Mercan Dede and Secret Tribe
Origin: Turkey/Canada
This Turkish-born, Montreal-based musician subtly fuses the Eastern spiritual traditions of Sufi music with contemporary ambient sounds to create a mix of old and new, sacred and secular, East and West. Dede began spinning vinyl at age 23 under the name Arkin Allen, also performing under the name Poundmaker, accompanied by hand-picked percussionists, vocalists and musicians. A profoundly spiritual individual, Dede found the traditional Sufi understanding of music as a means to uplift and harmonize the soul reflected in the rave/nightclub scenes of Europe and North America. Dede plays the ney (reed flute), bendir, frame drum, zarp and udu drum. An adherent of Sufi spirituality, Dede brings his holistic understanding of sound, the rhythms of nature and of the universe to his interpretations of Sufi maqams and his original compositions. Dede is an example of the incredible talent arising from first and second generation and immigrant artists based in North America, fusing multiple influences from traditional and contemporary electronic music. He was one of the revelations of last year’s WOMEX. CD: Nar, Doublemoon Records

Forro in the Dark
Origin: Brazil
Forro In The Dark plays the music of Luiz Gonzaga, the King Of Baião, a style of Northeastern Brazilian dance music that is built around a trio of accordion, triangle and zabumba (a small bass drum that sounds huge). The relentless driving rhythms of the accordion, much like Zydeco, combine together with beautiful and distinctly Brazilian melodies. Often humorous, these are songs about life in the rugged, dry and unforgiving landscape of northern Brazil. This is party music for hard working people who would gather together at night for a "forro", where they could drink and dance and forget their troubles. Forro In The Dark is Rob Curto on accordion, Mauro Refosco on zabumba, Jorginho Amorim on triangle, Sergio Brandão on bass and cavaquino, Smokey Hormel on guitar. Individually, they have played with Beck, David Byrne, Johnny Cash, Rosemary Clooney, and Bebel Giberto. As a group, they bring a contagious sense of joy to the room whenever they play these great Gonzaga songs, inspiring people of all races and ages to dance away their blues.

GlobeSonic
Origin: USA
GlobeSonic, founded in 2000 by Fabian Alsultany, a.k.a. Sultan32, offers an international dreamscape weaving the music of the ancients with a modern sensibility, reaching into the past to create the future. This collective of DJs, including Acidophilus and Derek Beres, established a following through their initial yearlong residency at New York’s lounge/antique retailer Paisley, and subsequent residencies at Joe's Pub, Groovejet, and Nublu, all clubs in New York. The three resident GlobeSonic DJs all hold day jobs at the heart of New York’s world music scene. Acidophilus, a.k.a. Bill Bragin, books artists from across the globe at a premier world music club. Beres is managing editor of one of America’s foremost world music magazines. And Alsultany manages the careers of several major and up-and-coming performers in the realm of world music. Along with guest musicians and visualists, the collective has staged events around the world with likeminded DJs and has shared bills with The Gipsy Kings, Karsh Kale, Antibalas, Tabla Beat Science, DJ Dolores, Yerba Buena, DJ Le Spam, Transglobal Underground, Zuco 103, Aterciopelados, Cheb I Sabbah, The New Deal, and Sound Tribe Sector 9. CD: Earth n Bass, Triloka

Marcel Khalife
Origin: Lebanon
Marcel Khalife was born in the seaside village of Amchit, Lebanon, where he listened to his fisherman grandfather sing songs of the sea, followed his mother to church “to listen to the magical music and hymns,” and soaked up the Koranic verses sung at the village mosque. He went to Beirut’s National Conservatory of Music to study the oud, and was one of a handful of musicians who worked to expand the strict technical rules that govern performance on the instrument. During Lebanon’s civil war, Khalife became a folk hero, performing in Beirut’s deserted theaters, comforting people on both sides of the war. Khalife has played a significant role in reviving Arabic music and its choral heritage, giving birth to a new style of Near Eastern ballet with popular appeal, and stretching Arabic repertoire to address intimacy. As journalist Banning Eyre wrote, “A figure of astounding paradox, Khalife has found common ground between seemingly irreconcilable forces: Arabic culture and his own Christian faith, classical tradition and populist appeal, the eloquence of high poetry and the passionate folk idioms of the street.” CD: Mouda'abah, Nagam

Angélique Kidjo
Origin: Benin/France/USA
Angélique Kidjo is not only one of the spunkiest, most electrifying performers in the pop world today, but she's also one of its most forward and creative thinkers, an artist whose mission has been to explore the relationships of diverse musical cultures. Her performance at globalFEST will include songs from her upcoming album on which Kidjo explores music of Cuba, Haiti, and the Caribbeans as well as old songs arranged for an acoustic trio of guitar, percussion, and vocal. The untitled album, which is being produced by Steve Berlin and Alberto Salas, is scheduled to be released in Spring 2004 on Columbia Records and completes a trilogy of albums driven by common thread of musical exploration. The first part of the trilogy Oremi, mixed the music of her homeland Benin with a wide range of music from the African Diaspora. On Black Ivory Soul Kidjo explored the musical kinship between Africa and Brazil. Her GlobalFEST performance will be an intimate, all-acoustic show. CD: Black Ivory Soul, Columbia

Les Yeux Noirs
Origin: France/Poland/Rom
French for “The Black Eyes,” Les Yeux Noirs takes its name from the title of a Russian gypsy tune made famous by Django Reinhardt in the ’30s. It’s the perfect name for a French sextet that plays their own variety and melding of Gypsy and Yiddish music, with a nod to Manouche (or French Gypsy) jazz. The band’s repertoire begs the musical question: what has been the relationship of Gypsies and Jews? The musical styles of the two cultures have much in common, a direct result of shared experiences and suffering of both peoples. A life of exile created a special relationship with music for Gypsies and Jews. With superb themes from Romania, Hungary, Russia and Armenia, their arrangements leave plenty of room for rhythm and spontaneity, while highlighting the musical complexity of the melodies. On stage, with not a trace of artifice or idle chat, Les Yeux Noirs, with their boundless energy, their technical excellence, soaring improvisations and spontaneity, give body and soul to these “threnodies,” passed down through the ages and so much a part of our universal consciousness. CD: Live, World Village

Tania Libertad
Origin: Peru/Mexico
Known for her extensive catalog of boleros and for her abiding interest in the black music of Peru, Tania Libertad is well known in Latin music circles. Born in a small coastal town in northern Peru, Libertad’s musical travels have taken her to Cuba and to Mexico, which she now calls home. She made her first public appearance at age 5, singing the bolero “La Historia de un Amor,” cheered on by her nurse mother and policeman father. African influence was present along Peru's Costa Negra, among the descendants of slaves brought there four centuries ago. Though she's not black herself, Tania was raised there and soaked up the strong elements of African instrumentation and melodies. Young Tania also came under the influence of boleros, romantic ballads with a history in Italy and creators in Mexico, Panama, and across Latin America. Libertad copied lyrics from the radio at home, with the help of her mother, who phoned in multiple requests from her workplace. By age eight, Libertad had 300 boleros in her repertoire. Later she moved on to the sort of protest music germinating out of the casas de trova of Chile and Cuba. Tania decided to seek out the fabled musical opportunities of Mexico. Penniless on her arrival, over the next couple of decades, Tania established her place as a titan of bolero from her adopted Mexican homeland. With over 2 million copies of her albums sold, 33 releases, and the honorary title of a UNESCO Peace Ambassador, Libertad's acclaimed career has led her to collaborate with such luminaries as Cesaria Evora, Pablo Milanés, Miguel Bosé, Djavan and Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera. CD: Costa Negra, World Village

Vusi Mahlasela
Origin: South Africa
This lyrical, singer-songwriter was born in 1965 in Lady Selbourne, near Pretoria, where he still resides. He never knew his father, lost his mother at a young age, and was raised by his grandmother. He taught himself to play on a homemade guitar made of tin cans and fishing line. From the outset, his songs addressed political themes, and he was in demand at rallies and cultural events. He recalls, “We were picked up and harassed in all types of situations, going to church every Sunday and being forced to sign a piece of paper at the police station first. If I was going out of town for a wedding, it had to be reported to the police first.” In 1994, Mahlasela was asked to perform the most important gig of his life: the presidential inauguration of Nelson Mandela. Mahlasela is featured in Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony, a film about music in the anti-apartheid struggle. Among his most ardent supporters is Dave Matthews, who invited Mahlasela to contribute vocals on the title track of Matthews’ multi-platinum album, Everyday. Mahlasela is signed to Matthews’ ATO label. CD: The Voice, ATO Records

Mariza
Origin: Portugal
Born in Mozambique, Mariza moved with her family to Portugal as a baby where she was immersed in Lisbon’s fado houses where singing is an integral part of everyday life. She began singing fado as a child, even before she could read, her father sketching out cartoon stories to help her remember lyrics. At age five, she joined in the spontaneous singing in her parents’ restaurant. Fado is Portugal’s blues or rebetika or tango or flamenco. “They all stand on emotions,” says Mariza, “fado is an emotional kind of music full of passion, sorrow, jealousy, grief and, often, satire.” Yet fado differs from its musical cousins through its poetic mystery and its ability to fuse dichotomous traits: impossible pain and fervent joy... life’s cruelty with love’s intensity. Widely hailed as the heir to fadista legend Amalia Rodrigues, Mariza claimed the prestigious “Best Fado Voice 2000” award in Portugal and received worldwide acclaim including two nominations as “Best European Artist” and “Best Newcomer Artist” for BBC Radio's prestigious 2003 Awards for World Music. Her debut album went Platinum in Portugal and her second CD is headed that way too. In the words of the great Portuguese composer Nuno Nazareth Fernandes: “Mariza is an adorable extra-terrestrial being, someone sent by the Great Creator to reinvent the fado.” Mariza made her U.S. debut at Joe’s Pub (NYC) in 2002. CD: Fado Curvo, Times Square

Emeline Michel
Origin: Haiti
Emeline Michel is the reigning queen of Haitian song, beloved by Haitians for combining traditional rhythms with social, political, and inspirational content. She is a member of a new generation of Haitian musicians, which also includes guitarist/vocalist Beethova Obas and the bands Boukman Eksperyans and Boukan Guinen. In contrast to most contemporary Haitian music, this new wave of artists emphasize complex themes, conscious lyrics, and a broad palette of musical styles, including the native Haitian compas, twoubadou and rara along with jazz, rock, bossa nova and samba. Born in Gonaives, Haiti, her first experience in music was singing gospel music at the local church. After completing her education, Emeline studied at the Detroit Jazz Center and returned to Haiti as a professional musician. She was soon hailed as the "new goddess of Creole music." Relocating to France, Michel's work quickly spread throughout the French‑speaking world, including Belgium, Africa, the French Antilles, French Guiana, Quebec, as well as Chile and Japan. Michel’s latest CD, Cordes et Ame, became the fastest selling recording in Haiti and received Haiti's “Musique En Folie” awards for Best Haitian Album and Best Production for the year 2000. CD: Cordes et Ame, Production Cheval de Feu

Raul Paz
Origin: Cuba/France
His ebony-black great-uncle, Changuito, is the grand master of Cuban percussions, and still lives in Havana. His Galician golden-haired grandmother, Juanita, is known to all Miami-based Cuban dance aficionados. Born in Pinar Del Rio, known for its tobacco and its music, Raúl Paz’ dark eyes and Little Prince-like blond curly hair bear testimony to this mixed heritage, as does his music. Though America beckoned, Paz decided to move to France, a country he felt would be more appropriate for cultural intermingling. There he has shared the stage with almost every Afro-Cuban musician stopping over in Paris, and has become a leader in France’s Cuban wave. His CD release, Mulata, offers continued traditions and continuous innovation with pop arabesques, ballads freely inspired by Trova, hip-hop beats, dub, and a few tips of the hat to childhood and Caribbean music. CD: Mulata, Naïve

Susheela Raman
Origin: India/UK/Australia
If Billie Holiday or Nina Simone had been raised in a traditional Tamil household, they’d likely have sounded something like Susheela Raman. The child of parents from Southern India who emigrated to the UK and later Australia, Raman’s voice is full and soulful and her arrangements of popular Western and traditional Eastern forms are adventurous. An Ethiopian song from the 1970s by Mahmoud Ahmed inspired the title track of her latest album, Love Trap. Though Raman sings the song in an ancient five-note scale endemic to Ethiopian church music, the song maintains the smooth familiarity of a jazz standard and an ethereal groove that evokes Portishead or Massive Attack. The second English-language song on the album is Raman’s haunting version of Joan Armatrading’s Save Me. The remainder of the album consists chiefly of Raman’s intriguing treatments of traditional songs from India, Africa, and elsewhere. Raman is an artist who captures the excitement and innovation that comes from a multi-ethnic context. Susheela has won a great deal of acclaim in Europe, where she won “Best Newcomer” by the BBC3 Award for World Music. Her debut album was short listed for the prestigious Mercury Prize (up against such mainstream rock artists as Radiohead), and is a top selling artist in France, yet is only beginning to be known in North America. She is a great example of a common tendency in world music: while the artist may be lesser known locally, they are world class and typically perform to large crowds so the quality of presentation is very well developed. She may be a “developing artist” in terms of awareness, but not in terms of talent or stagecraft. CD: Love Trap, Narada

Savina Yannatou and Primavera en Salonico
Origin: Greece
(Appearing at GlobalFEST with the generous support of the Ministry of Culture in Greece)
Based on traditional material—mainly from the Mediterranean Area—Athens-born Savina Yannatou and the group Primavera en Salonico find themselves like rope-dancers on the chord which connects the modal music of the East with the equivalent music of Western Europe, music of the Middle Ages and the popular polyphonies of the Mediterranean. Beginning from the melismatic riches of the Eastern Maqam and the charming irregular rhythms they explore the territory of collective free improvisation, meeting there modern jazz. Insisting on acoustic instruments, half of which have their origin in the East, they explore each device’s specific sound, oftentimes also pushing them to the limits of their possibilities. Beyond her exquisite interpretive capacity, Savina Yannatou gives special emphasis to the expression of the “music” of each language, without letting that stop her from oftentimes using her voice as one more instrument. CD: Terra Nostra, ECM