Sinan Cem Eroğlu
"Sinan Cem Eroglu is some of the best instrumentalist and the first modern virtuoso of kaval in today's Turkish Folk Music..." - Songlines Magazine - Francesco Martinelli
"There is no doubt that Eroglu performs in all roles with a significant degree of skill that may be considered prodigious." - Songlines Magazine - Michael Galea
Dobet Gnahoré: One of Africa's most beloved singers
“Gnahoré has an extraordinary voice, and she wields it in so many unique and distinct ways that not only do we not get tired of hearing her, but it doesn’t even occur to us that we can’t understand the lyrics. Gnahoré’s voice has an extraordinary personality—one second, she’s a diva, belting out R&B over a soft-rock backing of acoustic guitar and percussion, and the next she’s telling us how it is, ripping the mic right into her hands (or it sounds like she is, anyway) and preaching lyrics directly out of the stereo.”
– Bitch Magazine
Medicine Singers: Powwow meets Spiritual Jazz and Punk
“This is experimental art… We're showing people experimental art from the Eastern Algonquin side of the world.” - Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson
Hania Rani: Polish Pianist, Singer, Composer
“One can be lost but can find home in his inner part – which can mean many things – soul, imagination, mind, intuition, passion. I strongly believe that when being in uncertain times and living an unstable life we can still reach peace with ourselves and be able to find ‘home’ anywhere’ This is what I would like to express with my music – one can travel the whole world but not see anything. It is not where we are going but how much we are able to see and hear things happening around us”. — Hania Rani
Les Filles de Illghidad: First Female Fronted Tuareg Blues Band
To emerge from this small village to perform on stages around the world is no small feat and is a testament to the band’s unique sound. But their home is more than their narrative. Illighadad is central to everything about the band, from their repertoire, the way they perform, the poetry they recite, even the way they sing.
Ak Dan Gwang Chil (ADG7) - North Korean Shamanic Funk
“A most astonishing show musically and immensely entertaining- Ak Dan Gwang Chil from South Korea. WOW!!!”
— Bob Boilen, NPR Music
Pascuala Ilabaca y Fauna: Chilean singer-songwriter
Pascuala Ilabaca & Fauna were nominated for Best Artist 2016 by Songlines magazine alongside Mariza, Seckou Keita and Lura.
Mamak Khadem: Iranian Vocal Trance.
She found her powerful voice early on, singing with the Children's Choir for National Radio and Television in Iran. But it wasn't until after the Iranian Revolution, before which she'd already emigrated to the U.S. as a teenager in 1977, that her passion for singing ignited and she began to pursue a musical path in earnest
Eccodek: Global Fusion from Ontario
‘Eccodek’s music shifts dreamily between music with roots in Mali, Turkey, Fiji, Nigeria, India, Canada and beyond.’ -CBC Music
Marc Hollander: Founder of Crammed Discs & Aksak Maboul
In 1980 Hollander founded Crammed Discs, which he still actively runs, while acting as the label's artistic director. With Crammed, he has discovered, launched and/or developed the careers of artists such as Bebel Gilberto, Zap Mama, Konono Nº1, Kasai Allstars, Cibelle, Taraf de Haïdouks, Tuxedomoon, Bel Canto, Minimal Compact, Hector Zazou, Sussan Deyhim, Snooze/Dominique Dalcan, DJ Morpheus, Suba, Zuco 103, Celso Fonseca, Kočani Orkestar, Mahala Rai Banda, Balkan Beat Box, Shantel, Lonely Drifter Karen, Staff Benda Bilili, Maïa Vidal, SKIP&DIE, Yasmine Hamdan, Juana Molina, Acid Arab and others.
Maga Bo: From Rio to the World with Soul Lifting & Body Moving Rhythms.
Internationally renowned for his production work on labels like Ninja Tune, Tru Thoughts, ZZK and Soundway, Maga Bo has long been blowing the bass bins with his global mesh of digital roots music.
Congotronics International
Congotronics International is ultimately an ephemeral supergroup, however the strong bonds and mutual respect that were born between all musicians have led to some of its members to collaborate with each other in the time since (in 2017, Molina was featured on Deerhoof’s Mountain Moves LP, while Dieterich worked on her Halo LP; more recently, Deerhoof remixed a track on Kasai Allstars’ 2021 release The Black Ants Remixes). Other collab projects are in the works.
Club d’Elf: Legendary Boston Based Moroccan Trance Groove Collective
Club d’Elf is a collective of musicians fiercely dedicated to “the groove”, consisting of some of the most sought-after players from the jazz, world music, rock, and DJ scenes of Boston, New York City & beyond. The band's music draws from a startlingly wide spectrum of styles, including jazz, hip hop, electronica, avant garde, prog-rock and dub. Under the tutelage of member Brahim Fribgane (who hails from Casablanca) the band has absorbed Moroccan trance music, which is now an essential part of the mix. Diverse audiences are drawn to Fribgane’s mesmerizing oud stylings, and leader/bassist Mike Rivard’s commanding playing of the Moroccan sintir. Trance forms the central core of the Club d’Elf aesthetic, weaving together the band’s various influences. The band's new album, You Never Know, offers gnawa refracted through a prism of contemporary psychedelia—Morocco turned technicolor. For this special SAMA performance, Rivard and Fribgane are joined by guitarist David Fiuczynski and percussionist/vocalist Fabio Pirozzolo.
www.clubdelf.com
"You Never Know, is a wide ranging romp, full of serenity, chaos, longing, improvisation and peerless musicianship inspired by music from India and Morocco as well as the maverick jazz of Miles Davis and Frank Zappa." - Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide
Orquesta Akokán: Legendary Cuban Band melds the dance and the spirit.
Straight out of Havana, Cuba comes Orquesta Akokán, a blazing ensemble of deeply soulful mambo reminiscent of Benny Moré, Pérez Prado, and banda gigante of the 1940's and 50's.
Chalaban: Moroccan Spiritual Trance Roots
The group’s diverse sound is defined by the musician’s Afro-Arab roots, with their lively, exuberant Moroccan music enhanced by elements of Carpathian Basin, Roma and Balkan music, all while singing in Arabic.
David Broza: Legendary Israeli Guitarist
David Broza is an internationally renowned Israeli singer-songwriter, recognized for his dynamic guitar performances and humanitarian efforts. His signature sound brings together the influence of Spanish flamenco, American folk, rock and roll, and poetry. Social justice and peace advocacy are embedded in Broza’s work, as his 1977 hit song Yihye Tov remains an Israeli peace anthem. He has over 40 albums released, many of which are multiplatinum, with songs in English, Hebrew, and Spanish. Broza continues to tour globally, both solo and with his various projects including Trio Havana, Jazz Encounters, Broza 5, and with various musical collaborators.
Sinan Cem Eroğlu: First modern virtuoso of kaval in today's Turkish Folk Music
"Sinan Cem Eroglu is some of the best instrumentalist and the first modern virtuoso of kaval in today's Turkish Folk Music..." - Songlines Magazine - Francesco Martinelli
"There is no doubt that Eroglu performs in all roles with a significant degree of skill that may be considered prodigious." - Songlines Magazine - Michael Galea
Sushma Soma: One of Singapore’s leading Carnatic practitioners.
Recognized as one of the passionate “youths driving positive change through their actions” (Today Paper, Singapore, November 2020) and one of the ’10 women leaders in music’ in Singapore.
Bedouin Burger: Lebanese & Syrian Transcendent Indie
Between the aftermath of the Lebanese civil war, which ended in 1990, the Cedar Revolution of 2005 and last year's nationwide anti-government protests, the pioneering musician and producer Zeid Hamdan has channeled three decades worth of hope and despair into a range of prolific projects These include co-founding the seminal Arab trip-hop duo Soap Kills and producing for singers Maryam Saleh and Maii Waleed. Hamdan presents his next creation, Bedouin Burger with the amazing Syrian singer Lynn Adib
Barmer Boys: Global Ambassadors of Rajasthani Folk and Sufi Music
the next generation of performers that carry forward the centuries-old musical traditions of the Manganiyars. The global ambassadors of Rajasthani folk and Sufi music, the trio's versatility of styles and bubbling energy infuses each performance - from soulful Sufi kalaams and Krishna bhajans, to uplifting wedding and celebratory songs, boisterous jams with beat-boxing and live DJ sets.
