GlobalFEST is an event showcasing musicians from around the world. Held annually in January at Webster Hall, GlobalFEST 2013 (held on January 13th) was the tenth iteration of the event and it did not disappoint.

There are three stages at Webster Hall, and each stage had four acts. One ticket gave the concertgoer the chance to check out all twelve acts in one evening. Aside from the fact that the talent at GlobalFEST is always first-rate, you’re simply not going to get this type of entertainment in one evening anywhere for less than the cost incurred by a family of four on an outing to a movie theater in NYC. To no one’s surprise, the tickets sold out.

Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi

Of the twelve acts scheduled to perform, three were African. They were the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits (from Zimbabwe), Malian sensation Fatoumata Diawara and Maloya singer extraordinaire Christine Salem from Réunion.

The first performers were Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi & the Black Spirits, and they performed on the largest stage, the Grand Ballroom. Tuku and his band offered up his brand of up-tempo, highly melodic Afro-pop that we’ve come to love him for over the last four decades. Tuku is in his 60s, but moved and danced with plenty of vigour, drawing on what seems like a bottomless pit of energy. Add his infectious smile, and he soon had everyone dancing and grooving along with him. I think it was pretty clear to everyone why Tuku is a legend.

Listen to the full set: Oliver Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits (courtesy of NPR. Download it HERE)

Oliver Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits

Set list: Dzandimomotera, Hear Me Lord, Ziwere, Mutsverendende, and Muchatuta

The next performer on the Grand Ballroom stage was singer, guitarist and dancer Fatoumata Diawara.

Fatoumata in full regalia

The audience fell in love with her the minute she stepped out, emitting a collective gasp of delight at her regalia, which matches her bright and colourful style. A fellow photographer kept looking at her sneakers, eventually turning to me to exclaim “Look at her shoelaces! She Africanized her sneakers! That’s awesome!”

Fatou’s sneakers

If you recall, I covered Fatou’s first concert in NYC a few months ago, so I know what she’s capable of. She performs like her life depends on it.

It wasn’t all fun and games, however. With the current crisis in Mali, heartfelt thoughts and prayers were sent from the stage, received warmly by the many Malians in attendance on behalf of their friends and relatives back home. I hoped, as we watched Fatoumata’s powerful performance, that she was able to take their worries of home away, if only momentarily. (A few days ago, Fatoumata gathered together 40 of Mali's best musicians to record a song calling for peace in Mali. Watch Mali-ko by Voices United for Mali HERE.)

Listen to Fatoumata’s full set HERE.

Set list: Soncolo, Sowa, Bissa, Kele, Mon Afrique, Alama, Tounkan and Salimata.

After Fatou’s set, I made a quick dash to the stage at the Marlin Room for Christine Salem.

Christine Salem takes to the stage

The Marlin Room is much smaller than the Grand Ballroom, so this was a very intimate set. When Salem stepped out, the first thing I observed was her absolute command of the stage; she has stage presence in spades. There was this quiet confidence and swagger about her, so you knew she deserved to be there and that something remarkable was afoot before she’d uttered a word.

Salem is one of the few female Maloya singers performing today, and she by far created the most buzz with her performance, and rightfully so. Her remarkably rich and deep voice was breathtaking. For those not familiar with Maloya music, it’s a percussion-heavy, polyrhythmic style of music that employs call and response and lyrical chants.

Salem was flanked by three percussionists who added that polyrhythmic backdrop to her voice, in addition to some chants and light singing. Salem also played an instrument called a kayamb, which is made from sugar cane stems and filled with seeds to create a rattling sound. It’s played with both hands as illustrated by Salem in the video below.

The intensity and conviction in Salem’s performance was palpable. Anyone who didn’t know of her before GlobalFEST certainly does now. What needs to follow is an international tour, and judging from the reaction of the people in attendance, it’s probably only a matter of time. It was truly refreshing to see someone blow the proverbial roof off the building. No gimmicks; just a woman, her voice, her kayamb and some drummers. Nothing to hide behind and no room to fake anything.

Listen to the full set: Christine Salem, live From Webster Hall (courtesy of NPR; download it HERE)

GlobalFEST 2013 was a smashing success, and I’m looking forward to next year’s event. If you’re in NYC next January, you owe it to yourself to attend GlobalFEST 2014.