Take a musical world tour without leaving New York at globalFEST, other weekend performances

By George Rush
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Worlds collide this weekend in Manhattan – and your ears may never be the same. 

Musicians from Siberia to Senegal will descend on the island for a three-day marathon of boundary-defying bands. The globe-girdling performances start Friday with "Here Comes Trouble," a revue of six acts at the 92Y Tribeca (200 Hudson St.).  On tap are the Franco-American crooning of Pierre de Gaillande, the "Irish Mariachi" sounds of Rana Santacruz, the ranchera pop of Pistolera, the Peruvian surf-rock of Chica Libre, the rhumba twang of the Cuban Cowboys, and the Gypsy funk of Slavic Soul Party.

Alexandra Casazza, who's presenting the evening with Barbes Records' Olivier Conan, calls the evening "crazy, dirty world music" that's cheaper than airfare.

The rhythmic road-trip continues on Saturday at the third annual Mondo Mundo Festival at the Hiro Ballroom (88 Ninth Ave., at 16TH St.), featuring Abaji, billed as "trans-Mediterranean blues in five languages,", "psychedelic Afro-Latin funk" from Ocete Soul Sounds, the urban folk blues of Toshi Reagon, and Burkina Electric's West African techno.

Sunday brings globalFEST to Webster Hall. Starting at 7 p.m., the five-hour lineup includes West African acoustic songs from Alif Naaba; Celtic vocalist Cara Dillon; Caravan Palace, which purveys French electro manouche jazz; Cedric Watson's Louisiana zydeco; Federico Aubele, who could be described as bolero and cumbia meet trip hop; Francois Ladrezo and Alka Omeka, a Guadeloupe gwo-ka master; La Cumbiamba eNeYe, with sounds from Colombia's Caribbean coast; salsa dura revivalists La Excelencia; African reggae from Meta and the Cornerstones; Namgar, with shaman rock from the Central Asian steppes; Nguyen Le's Saiyuki's Pan-Asian jazz; and Transylvanian blues-rock from Nightlosers.

Shanta Thake, who programs the fest with Bill Bragin and Isabel Soffer, believes the roster reflects the "face of world music as the world gets smaller and smaller. Our goal is [to] present styles that have never been heard before."

In the seven years since its launch, globalFEST has introduced New York audiences to 75 different performers, including such international stars as Andy Palacio, Angelique Kidjo, and Mariza.

Best of all, the globalFEST revue encourages audiences to be promiscuous by presenting three bands at once on the three floors of the historic music hall. You're free to roam from one stage to another, just like at an outdoor festival. Only without any rain or mud. 

Or cold. Ignoring New York's teeth-chattering January temperature, the dance bands turn the evening into a tropical vacation where you don't need a passport, baggage-check or sunblock.

P.S.: Global revelers can get another fix on Jan 25 when PBS debuts "Sound Tracks: Music Without Borders." The first episode features stories on Afrobeat superstar Fela and his musical heir, Femi; Russian strongman Vladimir Putin's sexy, pop music propaganda machine; and a surprising look at how Sacha Baron Cohen's satire of Kazakhstan in "Borat" led to a symphonic healing.

Mondo Mundo Festival tickets are $15 at ticketweb.com.

globalFEST tickets are $40 at ticketmaster.com or by phone through World Music Institute box office: 212-545-7536.