Mulatu Astatke (b. 19 December 1943) is an Ethiopian musician, composer, and arranger widely regarded as the originator of Ethio-jazz, a genre that fuses Ethiopian…
Mulatu Astatke, the Father of Ethio-jazz
Category: Artist Profiles
Guitar Hero Samba Touré’s, Pacesetter of Songhoy Traditions
(headline image: Samba Touré – Photo by Karim Diarra) Malian singer, guitarist, and composer Samba Touré is one of the foremost torchbearers of Songhoy blues.…
Zily Elevates Mayotte Island Identity Through Music
Mayotte-born artist Zily is the daughter of a Madagascan father and a French mother from Mayotte. Raised in the village of Tsingoni, she has consistently…
Accordionist Yeison Landero Carries the Torch of Colombian Cumbia
(headline image: Yeison Landero – Photo by Alex Guete) Yeison Landero was born in San Jacinto, Bolívar, a town located in the Montes de María…
Exceptional Accordionist Yegor Zabelov
(headline image: Yegor Zabelov – photo by Ana Maria Dinis) Belarusian musician Yegor Zabelov is widely recognized as one of the most innovative accordionists in…
Meral Polat’s Music Career Through Diaspora and Song
(headline image: Meral Polat live in Vienna –Photo by Hanna Fasching) Meral Polat is an acclaimed actress, singer-songwriter, and theater producer based in the Netherlands.…
Mario Lúcio Sousa, Cape Verde’s Renaissance Man
(headline image: Mário Lúcio – Photo by Omar Camilo) Mário Lúcio Sousa (born October 21, 1964) is a prominent Cape Verdean composer, singer, author, painter,…
Ports of Call: Toasaves Revives Flemish Song with a Global Sound
(headline image: Toasaves – Photo by Laura Soriano) Toasaves is a Belgian music collective founded in early 2021 by ud player and artistic director Tristan…
Beyond Folk: Spafford Campbell Reimagine English Traditions
(headline image: Spafford Campbell – Photo by Lara Laeverenz) Fiddle player Owen Spafford and guitarist Louis Campbell, together known as Spafford Campbell, form a boundary-pushing…
La Santa Cecilia preserves vital Mexican musical heritage
(headline image: La Santa Cecilia – Photo by Humberto Howard) Formed in Los Angeles in 2007, La Santa Cecilia is a Mexican American band known…