music of Tufan Derince, a fantastic Kurdish musician from Diyarbakir in southeast Turkey currently living in The Netherlands. Tufan Derince is a master of the elektro baglama, an electrified version of the baglama (long-necked lute) used in Turkish folk music.
Joined by a kemenche (spiked fiddle) player, a keyboardist, and a percussionist, Tufan Derince delighted the audience with his skillful technique and the exotic sound of the psychedelic baglama. Indeed, this was a memorable and joyful performance that brought pleasure and happiness to the virtual audience following live via YouTube. Tufan Derince’s current agent is www.rojmuzik.com
Watch the Day 3 showcases here:
Watch the Day 2 showcases:
Watch the Day 1 showcases here:
(headline image: Kiran Ahluwalia at Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST 2022)
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.