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World Music: A Global Sound That Connects Cultures and Inspires the Soul

World music, with its wealth of rhythms, melodies, and traditions, represents a universal language that brings people together from all corners of the globe. This genre encompasses various musical styles and sounds, from traditional folk melodies to modern fusions with electronic and classical influences, making the global music scene richer than ever.

What is World Music?

World music is a term used to describe musical styles that originate from different cultures and traditions across the world. From African and Latin rhythms to Asian melodies, world music blends sounds that are part of our collective cultural heritage. What makes world music special is its ability to integrate these traditions into modern soundscapes, creating unique sounds that reflect the richness of global culture.

World Music Through History

The term world music became popular in the 20th century, as globalization and technological advancement allowed quicker access to various musical styles. However, it’s interesting to note that world music has always existed — from traditional African wooden flutes to Chinese guzheng and Indian sitar. Since the mid-20th century, various artists began fusing these traditions with contemporary music styles, creating new and innovative sounds.

Diversity in World Music

World music covers a wide range of sound identities. Here are some of the most well-known subgenres:

  • Afrobeat: This genre, originating from Nigeria, is a fusion of traditional African rhythms with funk, jazz, and rock. It was popularized by artists like Fela Kuti.

  • Bossa Nova: This Brazilian genre creates the perfect blend of samba rhythms and jazz, and legends like João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim gave it global recognition.

  • Folk and Traditional Music: World music also encompasses a rich tradition of folk songs that are unique to certain regions, such as Indian raga, flamenco in Spain, or Māori sounds in New Zealand.

  • Reggae: This genre from Jamaica, founded by Bob Marley, spread globally and became a symbol of resistance and hope.

The Globalization of World Music

Thanks to the internet and digital platforms, world music has become accessible to everyone, regardless of geographical distance. Now, artists from different parts of the world can reach a global audience more easily, creating connection and mutual understanding through art. World music has become a key factor in cultural diplomacy and promoting understanding between nations.

Heda Art Agency’s Role in Promoting World Music

Heda Art Agency takes pride in being involved in the promotion and providing a platform for world artists. Our mission is to help artists who create world music connect with international festivals, cultural institutions, and music lovers worldwide. Through services like booking, social media promotion, website creation, and management, Heda Art Agency enables artists to reach their audiences and expand the influence of world music across regions.

World music is a symbol of rich cultural heritage and a universal language that unites people regardless of their origin, language, or faith. Its growth and popularity in today’s world only confirm that art has no boundaries. At Heda Art Agency, we believe that world music has the power to inspire, connect, and create change, and we are proud to be part of this global movement.

Biography

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Felipe Pyky Duarte

An eternal student and guardian of ancestral sciences. Working in the recomposition of his own ethnical culture and on the liberation of land. Pyky studied Theater and Economics, side by side with Music. He grew up in Colombia between a western mindset and indigenous consciousness. He learnt to work with energy and healing conscious practices through music, Reiki, Kriya Yoga, indigenous medicines and recently Chi Kung. He is Inspired and motivated to promote cultural events and seminars that awaken cooperation, community building, self healing and compassion.

Biography

Youtube

Matojeni Melo-Maniacs

Matojeni Melo-Maniacs is a cultural music group from Zimbabwe Bulawayo.The group consists of 6 professional musicians :- Nomathamsanqa T Mkwananzi(Nkwali) Thandeka Patricia Jele(Thandy Dlana)Nolizwe Ngwenya,Blessings Nqo Nkomo,Mthabisi Moyo and Bekithemba Phiri(Beckx Marabha).

The purpose of this project is to promote and preserve our culture. It also seeks to give a platform to women to have access to opportunities, resources and their rights to have the power to control their own lives. “Our goal for performing traditional music is to bring people together through music. By singing and performing our traditional music, we have laid a strong foundation that none will take away. The foundation will give us the power to control our lives,” Blessings Nqo Nkomo is well-known for being a part of Insingizi ensemble, which has toured around the World with Dumisani “Ramadu” Moyo and Vusa Mkhaya. Thandy Dhlana is an Afro-Jazz specialist while the Nyawolwami hit- maker Nkwali, on the other hand, is a multi-award winner. MMM is prepared for the challenge at hand with Beckx Marabha performing the percussion with Bekezela “Sjure” Siziba, and guitarist Mthabisi Moyo rounding out the instrumental.

Biography

Lata Gouveia

Lata Gouveia is a band leader, singer-songwriter and producer who started his musical journey in London in the mid-90’s. In his late teens he was already a regular presence at the 12 Bar Blues Club, at the Acoustic Café in Soho and other West-End Open Mic nights.

A European cousin to the Oklahoma Red Dirt and Tulsa Sound traditions, Lata Gouveia’s music has always had a tinge of JJ Cale and a strong Folk Rock influence. His early influences ranged from Bob Dylan and Tom Petty to Marc Knopfler, but it was only after a
number of years fronting South-East London bands that Gouveia moved to Oklahoma in 2007 and purified his songwriting style by living and spending time on and off stage with Rocky Frisco (JJ Cale Band) and playing often with Red Dirt Music legends Tom Skinner,
Randy Crouch and many others.

Lata Gouveia moved back to Europe in 2011 and he is now one of Luxembourg’s best known musicians. His band made a name for itself, headlining some of Luxembourg’s biggest open air Festivals and packing some of the country’s best known venues. Lata
was also the national opening act for Ayo, Charlie Winston, Alan Parsons, Bombino, Keiffer Sutherland, and Sting, amongst others.

In the last 8 years Gouveia also produced three LPs of original songs and Gouveia is also the founder of “The Grund Club”, the singer-songwriter collective that includes over 70 artists and musicians, and some of the biggest names in the country. This collective has
been endorsed by Centre de Musiques Amplifiees, funded by the Ministry of Culture. An accomplished artist, both in the rock band format and the acoustic format, Lata Gouveia’s lastest LP “Stay the same” was recorded live in the studio and was released in
early 2022. He is currently preparing a new project in Morroco, mixing his Red Dirt Music and JJ Cale influences with the desert blues sounds of the Sahara.

Biography

Cuerdas y teclas

Project founded by band leader and hurdy-gurdy player Jorge Garrido, fourth generation of a family of musicians dedicated to folklore of their region. After years searching, listening and observing his surroundings, Jorge has built his own universe in an almost unintentional manner.

The after thought of WHAT , HOW and WHY play has drifted into the creation of this project, where the hurdy-gurdy is the starting point, where his very own electric psalter is added. Something so unconventional like being a skate decorated with his own illustrations of him that have been useful to incorporate double bass strings, achieving an unparalleled sonority.

Jorge has been joined by the voice of Elena Aranoa , who makes it the repertoire possible, mainly traditional, maintain their original lyrics. The mentioned repertoire goes f rom traditional songs f rom their land, La Rioja , to Sephardi music, going through melodies taken f rom old songbooks.

The live show is a true global experience, a show that goes hand in hand with projections that will make each show a trip that you’ll want to share.

In February 2022 he performed at the opening gala of the acts of the V Centenary of Antonio de Nebrija at the Teatro Real in Madrid. In This act, he shared the stage with Rozalén , Haze , Dorantes and Eliseo Parra , ending the gala with a speech by King Felipe V. In 2023 he performed in the mythical London club JAMBOREE , and has recently been selected to perform in Italy, specifically in Folkest Showcase for international emerging artists in the field of world music


Biography

Luka Russo

Luca Russo is a Milan Conservatory graduate who shifted his focus from piano to flute, studying with several renowned musicians. His passion for flamenco led to performances in prestigious theaters worldwide with acclaimed dancers like Antonio Canales and Rafael Amargo.

His compositions have been played in major concert halls across the globe, and he has published works such as Six Studies on circular breathing and Sonatina for flute and piano. He is a permanent conductor of the Cantù Youth Orchestra and has conducted other orchestras such as Bacau Filarmonic Orchestra, Lario Sinfonic Orchestra, and Como Lake Philharmonic Orchestra.

For several years he is studying bansuri and Indian music, also attending courses in Vicenza’s conservatory with Lorenzo Squillari, then studying ragas with Nicolò Melocchi, and traveling to India, at Hariprasad Chaurasia’s Gurukul in Mumbai and Bhubaneswar.

Biography

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Teo Ricciardella

Italian Tenor Teo Ricciardella was born in Puglia, Italy. He immigrated to the United States of America at the age of thirteen where he began his classical career in 2000.
Since then, he established himself as a crossover artist performing classical and pop pieces. Teo Ricciardella has performed in numerous concerts, both nationally and internationally, in the cities of New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Teo has performed in Bologna, Italy and appeared on national T.V. in Padua, Italy as a guest singer on Cantando Ballando which airs on Canale Italia.
Teo has performed in front of distinguished and international public figures, such as the United Nations Secretary General, H.E. Ban Ki-Moon at a NYC reception in his honor; Governor George Pataki at a commemoration reception for Independence Day; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for
the NYC Police Benevolent celebration; Mr. Donald Trump for the Grand Opening Gala of Trump
International, Council Member Paul Vall one at the Columbus Day Celebration of Italian Heritage at New York City Hall, Bronx Borough Pres. Ruben Diaz’s Italian Cultural Heritage Celebration at the Bronx Zoo honoring Sen. Al D’Amato, John LaBarca’s Italian House Party: Legends of Italian Song at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, and many more. Teo released his latest CD entitled “Reflections”
which includes All I Ask of You, Be My Love, Spanish Eyes, and many more. Teo released his first three CDs entitled “Musica”, “Solo Musica” and “From Italy With Love”, with a tribute to the great Italian tenors of the 20th Century such as Franco Corelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Mario Lanza, Placido Domingo, and includes favorites like Nessun Dorma (from the Turandot opera), Torna a Surriento, Because, Granada, Con Te Partirò, ‘Na Sera e Maggio, Un’Amore Cosi’ Grande, Ave Maria di Franz Schubert,
O Sole Mio, and many more. Teo lives in Westchester County, New York.

Biography

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Koi Fish

Koi Fish is an experimental music performance band founded in 2018. The band consists of Elik Harpaz on Voila, Singing, Piano, Drum set, Guitar, and Melodica, and Chihiro Tazuro on Singing, Persian Ney, Piano, Drum set, and Melodica. Koi Fish’s improvisational style explores the world of sound from a unique perspective, examining noise before it is defined by association with objects. Through their diverse backgrounds, the band’s improvisational actions allow them to research sound uninhibited. Koi Fish has performed at various venues, including Yellow Submarine Jerusalem, Koom koom Festival Jerusalem, Fight Festival Israel, Mazkeka Jerusalem, and Besarabia Jerusalem. In 2020, the band was selected by COCA Project.

Biography

Cristina Vieira

Cristina Vieira is a Portuguese musician from Madeira Island in the Atlantic Ocean. She grew up in the Island’s unique cultural landscape with influences from Continental Portugal, Northern Africa and Northern Europe. She was immersed in the traditions of the island that, nowadays, are quickly disappearing. The music of Madeira is simple and wise. It speaks of the pillars of life. It is work-music that is being played to the rhythm of the manual labor that forged the lives of the people of the island. It is also the music with which the Islanders have expressed love, grief and joy.

In her debut album “TRIBO”, produced by Nuno Filipe, Cristina takes the music of Madeira and introduces it to the modern world, at the same time introducing modern elements into Madeiran music. She creates a fascinating musical patchwork which transcends its parts. By doing so she is freeing herself from an ancestral shackle, fulfilling the dream of many Madeirans past.

HUMMANA music project is convergence, identity, unity, collective memory, communication, and cultural heritage. It presents a personal interpretation of traditional compositions. Work songs, circle dances, melodies woven by the people. Popular poetic texts of pagan and religious nature. A platform where popular poetry and the traditional Madeiran Songbook find a new approach without losing its ethnographic essence where ancestral compositions are revisited, assuming influences of the current World and Rock Music scene.

Biography

Globe-africa

Nuno and the End

“Nuno and the End” is a Cinematic / Avant Garde project resident in Berlin.

The latest album “Infinity” is inspired by “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint Exupéry, where a single character leaves planet Earth and delivers himself to the infinity of the stars, in an atmospheric and dreamy soundscape.”

“Nuno and the End music plays the fine line between being meditative and continuously surprising the listener at the same time. The soft electronic sounds combined with rhythms immerse the listener in a dreamy soundscape, where much more seems possible than in everyday life. The feelings conveyed by the vocals and lyrics are personal and refer to struggles very much familiar to all of us such as desire, betrayal, and overcoming one’s own limitations.

In the moment that the listener feels he is familiar with this soundscape, a subtle change is introduced, inviting the listener to stay tuned in and challenging him to adjust, rethink and go with the flow.”

Biography

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Aegonia

AEGONIA is a fantasy project which includes a series of novels and atmospheric metal music with lyrics inspired by the world of the books. So far the artists have released two novels “Tales from the lands of Aegonia”, one LP album “The Forgotten Song” (2019) and two folklore singles based on the most mystical part of the Bulgarian folklore, closely related to ancient Rhodopi mountain. In the world of Aegonia the biggest power of a sorceress/sorcerer is their song. The magical and fulfilling melodies of the project can be played either with the heavy sound of a full-metal band or with acoustic classical instruments and vocals.

Biography

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Osterlide

Østerlide swept onto the Norwegian folk music scene in late 2020, and quickly received international acclaim for their eponymous debut album. Their unusual arrangements of the traditional folk melodies give new perspectives and display a wide range of moods and textures – from a mere whisper to the brutally noisy. Through open musical landscapes, or cramped and claustrophobic musical spaces, the listener is always carried on by the tireless and timeless folk melodies that have been shaped and honed through the centuries.
Liv Ulvik – Vocals
Andreas Haddeland – Guitars
Ulrik Ibsen Thorsrud – percussion
Østerlide swept onto the Norwegian folk music scene in late 2020, and quickly received international acclaim for their eponymous debut album. Their unusual arrangements of the traditional folk melodies give new perspectives and display a wide range of moods and textures – from a mere whisper to the brutally noisy. Through open musical landscapes, or cramped and claustrophobic musical spaces, the listener is always carried on by the tireless and timeless folk melodies that have been shaped and honed through the centuries.

 

 

Biography

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Fiarock

Fiárock is a band that celebrates the traditional music of Ireland with a new and refreshing sound. With a wide palette of colours from bright and driving to lush and intricate, the group’s masterful arrangements reflect the depth and diversity of each of its members. Hailing from both sides of the Atlantic, the quartet brings together their combined experiences in several musical traditions to weave a rich tapestry that is both authentic and unique, bound together with a passion that can be felt in every tune and song.
Clíona Halley
Clíona Halley is a concertina, fiddle and traditional piano player from Castlemartyr, Co. Cork. Besides Irish traditional music, she is also fully trained on classical violin and piano. Clíona has performed worldwide and was part of the Comhaltas Tour of Ireland, Britain and Canada in 2014. In 2019, she performed on the main stage at Disneyland Paris for St. Patrick’s Day. She recently represented Ireland, performing Irish music at the World Expo in Dubai. Clíona has many accolades to her name, which includes being part of the 2019 Oireachtas na Samhna winning traditional music duet. Clíona completed her Masters in Irish Traditional Music Performance at the University of Limerick in 2019 and graduated with a First Class Honours. She enjoys teaching concertina workshops at festivals around Ireland and has recently been a tutor at the renowned Meitheal Summer School.

Darragh Carey-Kennedy
Darragh Carey-Kennedy is an Irish traditional banjo player from Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. He has won numerous All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil titles in a range of different instruments, including the mandolin and miscellaneous competitions. Darragh recently graduated with a First Class Honours Bachelor’s degree in Irish Music from the University of Limerick. He was also a recipient of the FLCM from the London College of Music in Irish Traditional Music Performance. Darragh recently received his TTCT qualification from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and achieved the high achiever’s award in this course. He has been teaching Irish traditional music from a very young age and has given workshops on the banjo at various festivals, including Scoil Éigse at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2019 and 2021 and Meitheal Irish Traditional Music Summer School in 2022. Darragh is currently the Youth Officer of his local Comhaltas branch and loves promoting Irish traditional music to the younger generation.

Evan Powell
Evan’s love for the piano reaches back to his early years, but his journey into Irish traditional music began while studying jazz performance at Florida State University. His style of accompaniment bears the subtle tracings of his jazz roots, where the intricate harmonies of artists such as Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett hold a strong influence. Evan is also a passionate educator. He has given workshops at various Irish music festivals and has been a guest lecturer on the topics of harmony and improvisation at universities both in the United States and abroad. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.

Nicolle Fig
Nicolle Fig was born in Mexico City. Years later, she moved to Texas and then Ireland, where she developed a passion for Irish culture, its music, and its people. Nicolle specialises in bodhrán and traditional singing. Nicolle’s distinctive lyrical style of bodhrán playing has made her a highly sought-after musician and accompanist, both at home and abroad. She is also an in-demand teacher. Her success is reflected by her large following on YouTube, where she has developed a strong professional reputation as a welcoming and skilful teacher. Nicolle attended the University of Limerick, where she studied under renowned masters of music. She graduated with Honours in 2016 and later in 2020 and earned both a BA and an MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance. Recently, Nicolle had the honour of representing Ireland at the World Expo in Dubai 2020 and toured in Spain with Crisol – Flamenco Celt.

Biography

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Debapriya Adhikary

Debapriya is a National Award and President’s Award winner, A graded artiste of All India Radio. He is one of the finest vocalists of the country of the younger generation, with a silken voice and uncanny command over the octaves his style of singing is marked by both elegance and grandeur that transcends the audience to a rare height of emotional excellence. His perfection of thoughts, and understanding of voice to keep even intricate elements soothing to ears got him admirers from around the world.

Born and brought up at Sindri in Jharkhand initially he got his music nurtured and nourished from his very childhood at the hands of his mother Smt. Anita Adhikary who was a disciple of Pt. Shivnath Jha popularly known as Taanraj. Seeing her child’s interest she took him to Pt. Samaresh Chawdhury of Senia Gharana where he learnt for long 13 years, after she groomed her son the rudiments of Classical music. Debapriya also got a change in his approach towards music with the very guidance of Pt. Kumar Prasad Mukherjee Agra Atrauli Gharana whom he got for a very little time and also learnt with Pt. Vijay Kichlu ji for a while. Both enriched his gayaki with both khayalang and dhrupadang.

His continued taalim for last 11 years with the legendary Padmav Vibhushan Girija Devi of Benaras Gharana as a Gandabandh disciple has helped him acquire master on thumri, tappa, dadra, kajri, jhula etc alongwith the subtleties of khayal he gets from her. With all these Debapriya has earned a name and fame in his land and abroad. He is a topper with Masters in Music from University of Calcutta and empanelled artiste with ICCR.

Presently Debapriya is getting nurtured by the Maestro of Dagar tradition Pt. Uday Bhawalkar with rudiments of Dhrupad.

He has been also performing duet of Vocal and Sitar with an excellent young sitarist maintaining the traditional way of Raag badhat with detailed alapchaari and other angas (phrases) of North Indian Classical music. They are presently the most sought-after duo of the country as being the only consistent duo of their kind and also first ever duo of Sur Bahar and Vocal

He composed additional music and performed live with Samanwaya Sarkar, for an Australian film “The Sleeping Warrior” based on Indian and Aboriginal spirituality got released worldwide in 2012.

He is the Director alongwith Samanwaya, of the documentary film Girija “A lifetime In Music” that received 65th National Award as the Best Documentary on Art and Culture by Govt of India and also got Awarded as the Best Documentary on Art and Culture Feature by Los Angeles Independent Music Festival.

He is also one of the founder trustees of the non profit trust SUR that stands for “Sublime Urge to Rejoice”. Surindia 

Samanwaya sarkar

Samanwaya is a National Award, President’s Award and an A Graded Sitarist of All India Radio and Doordarshan. Being an outstanding Sitarist of the present generation, he is known for his mesmerizing approach and sparklingly perfect strokes on his expression of meends, gamaks, cchoot, fast and intricate taans from the lower octaves to soaring heights with ease. His unique way to unfold ragas gives his audience a unique aesthetic bliss of mind, for which he has achieved a remarkable reputation throughout the country and abroad at such an early age.

He started his primary lessons from his very childhood at the hands of Pt. Sasanka Bandopdhyaya of Senia gharana. His subsequent taalim from Pt. Manilal Nag for 12 years, Pt. Shyamal Chatterjee and Pt. Kumar Prasad Mukherjee respectively belonging to Bishnupur, Senia Maihar and Agra Atrauli gharana has greatly contributed to his unique style of blending Tantrakaari ang ( i.e. style of instrumental music) with gayaki ang (i.e. style of vocal music) of Dhrupad and Khayal. Since his childhood he got his father Sri Swapan Kumar Sarkar in every step of his musical pursuit. Samanwaya hails from a musical family as his Father was under the tutelage of Sri Lalit Mohan Sanyal (senior disciple of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan), and his great uncles were disciples of Vidushi Hirabai Barodekar and Pt. Viswadev Chattopadhyay.

Finally for a decade he remained under the tutelage of the legendary vocalist Padma Vibhushan Girija Devi as a Gandabandh disciple, from whom he has imbibed the intricacies of khayal, thumri, tappa, dadra, jhula etc in his Sitar.

According to her gurumaa Smt. Girija Devi ji “He is the only Sitarist of the country who is playing tappa after learning the proper intricacies of the form.”

Samanwaya has also been playing Sur Bahar mastering the Veen ang (style of Veena) .

He has been also performing duet of Sitar and Vocal with a fine young Vocalist maintaining the traditional way of tantrakaari ang (instrumental style) and gayaki ang (vocalism). They are presently the most sought-after duo of the country as being the only consistent duo of their kind and also first ever duo of Sur Bahar and Vocal

He composed additional music and performed live with Debapriya Adhikary, for an Australian film “The Sleeping Warrior” based on Indian and Aboriginal spirituality got released worldwide in 2012.

He is the Director alongwith Debapriya of the documentary film Girija “A lifetime In Music” that received 65th National Award as the Best Documentary on Art and Culture by Govt of India and also got Awarded as the Best Documentary on Art and Culture Feature by Los Angeles Independent Music Festival.

He is also one of the founder trustees of the non- profit trust SUR that stands for “Sublime Urge To Rejoice”. Surindia 

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Marye Lobb

Like many songwriters, Marye Lobb composed melodies in her carseat – singing before she could talk, but it wasn’t until she studied abroad in the south of Chile that she realized music was her calling. After learning Patagonian folk music, and hearing the  contagious rhythms of the Cueca, Tango, and Bossa Nova, Marye was hooked.

Her songs are ballad-heavy easy listening, with hints of folk, new age, Latin, and jazz. She counts as her biggest influences Ella Fitzgerald, Regina Spektor, and Astor Piazzolla, among others. Her highly polished vocals carry the lush and soothing melodies of her devastating and equally uplifting stories. Marye has performed at the The Knitting Factory, Stonewall Inn, The Birchmere, The Bitter End, and other venues both large small across the US, in Mexico, South America, and Europe. She is currently exploring how to widely share the health benefits of music and creativity for all while she records and produces her 4th album in her new home studio.

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Asgeir Asgeirson

Guitar and multi string instrumentalist/composer Asgeir Asgeirsson plays many styles of music, including pop, rock, jazz and different kinds of World music. Asgeir has been very active on the Icelandic music scene for nearly 30 years and has featured on over hundred albums in that time. He has played with all of the most known musicians in Iceland as well as many internationally recognised musicians including: Dave Weck, Guthrie Govan, Chris Cheek, Seamus Blake, Ingrid Jensen, Manosh Bardhan, Borislav Zgurovski, Matt Penman  and Claudio Spieler.

Asgeir graduated from FIH music school in 1999 and went abroad to study at Conservatorium van Amsterdam, he has also studied jazz privately with Peter Bernstein, Justin Haynes, Jonathan Kreisberg, Steve Cardenas and Brad Shepik. In 2009 marked the beginning of his study of Balkan and Eastern music and has Asgeir travelled to study music of the East every year since. Asgeir has study with Todor Vasilev in Bulgaria, Nikos Tatasopoulos and Vangelis Trigas in Greece, Yurdal Tokcan, Enver Mete Aslan, Zeynel Demirtas and Berkant Kaya in Turkey, Negar Bouban and Hamid Khansari in Iran and Tareq Jundi in Jordan.

Asgeir has released five solo albums, two with original jazz music, Passing through recorded in New York in 2006 featuring Chris Cheek, Matt Penman and Erik Qvick and Trio from 2015.

Asgeir has also released three albums with Icelandic folksongs blending them with eastern tonalities.

The first one Two sides of Europe, released in 2017 he worked with some of Turkey´s finest musicians led by oud virtuoso Yurdal Tokcan.  The second one released in 2018 featuring some of Bulgaria´s finest led by accordion virtuoso Borislav Zgurovski, also featuring on that album is bouzouki virtuoso Nikos Tatasopoulos, Indian tabla maestro Manosh Bardhan and flamenco specialist, cajon player Claudio Spieler as well as a long time collaborator on the Icelandic music scene, clarinet player Haukur Grondal.

In 2020 Asgeir released the third and last album of the folksong trilogy Persian Path with some of Tehran finest musicians led by oud virtuoso Hamid Khansari.

On all of the three albums one of Iceland´s finest female singer Sigridur Thorlacius handles all vocal to give it a unique blend of Icelandic language blended with eastern rhythms and tonalities.

On these three folksongs albums Asgeir plays many different types of Eastern string instruments icluding bouzouki, tamboura, oud and saz.

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Anna Fält

Ana Fält is a unique artist who has perfected playing the oldest instrument known to mankind: the human voice. Anna Fält’s voice is an amazing, rare phenomenon; it is a unique experience that changes the listener’s perception of music and sound. Rarely will you get the chance to experience a performance where the only instrument on stage is the human voice, but folk singing traditions provide so many uses for this adaptable instrument that no other instruments are required; it goes beyond “simply singing”!

Anna Fält performs Fenno-Ugric and Scandinavian traditions as well as her own compositions, which include improvisational pieces with a touch of avant-garde. Her music includes ancient spells and incantation texts, herding calls, lullabies, yoik, as well as stories from the forests and Nordic landscapes. Although solo concerts are Anna’s primary focus, she also engages in a variety of theatre, performance, and cross-disciplinary initiatives. Whether singing is merged with dance, art, storytelling, or electronic music, the emphasis is always on the myriad varieties of singing traditions and the human voice.

Despite having spent the majority of her career living in Sweden, Anna Fält was born and raised in Finland. She holds degrees in pop/jazz music, folk singing pedagogy, and Nordic folk music in addition to her master’s degree in the subject. She has performed throughout the Scandinavian region as well as in France, the United Kingdom, Estonia, and Russia.

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Ben Arsenal

Ben Arsenal represents philadelphia’s soul around the globe. His mission is to inspire, energize and unite people through music, art, and community.

Heavy drums, roots and folkloric elements spliced with infectious soulful grooves are the foundation to Arsenal’s distinct sets.

 

As a DJ, he has played as far south as Florianopolis, Brazil and as far north as Montreal, Canada, and as far East as Beirut, Lebanon. His sound is closely tied to his interests and studies in international culture and folkloric music fused with modern electronic sounds.  He has played support for Felix da Housecat, Eats Everything, Riva Starr, Amtrac, Bob Moses, and more.

 

As a producer, he has worked with Grammy winning musicians and recently contributed as a recording engineer with Pablo Batista’s percussion performance on H.E.R.’s ‘Fight for You’ which won an oscar for ‘best original song’. Arsenal also recently signed his first major release on Universal Middle East/ North Africa subsidiary of Morroco’s Moktar Gania and Gnawa Soul ‘Alla a Sudan’ (Ben Arsenal Remix). Their upcoming release ‘Coucou Selam’ features fashion icon and artist Anna Cleveland on vocals. He currently leads Worldtown Soundsystem- one of Philadelphia’s favorite up and coming live acts.

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Dex Marchan

The incredible, multi-talented Dex Marchan, is a steelpannist, percussionist, arranger, educator, and vocalist, who plays many different genres, including calypso, soca, reggae, jazz, pop, R&B and soul. He doesn’t look over the newest pop songs, classics, and ballads, but gives them his own personal touch and brings a new kind of life into popular music. He has played at many prestigious festivals, incliuding The World Steelband Music Festival with Super Vybes and Skiffle and the famed National Panorama, where he has played with several steel bands, including the  steel orchestras Phase 2 and Pan Elders who has won on many occasions.

His performances at the Queen’s Jubilee, the Princess Cruises, the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission, the Commonwealth Institute, the Regent’s Street World festival, the Chelsea Flower Show, and The World Travel Market are just a few of his career highlights. He has traveled all around the globe, including France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Holland, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Guernsey, the US, and the Caribbean. Dex is based in London and has performed with Stardust, CSI, and Metronomes during the Notting Hill carnival. He also performs with the bands Solid Steel steelband, Juma, and as a freelance musician.

Dex has worked as a teacher in Trinidad at Grant Memorial Presbyterian School and San Fernando Boys’ RC. He has conducted music therapy sessions at London nursing homes where the elderly played instruments and danced to the pleasant steel pan music. Steelpan history, team development, music theory, and practicals are the themes of his school activities and workshops. Dex often performs alone, but he is no stranger to assembling independent artists to make duets, trios, etc.

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The Brass Funkeys

The Brass Funkeys are a trailblazer in the new generation of UK Brass Bands. Formed in 2011, this 9-piece collective has a unique sound forged from their strong personalities and eclectic individual tastes, whilst still paying homage to their New Orleans Brass Band roots. The Brass Funkeys have honed their skills over 10 years playing the club and festival circuits in the UK and Europe, always exploring new musical directions while refining their exciting, eclectic and energetic live show, bursting at the seams with ideas and infectious energy.

The Brass Funkeys frequently appear on festival main stages (Glastonbury, Boomtown, Wilderness, Lost Village, Love Supreme, North Sea Jazz Festival) as well as performing at world renowned venues (Ronnie Scott’s, Koko, Cambridge Corn Exchange).

In 2020, The Brass Funkeys embarked on an ambitious project to release four EPs to catalogue the band’s journey. ‘More is More’ (2022) is the fourth and final instalment in this series and takes the listener on a journey weaving together the sounds of New Orleans, 90s House, Thrash Metal and Liquid Drum ‘n’ Bass through their identifiable lens of creative groove music. ‘Crunch’ (2020), showcases original material continuing their exploration of a new genre: #ThrashBrass, while ‘Live at Cambridge Junction’ (2021) features their high-energy stage show. ‘Ruin’ (2021) explores pumping, heavy, brass-led irreverent covers, from girlband to heavy metal.

These EPs follow two earlier album releases, ‘The Brass Funkeys’ (2014) and ‘Rabble Rouser’ (2017) with 4* reviews (AllAboutJazz) which led to regular radio plays on Jazz FM and Jazz on 3, and over 400,000 Spotify plays.

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Roni Beraha Quartet

Roni Beraha Quartet is a contemporary Serbian – Israeli  Ethno Jazz  Quartet.

Previously formed in 2013 under the name of Istanbul Nights, now as Roni Berah Quartet, they perform music that is a mixture of classical and jazz.

Quartet  members:

Roni Beraha (composer,arrangments) – cello

Denis Nikičić – electric guitar,Aleksa Milijanović -drums and darbouk

David Sič – double bass.

Istanbul night co-operates with other artists from whom stand out: Artem Karajev, Rastko Stefanović, Drina Krlić, Bojan Boljanac, Roman Bugar, Marin Bugar, Stefan Zekić, Iva Lazović, Ognjen Cvekić, Boris
Šebez, Alexandra Lahugue Gruden.

Group has performed at numerous festivals and concert events in Serbia and Europe of which we point out: Korzofest /Zrenjanin,SER/ 2013, Todo mundo /Belgrade,SER/ 2014, Dom omladine /Belgrade,SER/ 2015, Ethnofest /Palić, SER/ 2015, TerraViva Art Fest, Kikinda /SER/ 2014&2016, Ethno com. /Pančevo/ 2015, Studio “M” Novi Sad /SER/2016, , Budapest Ritmo festival, /Budapest, HU/ 2016, Prasowski / Rijeka CRO/ 2017, Festival Balagan cafe/Florence, IT/ 2017, Comunitatea Evrailor,/Timisoara, ROM/ 2017., Brod Teatar, /Novi Sad, SER/ 2017, Sinagogue /Szeged HUN/ 2018,Nišville Jazz Festival, Niš, SER / 2018, Petrovac Jazz Fest, Petrovac, Montenegro /2018,Soul society /Belgrade SER/ 2018,Sejdefa /Podgorica MNG/ 2018,Jazz&Blues Festival Kikinda /SER/2018,Festival Karusel Cacak/SER/2019,Jewish community Belgrade /SER/2019,Szimpla kert Budapest/HUN/2019,Festival JEFF Koper/SLO/2019,Troubadours Subotica /SER/2020,Kulturni centar Zrenjanin/SER/ 2020,Terra Kikinda /SER/2020,Sinagoga Novi Sad/SER/2020.

Our first album “Modes impressions on sufi and Sephardic songs” ,issued by “BanatArteMusica” label 2016. contains four original compositions (R.Beraha): A-mode, D-mode, G-mode and C-mode named by cello strings as well as the sefardi traditional songs. Composition Sufi preludium is found on the compilation World Music Serbia in 2015 which was presented at Womex world music fair in the same year.

In 2019 is released the new album “Laila” which present new original compositions Arabesque, Findzan (coffeepot ),Canaan and The night star(dedicated to the migrants) .In 2022  music for theater play Freckles in the heart –production SKCNS Fabrika  .

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Riad Abdel Gawad

Harvard-trained, Riad Abdel-Gawad is former Executive Director of Egyptian Music and Culture Hub, which disseminated and educated the US public about Egyptian (Arabic) music. Dr. Abdel-Gawad (PhD from Harvard) worked with such musicians and composers as Samir Bendimered, Baudouin De Jaer, Tom Johnson, Frederic Lagnau, Martin Ingenhutt, Abdo Dagher, Khaled Dagher, Jan Rzewski, Francois Essindi, TJ Troy, Yousri Abdel-Maqsoud, and Mohamed Foda. Riad also collaborated with the Levantine Cultural Center, the Arab American Museum in Dearborn and performed at the Chicago World Music Festival. Additionally, he gave a groundbreaking online and live workshop and musical method training for the Carnegie Hall Musical Exchange. His workshop explored the Sufi Egyptian master musician, Dr. Riad was fortunate to attend many of Abdo Dagher’s legendary saharat in the popular district of Hadayak el-Qobba in Cairo. Dr. Riad transcribed Dagher’s maqam method — musical exercises, compositions and improvisations – which helped scores of accomplished musicians learn this authentically Egyptian, new music. Dagher was a legendary accompanist on recordings with the great Oum Kalsoum. As well, three Arab women artists contributed to Riad’s CD album art: Ezmeralda, Carelle Homsy, and Behia Shehab for the albums: Egypt: Mother of the World and Words of Peace. Earlier, El Tarab El Aseel, was initially released on the ME Incognito Label of CD-Theque of Beirut; then, distributed by City Hall Records in San Rafael, California. Dr. Abdel-Gawad was commissioned by the New Music Ensemble of Liège for the Ars Musica Festival in Belgium. Last, he was also engaged to perform in collaboration with Eduard Wolfson of the European Division of the Stradivarius Society, with Lawrence Assadourian of Middle East Stradivarius, and through Barclays Wealth to perform in a special concert for the Ministry on Stradivari and Guarneri violins at the Islamic Museum of Qatar.



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Ayo Adeyemi

Ayo Adeyemi is a master drummer, performer and a singer of traditional African Yoruba spiritual chanting.

His career is very varied. Apart from performing, he did two weeks intensives for inmates teaching basic drumming and chanting from 2012 to 2020. He also teaches drums 3 hours per week at Motherland music since 2005. He had taught one-week retreats yearly since 1990 until 2000 at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California; one week drum and mediation retreat in 1989 at Omega Institute in New York; six-week retreat in 2007 at Bantu Camp in New Mexico; two-day intensive drum course in 2005 and 2006 at Claremont College in CA.

Apart from teaching, he’s been performing at Californian Institute for Women in 2012 and 2013; International Folk Art Museum in New Mexico every year since 1990; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles African American Museum; Day of the drum Watts; Los Angeles Sacred Music Festival; Watts Towers; Church of Religious Science; House of Blues; NAM Conference in Seattle. He toured United States for many years with Baba Olatunji Drums of Passion (from 1989 until 2003).

Last but not the least, he taught drum making and drum instructions for six weeks at Juvenile Camp David Gonzales in California.

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Barbora Xu

Barbora Xu (Silhanova) is a singer-songwriter making new music with Finnish and Chinese traditional instruments and poetry. Barbora has been living in Taiwan and Finland, studying traditional singing styles and zithers, specifically Chinese guzheng and Finnish kantele.

During her career, Barbora has been guided by renowned teachers such as prof. Wei Dedong on guzheng, Pauliina Syrjälä on kantele and Karoliina Kantelinen and Outi Pulkkinen on voice.

Xu is an alumnus of the Making Tracks, a UK project initiating music-based social and environmental engagement. Barbora has been organising cultural events with focus on raising community wellbeing and environmental issues such as the concert United by Music in the aftermath of the Turku terror attack. In 2020, she co-founded the Ask Your Elders project, using art creation to connect families across generations. Barbora’s sponsor is the world’s biggest kantele manufacturer, the Koistinen Kantele o.y.

Barbora has performed around the world at venues such as the King’s Place in London, the Megaron Concert Hall in Greece or the Musiikkitalo and Turku Concert Hall in Finland. Her work has gained visibility i.e., at the YLE, the MTV3, the BBC, the International Radio Taiwan, the Czech National Radio, the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation and others.

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RUTH WILHELMINE MEYER

Vocal Artist/Singer/Composer

Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer is a distinctive voice artist, multi-vocalist, and composer who explores her instrument to create music through vocal timbres with different ranges of expression and color. Her music free of genres is filtered through several genres and stylistic expressions that range from classical vocal tradition, selected ethnic traditions including throat singing, Norwegian folk music, multiphonics, and pure noise music. Her voice range is from 32 Hz to 2800 Hz, almost 7 octaves. This expression makes her popular for concerts, stage productions, film music, sound installations, and recordings all over the world.

With her multi-expressive vocal expression, she creates sound worlds from the realistic to the unrealistic, the expected and the unexpected, and the sound becomes the narrator. She collaborates worldwide with instrumentalists and singers from various genres and cultures. She is the vocal soloist in the World Orchestra/Warsaw under the direction of Grzech Piotrowski and jazz pianist Helge Lien https://www.wilhelmine.no/memnon-soundportraits-of-ibsen-characters/ and organist/composer Nils Henrik Asheim https://www.wilhelmine.no/vox-humana/ are among her closest collaboration partners.

The opera “Camille Claudel – An Inner Opera” was written especially for her voice by the composer Steffen Schorn. The opera had its premiere on Bayrischer Rundfunk in November 2022 and was recorded in Deutschlandfunk December 2022.

Her newest recording: ONE VOICES/ GRAPPA music, will have its international release March 8th2024. The music on this production is made by one single unprocessed multiple voice and contains a number of orchestrated vocal landscapes pushing the limits of what one voice can express.

In 2014-2016, she received the State’s 3-year artist grant and has previously received various grants. In 2020, she received the State’s 10-year senior grant for artists and was awarded the Edvard (Grieg) prize 2019 from TONO for the music on the CD and the concert concept KLANGBIOTOPER http://www.wilhelmine.no/klangbiotoper/. In the same year, she became a member of the Norwegian Composers Association and in 2020 she also became a member of NOPA. In recent years, she has also composed music for musicians/ensembles, such as the commissioned work for the Telemark Festival’s 30th anniversary 2019: “Haugenbonden” and “Lokeslottet,”- “The Loki Castle” commissioned work for the Norwegian Soloist Choir premiered in the University’s Aula February 2023.

She received her education from the Mozarteum, Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Salzburg in 1992, as well as a cand philol from the Grieg Academy in 1994. Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer has a long career as a voice teacher/coach and conductor and is a sought-after seminar holder all over the world. She works as a university lecturer at the Norwegian Theater Academy in Fredrikstad and teaches at the academy for folk music: Ole Bull Academiet.

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Hagar Kadima

Composer and visual artist Hagar Kadima was the first Israeli woman composer to earn a Ph.D. in composition, from the University of California – Santa Barbara in 1988. Kadima has composed more than 70 orchestral, choral, chamber, vocal, and solo compositions, which have been performed and aired in Israel and abroad. In 2000, she founded the Israeli Women Composers Forum and served as its first chair.

Her vocal works, especially during the 2000s and 2010s, reflect both Israeli identity and feminist themes. In 2010, Kadima embarked upon a second career as a painter. Her works were selected for approximately 30 exhibitions throughout Israel during the 2010s. As an ink artist, who also has integrated free expressive calligraphy, her mostly abstract works have been often inspired by feminist poetry.

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Caixa de Pandora

Rui Filipe on piano | Cindy Gonçalves on violin | Sandra Martins on cello and clarinet

With its own repertoire of original music, which orbits between the environments of cinematic landscapes and sound sculpture of contemporary aesthetics, creating a sphere of auditory fiction, where images easily invade the imagination of those who are carried away by the dramatic and adventurous lines.

Several years of joint projects by the three elements (RosaNegra, music for theater and ballet), result in a solid construction of affinities, thus motivating the presentation of a repertoire that seems to come from a magic box full of mysterious and transcendent moments…

Albums: Teias de Seda (2014), Rota das Afinidades (2016), Apocalipse by Fernando Pessoa and Ofélia Queirós (2018) and Out of the box (2018).

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Gina Williams

The singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, producer, and film & television actress is an engaging and entertaining performer; who continues to perform nationally and internationally bringing audiences to their feet. Performing mainly as a solo artist, Gina shares compelling stories through her songs – captivating audiences from intimate venues to stadiums.

For over a decade, Gina performs Pop, Rock, R&B/Soul, Jazz, Gospel, Christian, Dance, Caribbean/Latin, and Classical music at numerous festivals and concert stages. She has shared the stage with notable artists including Burton Cummings (The Guess Who), Take 6, and Kardinal Offishall.

Over the years, Gina has had extensive media coverage including Radio “Eye” I (Japan), CBC News Story (Canada), and National Ukrainian Radio and Television. From the Twix Cookies and Creme commercial to appearing in Riverdale, her career as an actress has allowed her to work alongside the likes of John Cusack, Jennifer Beals, and director Alex Graves.  Her song “You Are Not Alone” was placed in the Russian film, “Love Is The Best Medicine.”

As a composer, Gina has written works from solo piano to orchestra and won the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies Call for Scores Competition (2019).

As the first Black female Canadian orchestral composer, Gina was commissioned to write “Glory” (1999) the anthem for Grenada’s 25th Anniversary of Independence.

Gina embraces the stage and cultural diversity of audiences worldwide – addressing them in their native language in concert; leaving memorable experiences, heartfelt joy, tears, and glowing reviews.

Countries include Canada, the U.S., Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Ukraine and Grenada.

To date, she speaks, writes and/or performs in 12 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Punjabi, Latin, Italian, Turkish, Japanese, and Mandarin (Chinese). Perhaps that is the most apparent thing about Gina: everything she does seems effortless. Yet the more you find out about her, the more you start to understand the layers of complexity behind the music and artistry of this “Modern Day Renaissance Woman” – who continues to defy stereotypes while touching hearts.

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Blowing My Own Trumpet

Blowing My Own Trumpet is a world music afro-folk and latin fusion sound featuring the original music of South African born trumpeter Claude Lamon and his daughter Josephine Lamon. The band is from Exeter, Devon and released their debut album “Umsindo” in October 2020. Last year they played at Cornwalls Folk Music Festival and at the Lost Fest. They recently released their single “She’s a black snake in my grass”

….. A&R Factory Emile Vandergast – “Blowing My Own Trumpet may just poses the most ingenious moniker we’ve ever heard. It cheekily alludes to the artist’s playfully expressive nature which also resonates within their rhythmic feat of folk Calling Me Home which breaks the monocultural mould by allowing African culture to effervesce within the organically high-vibe single.”

Even if Calling Me Home doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, it is guaranteed that your soul will feel infinitely lighter once the sun-soaked soundscape has faded to a close. If your escapism playlists are in need of an update, you’ve struck gold with the image-laden track.

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The African Showboyz

The African Showboyz Band has been creating waves with their unique Northern Ghanaian drums and stringed instruments alongside vibrant rhythms in the United States, Australia, Europe and other countries in Africa.  They have performed with a number of stars, including Stevie Wonder, Karl Denson, Babatunde Olatunji, Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti, Steel Pulse, Arrested Development, Mickey Hart Band, Burning Spear and Angelique Kidjo.