An ugly American’s guide to Global Union

A little background to help you in advance of this weekend's world-music festival

by Steven Hyden September 18, 2009

Right or wrong, world music is generally perceived as the musical equivalent of Brussels sprouts. Yes, it’s good for us to explore other cultures and find out what the rest of the world enjoys while exercising or doing the dishes. But international iPod exploring can be a treacherous journey riddled with confusion, frustration, and, yes, boredom. A lot of this has to do with familiarity and how we as Americans are totally lacking in it when it comes to music that doesn’t originate here. Looking over the lineup for the Global Union festival, which takes place Saturday and Sunday at Humboldt Park in Bay View, you’ll be hard-pressed to find many (if any) familiar names: Saturday will include expansive Chicago gypsy punk band Mucca Pazza, Mexican punks Los de Abajo, and pan-European group Watcha Clan, and Sunday brings funky North Indian group Red Baraat, Mongolian rockers Hanggai, and Ethiopian traditionalist Minyeshu.

You might as well give up right now, huh? No! The A.V. Club is here to take your hand and guide you through this weekend’s globe-trotting slate of performers, telling you who’s who

Watcha Clan (4 p.m. Saturday)

Who? A French group whose musical influences extend far beyond France’s borders, Watcha Clan is a band of wanderers, traveling throughout the world and soaking up different ethnic music styles from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
American-friendly hook: While there’s not much in Watcha Clan’s music that sounds at all American, the group’s melting-pot philosophy certainly reflects our country’s increasingly multicultural outlook. Watcha Clan also draws heavily from electronic music, so its songs are definitely danceable.