World in New York: Global Fest 2014 with Noura Mint Seymali, KiT, Sergio Mendoza and many others

The employees of Mixed World Music are used to traveling. We did this place earlier report of festivals in Norway and India, and showcase conferences as WOMEX. As of March 20, we are at Babel Med in Marseille, and last January we were at Global Fest in New York. Miriam Brenner looked at the artists and bands who will soon go this way again. Discovering!

by Miriam L Brenner, photography Kevin Yatarola

In the first month of the year there was a lot of music going on in New York, a lot, even more than usual is already the case. Each jazzcafetje each stage where sometimes a world music band stands, presented talent, and all because of the APAP. The Association of Performing Arts Presenters is where all the programmers and providers of performing arts come together from North America. Many theater, dance, cabaret, but also plenty of music.

Known acts
During this fair about a decade ago, Global Fest arise from the desire to gain more world music on stage and after 9/11 to celebrate instead of other cultures to fear people. wealth of cultures Webster Hall, where Global Fest took place on Sunday, January 12th of this year, has three floors, each three to four artists were called welcome. ( Read my blog on this site, the preview of this edition .)
Fanfare Ciocarlia and co-main stage acts Dakha Brakha Baloji and gave it as expected a good show which was much to enjoy. The Ukrainians were floated effortlessly and enthralled the audience with their raw, pulsating music and vocal harmonies. The Congolese rapper Baloji closed the evening with politically conscious commentary and banging soukousgrooves of meestergitaarist Dizzy Mandjeku.

Listen Global Fest concert Baloji here .

New acts
The most surprising acts, however, took place in the lower rooms. Distorted guitars and characteristic Saharan melisma's oozing from the Merlin Room. It is Noura Mint Seymali with the song El Mougelmen her new album Azawan II . Mauritania This is an excellent example of local roots that the twenty-first century in international shooting. She seamlessly blends her powerful voice with the twangy guitar of her husband Jeiche Ould Chighaly. Both come from a long line of griots. But tonight, let them usual instrument - the tidinit-(off), related to the ngoni - not heard. Instead, they opted for drums, bass and Noura's enhanced eight-stringed harp Ardine. It proves a good combination for this act to be strong.

Listen here Nour Mint Seymali Global Fest's entire live set at NPR.com .

Steamy Caribbean club party with KiT
In the basement are Kuenta i Tambu's (KiT) traditional Dutch Antilles tambú drums at full power. When the DJs hard dance beats pumping out of the speakers and the two MCs rapping in English and Papiamento, the setting will change soon in a steamy Caribbean club party! A percussion solo on the metal chapi to MC Diamanta, that shows how you should not move you. Especially if a monotone jackhammer KiT's hour nightly show is packed with twists, and even with that versatility they know the power and the public to hold. The hall is only too gladly when called to pull something out or find to wave. The Amsterdam band seems to have found.'s Formula

Listen to KiT's integrated Global Fest concert on NPR.com .

Fresh look at Latin
The big band Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta from Arizona surprised New York with an unusually fresh look at Latin music. As a band leader, guitarist and composer Mendoza bases his own repertoire of experience he has gained as part of include Mexican Institute of Sound and Calexico . Trumpet and saxophone form a tight basis behind shaking maracas Salvador Duran with its colorful sleeves and operatic vocals.
The set progresses with psychedelic, surfy vibes of the lap-steel guitar. Live, the group is sometimes extended to an eighteen-piece brass band. Menzoda and Tucson supporters again add an extra flavor to the already rich and broad cumbia and mambo. The traditions are given a new shiny jacket and they call it Mambo Mexicano - keep the scene from the city zuideljke tuned for more of this kind of music!

Listen to the full concert Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta on NPR.com

Tap dance with Kong Fu
A project with three completely different artists who dressed as Kong Fu cameos: The Wu-Force . Tap dance was a trumpet playing keyboard (Kai Welch), guzheng zither and Mandarin rap, only a small part of what's shown in 45 minutes. Abigail Washburn, a big name in the Americana and roots scene, searched the extremes of her banjo on. All strings caressing them singing about village girls their luck in the big city Shanghai chase and the harsh reality in which they arrive. A mash-uplied as an Inner Mongilian version of Lady Gaga rack, they interpret as easy as a piece of Chinese opera, including mustache on the Chinese artist Wu Fei. In short, an interesting project that is bursting with talent and entertainment, but quite a bit (too) corny, fleeting ...

Embarrassing costume party
The low point of the evening was reached during the first concert of the festival. The Australian Bombay Royale seems to be having a costume party than with making music. More concerned Yes, it's a gimmick: the group was inspired by the Bollywood music from the seventies and pop group as they simply have a different slant. Fine for some music venues, but still crawls something of vicarious shame the hall at the sight of a kapiteinscostuum, and are easily overshadowed by the other artists - on their glitter after then.

America vs. Europe
Global Fest is clearly a festival focused on the North American market. In Europe, we are still spoiled many top groups who come here on tour - still because of the old colonial ties. Many acquaintances so on stage, but as the Mississippi a cappella gospel singers The Como Mamas preached: Count your blessings (Count your blessings), and were sure enough.

Video
Check out the video finally Global Fest 2014 Recap nicely sums up the festival. It was made by the young radio producer and journalist Minna Zhou (manufacturing and interviews) together with Sebastian Modak (camera and editing), located in the U.S..