world music

Folk Arts Rajasthan, a small New York City based non-profit, works hard to support and promote the culture of the Merasi, a marginalized community residing in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Through extraordinary effort, the organization has brought a small group of Merasi musicians to the United States for a tour of the Northeast.

Check out pics from Mulatu Astatke’s set, and peruse the entire World Music Institute 2016/2017 schedule (Bebel Gilberto, Seu Jorge, Mbongwanna Starr/Songhoy Blue & more).

For the second year in a row, Dumbo is playing host to the Live At the Archway series, which is “a weekly cabaret below the Manhattan Bridge — with free performances, beer, wine, and a magical, only-in-DUMBO setting”…

Legendary Congolese band team up with Portuguese producer Batida for the sixth installment of the “Congotronics” series.

Chillwave survivor El Guincho is back with a new album, Hiperasia, which is out Friday (2/12) via Nacional Records. It’s his first since 2010’s Pop Negro and as the very modern production shows, it’s very much a now album, though tropical vibes are still represented…

Malian band Songhoy Blues will be heading back to North America this spring for a week of shows in the Midwest and Northeast. The band are exceedingly charismatic performers and if they play near you, definitely try and see them…

The annual NYC world music festival globalFEST returns to Webster Hall on Sunday, January 17 across all three of the venue’s stages. 2016 performers — a few of whom are making their US or NY debuts — include (descriptions via press release):Astrid Hadad Extravagant Mexican cabaret with soulful songs and outrageous visuals Debauche Russian mafia ballads get a New Orleans punk makeover Fendika Masterful dancer Melaku Belay leads Ethiopia’s traditional music revival Ginkgoa Vintage Paris chic meets New York cool in swinging electro-beats Lakou Mizik (NY Debut) Powerhouse collective invigorating Haitian roots and grooves Mariana Sadovska The defiant cry of Ukraine, reinventing traditional songs Simon Shaheen’s Zafir A reuniting of Arab Andalucian music and fiery flamenco Stelios Petrakis Quartet Inimitable virtuosos from Crete weaving melodies across the Greek islands The Dhol Foundation UK’s leading South Asian bhangra crew Tribu Baharú (US Debut) Afro-champeta party from Colombia’s Caribbean coast Somi Lush Afrobeat inspired jazz, soul, and pop Music Maker Blues Revue Blues That Made America FamousTickets for globalFEST 2016 are on sale and the schedule/set-times are listed, plus a video preview and a Spotify playlist featuring songs by this year’s acts, below…

Tickets for Ween’s three reunion shows at Terminal 5 go on sale today at noon. Tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” tour shows at Madison Square Garden and NJ’s Prudential Center go on sale today at 10 AM…

Few artists have been more crucial to the invention, development, and popularization of Afro-pop than Orlando Julius. Starting in the ’60s, Julius was fusing traditional African sounds and rhythms with those of American pop, soul, and R&B…

Los Angeles band Dengue Fever, who make an updated take on ’60s/’70s jazzy Cambodian pop, released The Deepest Lake earlier this year and you can check out the video for “No Sudden Moves,” a KEXP session and a Rdio stream of the album below…