Afromondo to globalFEST: APAP week in NYC

World music inspired revelry returns to New York City with the annual APAP conference this coming weekend, January 9th-12th. It is a chance to see and hear what programmers are listening to as they decide on artists to book at festivals throughout North America in the coming year.

Music festivals in North America have spaced themselves in a way that makes it possible for international artists to perform here by going from festival to Festival and filling in with dates that makes it possible financially to undertake a tour. This attracts a wide range of artists to New York City on a cold winter weekend in January to showcase for presenters and interested members of the public.

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The weekend kicks off Thursday at SOBs where Afromondo productions 7th annual showcase presents touring artists from Africa and the Caribbean. Nelida Karr (Equatorial Gunea) and her band, Alioune Guisse solo (Senegal), British Dependency (Anguilla), Glen David Andrews Band (New Orleans) and Moh Kouyate solo (Guinea) Talie Cerin and band (Haiti) take the stage. Alex Boicel tells us this year he is highlighting the musical connection between African and diasporan artists. Alex is also this year’s recipient of globalFEST’s Pioneer award (presented to a member of the global music community (including performing arts professionals, artists, groups, organizations, or theater/venue/festival) living or working substantially in the USA who is considered a pioneer or elder whose work has been deeply felt…..)

Friday and Saturday at 3pm, Scandanavia House, 58 Park Avenue in Manhattan presents Nordic Now: New Nordic Folk featuring Frander, Teho. and the Paivi Hirvonen Trio, three new new Swedish folk music ensembles. The program them as artists "whose music pushes the boundaries of the Nordic folk genre, incorporating modern twists and elements of world music".

Friday:

Sony Music Hall and Yonas Media present AmeriKana N.Y.C. "a traveling festival honoring the diverse colors of American music". Rubén Albarrán (10:00), Making Movies (9:00), Binta and John Forté (8:15), The Sensational Barnes Brothers (7:30), Terrance Simien and Marcella Simien (6:45), Max Gomez with Shannon McNally (6:00)

also Friday Drom and Northern Turtle Island Collective present a broad spectrum of Canadian artists, 7pm – Kazdoura, 7:45pm – Bruno Capinan, 8:30pm – Nimkii and the Niniis, 9:15pm – Rachel Therrien Latin Jazz Project, 10pm – Kizaba. 

Secret Planet APAP Showcase began showcasing provocative music in 2012. This year on January 11th its back at Drom featuring Yeison Landero, Lollise, Chicha Libre, Los Crema Paraiso, Miramar, Luciferin, Yallah Yallah and DJs Leon City Sounds 

Organizers provide this description: "Secret Planet, rather than an industry showcase, prides itself in focusing on music and the event feels more like a festival than a showcase. Artists come from close and afar. From regions and neighborhoods not necessarily represented on the US stage. Regardless of their cultural or geographical origin, all Secret Planet artists, tend to follow their own vision and not be held back by genre, rules, language, commercial appeal or concerns of authenticity. They all have in common a creative impulse never impeded by stylistic or cultural boundaries."

Kaethe Hostetter will appear at an acoustic Secret Salon, Sunday afternoon with Miramar, Yeison Landero, and Erica Mancini at Sala de Pepe, 73 Avenue C.

Hostetter also will perform K8A’s Impressions of Ethiopia Friday, along with Sonny Singh’s Sage Warrior at the Francis Kite Club, 40 Avenue C, Friday Jan. 10th, 8PM

Sunday is globalFEST at Lincoln Center The lineup includes Zar Electrik (Morocco/France), Maruja Limón (Spain), Bamba Wassoulou Groove (Mali), Hazmat Modine (U.S.), Mireya Ramos and the Poor Choices (U.S.), Ghazi & Boom.Diwan x Arturo O’Farrill (U.S./U.A.E.), Akshara Music Ensemble (India/U.S.), Paul Beaubrun (Haiti/U.S.), Rebolu (Colombia/U.S.), and Elida Almeida (Cape Verde/Portugal).

globalFEST, is the first and largest showcase to focus on global music tradition. It has a history of championing innovative artists and a keen ear for torchbearers reinvigorating and reinventing foundational music, the music handed down from generation to generation. The weekend concludes Sunday night with 10 artists on three stages at Lincoln Center.