The 65th Street Session project took place at the newly renovated David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City (on 65th Street), the home of The New York Philharmonic, on November 28.
Launched back in October, the first four shows are curated by Mandolin virtuoso, composer, singer, and winner of Grammy Awards Chris Thile. The series is a true collaboration with the space that lends itself to epic acoustics, striking new decor, flawless lighting, and a true 360 view for the audience assembled all around the stage.
For the show, Thile assembled a pretty eclectic group of musicians that you might never get to see share the stage. Grammy-nominated guitarist Cory Wong (Vulfpeck, The Fearless Flyers), Louis Cato (bandleader of The Late Show Band), Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello.
The show started with Thile, solo with his mandolin, his true comfort zone, as one by one the other artists came out and weaved in and out of each other’s songs. Mid-set allowed for Cory Wong to bring out his full touring band for four songs, and the show ended with a collaboration of all the artists sharing the stage. A truly magical night for any music lover, with something for everyone.
The 65th Street Session – David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center – November 28, 2023
Setlist: Singularity, Dionysus, Keep On Pushing, Back & Forth, Bubbles, Airplane, Separado, Acceptance, Real Job, Reflections, Pop Life, Modern Time, Bluebird, 1/4 Chicken Dark, Virgo, Against Mastery, Little Lights
Festival of Firsts returns to the David Rubenstein Atrium as part of the Lincoln Center Presents fall/winter season, from Oct. 5-27.
The Festival of Firsts features artists embarking on new journeys and celebrating significant moments in their careers, with milestones spanning Lincoln Center debuts, World, U.S., and NYC Premieres, album releases, fresh collaborations, and more. With a wide array of genres and artists, Lincoln Center invites audiences to enjoy these free performances.
Festival of Firsts Schedule
Rami Khalifé’s LOST, Return to Beirut
Thursday, October 5 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
LINCOLN CENTER DEBUT
*THIS EVENT WILL ALSO BE LIVESTREAMED*
Considered “a musician of extreme caliber and pure expression” by the Daily Star UK, the adventurous Lebanese pianist Rami Khalifé presents work that is as eclectic as it is bold, ranging from improvised concerts, original film soundtracks, reimagined electronic club music with his AUFGANG project, and live tours with his father, the famed composer and oud player Marcel Khalifé. His musicality has led him to classical training at Juilliard; solos with Globalis Orchestra, the Qatar Philharmonic, the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, as well as live performances at the Kennedy Center, the Sydney Opera House, and Queen Elizabeth Hall.
J Noa
Friday, October 6 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
LINCOLN CENTER DEBUT
J Noa’s 2023 major label debut Autodidacta is a blazing-hot introduction to the San Cristobal rapper’s considerable gifts: tongue-tying rhymes, nonstop bars, and the skills to switch up her flow from heartbeat to heartbeat. Her intricate lyricism ties together relevant social and political statements on drug addiction, racism, homophobia, and clapbacks at local government mismanagement. At the ripe age of 17, J Noa can already boast a ten-year songwriting career and a million-plus viewed YouTube hit with “Betty,” depicting the challenges of teen pregnancy.
Vuyo Sotashe and Chris Pattishall
Wednesday, October 11 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
NEW SINGLE RELEASE
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Over the past decade, South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and American pianist/composer Chris Pattishall have become mainstays of the NYC live club scene, with each contributing separately to a wide range of projects spanning jazz, gospel, theater, and film. Now they will present their live debut collaborative performance at the Atrium with an evening of soulful original arrangements. In a program that references Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and traditional South African Xhosa hymns, Sotashe and Pattishall will celebrate the release of their first single, “They Say I Look Like God.”
Photo by Yekaterina Gyadu.
Salty Brine’s And If You Listen Very Hard: The Led Zeppelin Show
Thursday, October 12 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
LINCOLN CENTER DEBUT
The showy performance artist, playwright, and vocalist Salty Brine is the next big name in outré downtown alt-cabaret. As part of the Festival of Firsts, Brine makes his Lincoln Center debut with a show from his ongoing Living Record Collection, a thus far 20-chapter series of expeditions into the heart of popular music. Each event merges the live recreation of an entire classic album with stories of personal experience alongside literature and theater, autobiographical monologues, a musical celebration of great LPs, and a fresh look at the artistic process. This evening features Robert Louis Stevenson’s immortal pirate adventure Treasure Island and the heavy metal folk-rock masterpiece, Led Zeppelin IV.
Lady Wray
Friday, October 13 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
LINCOLN CENTER DEBUT
A mainstay of the U.S. Billboard charts since the early 2000s, Nicole “Lady” Wray’s clear voice, potent storytelling, and deeply emotive performances combine the 70s soul and the hip-hop-inflected R&B of the 90s. The Guardian calls Lady Wray’s long-awaited third album, Piece of Me, which boasts a recent remix from New York’s own Pete Rock and a guest verse from Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, “a classy retro-soul LP… steeped in experience, familial warmth, and overcoming heartbreak.” She will make her long overdue Lincoln Center debut with songs from Piece of Me interspersed with favorite covers and classic hits, all supported by a full live band packed with special guests.
Story of the Sky by the Bruces & Friends
Saturday, October 14 at 11:00 am
David Rubenstein Atrium
DEBUT CHILDREN’S ALBUM
Husband and wife team Morley and Chris Bruce recently self-released and produced their debut family and children’s album, Story of the Sky. This multi-cultural and inter-generational beginning-of-life narrative centers our inter-belonging—connecting human beings with one another and the natural world.
Truth to Power Café
Wednesday, October 18 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
U.S. PREMIERE
From Adelaide to Zagreb and now in New York for its U.S. premiere, Jeremy Goldstein’s Truth to Power Café is a profound theatrical reflection on loss, hope, and resistance. This inspirational event is told through memoir, image, film, poetry, music, and true and authentic stories in response to the question: “Who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?” Truth to Power Café is inspired by the political and philosophical beliefs of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter and his inner circle “The Hackney Gang,” which included Café creator Jeremy Goldstein’s late father, Mick Goldstein, and poet and actor Henry Woolf.
Photo by Kate Holmes.
Erni Lu
Thursday, October 19 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
FIRST ALBUM & LINCOLN CENTER DEBUT
Peruvian-born singer-songwriter and guitarist Ernesto “Erni Lu” Lúcar has found his true musical home in New York. From a young age, he fell in love with the city’s music scene, particularly the rhythms of boleros, waltzes, acid jazz, and funk, using these genres and strains of contemporary Latin pop and traditional Peruvian folk in his sound. Over the past several years, Lu has gained significant experience composing film scores for movies such as Gary Terracino’s Elliot Loves and Gonzalo Benavente’s Rocanrol 68. He will make his Lincoln Center premiere, backed by a full live band performing a set of original songs celebrating the release of his debut album Siempre, including the new hit single, “Amor Platónico.”
¡VAYA!
Uptown Royalty
Friday, October 20 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
LINCOLN CENTER DEBUT
A Lincoln Center favorite since 2015, ¡VAYA! is a showcase for the finest Latin dance traditions. It offers devotees of Latin music a friendly community, excellent orchestras, and the city’s most inviting dance floor. The husband and wife duo of trombone player and bandleader Ron Renaissance and the glamorous vocalist Jodi Music are at the heart of the NYC-based Uptown Royalty, a combo at the forefront of the future of the modern salsa revolution, fusing classic salsa with contemporary pop, disco, rock, and R&B. Backed by a multi-piece band, their fresh approach to live performance has irresistible charisma, energizing audiences with their spectacular energy.
Migguel Anggelo’s JOY
Wednesday, October 25 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
WORLD PREMIERE
Venezuelan-born and Brooklyn-based artist Migguel Anggelo’s work explores the intersections of queer, Latiné, and immigration identities. As a musician, he has released three albums (English with an Accent, La Casa Azul, Dónde Estara Matisse). As a theater creator, he has been awarded residencies to develop new works at MASS MoCA, the Kimmel Center, Washington Performing Arts, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. For his new multidisciplinary project, Anggelo dons the whimsical persona of JOY, inspired by the mime Marcel Marceu’s immortal Bip the Clown, who asks us to consider the power of silence in new ways. With the addition of an all-star lineup of live musicians, JOY features original music by Migguel Anggelo and Michelle J. Rodriguez.
Truth Future Bachman’s Skyward: An Endling Elegy
Thursday, October 26 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
WORLD PREMIERE
Brooklyn-based composer, playwright, vocalist, and La MaMa resident artist Truth Future Bachman interweaves three of the most compelling cultural threads of our moment: musical theater, gender fluidity, and superhero/sci-fi parables. Following the 2022 presentation of Luna and the Starbodies at last year’s Festival of Firsts, Lincoln Center is proud to host the world premiere of Bachman’s next great origin story within their multiversal mythos, Skyward.
Larissa Luz
Friday, October 27 at 7:30 pm
David Rubenstein Atrium
NYC & LINCOLN CENTER DEBUT
*THIS EVENT WILL ALSO BE LIVESTREAMED*
Presented in collaboration with AFROPUNK
The multitalented and Latin GRAMMY-nominated Brazilian singer-songwriter Larissa Luz also hosts a popular talk show, has acted in numerous television and film roles, and placed second this year in Brazil’s nationally televised edition of The Masked Singer. She is a social activist, speaking out against sexism, racism, and colorism in a field that’s still greatly defined by it. She is a regular performer in music festivals, including Lollapalooza and Rock in Rio, and will be performing music from across her career, including new songs and cuts from her most recent release, the trap pop EP Deusa Dulov.
For more information about the free Festival of Firsts performances, visit here.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) has announced the second annual Summer for the City, the ultimate New York festival.
Over three months, Lincoln Center turns its campus into a summer festival. It features hundreds of free events, thousands of artists and food from across the city, inviting New Yorkers of all kinds to come together and celebrate the city’s vibrant communities through the arts.
“We are blessed to be in the heart of the most diverse city in the world, and to have sixteen acres of outdoor space to celebrate the magic of this bustling global city,” Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer of LCPA said. “This summer builds on a city reimagining itself—finding hope in community, and planting seeds for the future. Over three months, we welcome all New Yorkers to come dance, love, and celebrate together with long-standing traditions of social dance and classical music, and new traditions like our wedding for hundreds of couples, and a ‘second line’ processional to honor lives lost.”
Summer of the City Events
Summer for the City honors New York’s multifaceted communities with dynamic new works and reimagined classics. This includes a week-long celebration of Korean cultural traditions during Korean Arts Week, the New York City premiere of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, the return of the BAAND Together Dance Festival, globalFEST, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra concerts. Furthermore, it will all culminate in a week-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop with performances by J. PERIOD, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, a trap choir, and more. The summer also shines a light on accessibility and disability artistry, with Big Umbrella Day, the return of Deaf Broadway, and a series of events curated by disability artistry guest curator Kevin Gotkin.
This season builds on the successes of last year’s inaugural Summer for the City. The event brought all of Lincoln Center’s summer festivals under one collective banner, welcoming New Yorkers back together after so much time apart. The inaugural Summer for the City season served an audience of over 300,000 on campus. More than three quarters of these people had never before reserved a ticket to a Lincoln Center presentation.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
In recent years, Lincoln Center has expanded its role as an artistic and civic cornerstone. It hosted dozens of blood drives, food distributions, graduations, and serving as a polling place, core to its broader commitment to the city and a statement of confidence in its enduring vitality.
“Nothing captures the spirit of New York better than our arts, and this summer, thanks to Lincoln Center, thousands of New Yorkers will have access to hundreds of free cultural events,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Summer for the City will include performances by critically acclaimed music artists and curators and be a celebration of our city’s creativity, diversity, and, most importantly, our resilience. New York City isn’t coming back—New York City is back. And we can’t wait to see everyone enjoying the arts the city has to offer.”
A team of curators programmed the 2023 edition of Summer for the City. Additionally, it centers artists and art forms historically underrepresented on campus and welcome wider audiences and communities. Events throughout the summer are inclusively designed. They integrate access needs with a range of accommodations for all performances. This includes ASL interpretation, audio description, live captioning, haptic suits, and more.. The Lincoln Center’s social channel will livestream select performances.
On April 1st, the stage at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center was set for a truly special night of music, as Nathaniel Rateliff took the stage to perform Harry Nilsson’s album A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night. Backed by a full orchestra, Rateliff brought new life to these classic songs and captured the essence of Nilsson’s unique and captivating sound.
A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night is an album of classic 20th century standards. Originally released in 1973, the album features Nilsson’s interpretations of tunes from the Great American Songbook, including “As Time Goes By,” “Makin’ Whoopee,” and “Always.”
Rateliff’s performance of these songs was nothing short of spectacular, his powerful voice soaring above the arrangements of the orchestra. But he didn’t stop there. He also performed a selection of Nilsson’s other hits, including “Everybody’s Talkin’,” “Gotta Get Up,” and “Jump Into the Fire.” These songs are well-known for their catchy melodies and memorable lyrics, and Rateliff did them justice with his heartfelt performances.
Phil Cook opened for Nathaniel Rateliff, showcasing his musical abilities as he played the piano with great proficiency. His soulful and emotive piano playing captured the audience’s attention.
Overall, Nathaniel Rateliff’s performance of Harry Nilsson’s A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night was a night to remember. His soulful voice, backed by a full orchestra, brought new life to these classic songs and captured the spirit of Nilsson’s timeless music.
Nathaniel Rateliff – David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center – April 1, 2023
Setlist: Lazy Moon, For Me and My Gal, It Had to Be You, Always, Makin Whoopee, You Made Me Love You, Lullaby in Ragtime, I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now, What’ll I Do, Nevertheless (I’m In Love With You), This Is All I Ask, AS Time Goes By, Everybody’s Talkin, The Moonbeam Song, Gotta Get Up, Many Rivers To Cross, Jump Into the Fire, Turn On Your Radio
Lincoln Center has announced the schedule for its annual American Songbook: A Place You Belong performances, giving today’s brightest vocal talents the chance to shine in styles ranging from country to rock, from bluegrass to jazz, and more.
Lincoln Center at The Allen Room.
New York City isn’t just one place, it has five boroughs, thousands of distinctive communities with unique cultures, and hundreds of neighborhoods. Within these areas are dance clubs and music halls where we can sing, laugh, and dream about the future of life together. American Songbook: A Place You Belong presents American singers, songwriters, and composers in intimate concerts at The Allen Room and others in Lincoln Center, resurrecting old NYC long-lost performance spaces and dance clubs. Co-conceived by George C. Wolfe, this year’s theme explores themes of belonging and discovery, embodying the spirit of iconic New York City venues which paved the way for legendary artists.
Venues like the Palladium Ballroom, Paradise Garage, the Savoy Ballroom, and Café Society all have historical significance to the city and are showcased during these performances. The Palladium Ballroom was home to the mambo craze in the 1940s and ’50s and created a welcoming oasis where New Yorkers of all races, ethnicities and social classes could dance the night away. Paradise Garage was Soho’s gay underground dance haven in the 1970s and ‘80s, creating a safe space for the queer community. It was the place to connect with others through dance, to lose yourself in the music, and to find yourself along the way.
Portrait of Dizzy Gillespie, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948, from Lincoln Center.
The Savoy Ballroom was one of the first integrated ballrooms in the country, operating from the 1920s to the ‘50s in Harlem. It was home to the Lindy Hop, and those who went danced to the best swinging big bands of the era and swayed to the vocals of Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Webb, Dizzy Gillespie, and more. Café Society was one of the first racially integrated nightclubs in North America, tucked away in Greenwich Village. It was where Billie Holiday first sang the protest song “Strange Fruit,” and many soon-to-be stars sang there, including Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and more.
Events
American Songbook: A Place You Belong kicks off April 1 in David Geffen Hall, NYC’s newest cultural hub, with singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff, performing along with his orchestra Harry Nilsson’s 1973 LP A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night from start to finish on its 50th anniversary. Next in David Geffen Hall on April 8, Academy Award winner and Tony-nominated actress, singer, and dancer Ariana DeBose debuts an original solo concert, Authenticity. It will showcase her musical influences, including Judy Garland, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ray Charles, and ABBA, and her dynamic voice.
In honor of Café Society’s impact, The Appel Room plays host to three nights of cabaret from April 5-7 led by house band the Matt Ray Trio, featuring performances from Rizo and comedian Ikechukwu Ufomadu, Grammy-nominated R&B artist and Broadway star Mykal Kilgore and comedian Aminah Imani, and singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza and comedian Jordan Carlos, each night ending with a special guest performing Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.” You can choose what you pay for the evening.
In honor of the Paradise Garage, on April 14, queer-owned Brooklyn venue C’mon Everybody reimagines the venue in a free one-night dance party blowout at the David Rubenstein Atrium with a set from DJ Samuella, hip hop drag provocateurs The Dragon Sisters and disco, funk duo The Illustrious Blacks. On April 20, the spirit of the Savoy Ballroom comes to the Atrium with jazz vocalist Charles Turner & Uptown Swing and The Eyal Vilner Swing Band. The audience is welcomed to the dance floor by professional Savoy swing Lindy Hoppers from choreographer Caleb Teicher’s SW!NG OUT, all for free.
Closing out the American Songbook series is a free event on April 21, a tribute to The Palladium Ballroom and the mambo craze that started there with Tito Rodríguez, Jr., one of the leading timbaleros and bandleaders of salsa and Latin Jazz.
The events on April 1 and April 8 at the American Songbook: A Place You Belong require tickets to view the performances, for more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
Jazz pianist, bandleader and composer Isaiah J. Thompson has dropped his new lead single “The IT Department” from his upcoming debut album.
Hailed as “a young musician and composer with a mature touch and rare combination of talent, creativity, humility and honesty” by NPR, pianist Isaiah J. Thompson is an emerging generational talent. This March 17th, his first live album—The Power of the Spirit—will be released digitally and as a CD on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s in-house record label, Blue Engine.
The lead single “The IT Department” is a play on his initials, but also a tribute to Isaiah’s father.
I don’t come from a particularly musical family, but they have always supported me. When someone would ask my parents if they had been involved in my musical education, my father would respond by saying, ‘music is his department’.
Isaiah J. Thompson
The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. Captured in front of a rapturous audience at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club, The Power of the Spirit finds Thompson’s seasoned quartet delivering a locked-in performance of their repertoire. On full display are the pianist’s stunning dexterity and soulful original material; combining crisp technicality with a gospel-inflected sound, Thompson nods to forebears like Bobby Timmons, Phineas Newborn Jr., and Cedar Walton while blazing a trail of his own.
Thompson has played with legends including Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Steve Turre, John Pizzarelli, and Buster Williams. He’s had his own NPR Tiny Desk concert, been a part of Jazz Night in America’s Youngblood series, and been a special guest on the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s Handful of Keys.
Over its 20-year history, globalFEST has become one of NYC’s most anticipated annual concert events, a multi-act spectacular that has introduced intrepid music-lovers and professional tastemakers alike to over 200 dynamic artists from 70 different countries.
On Sunday, January 15, its 2023 edition spanned three stages at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall showcasing 10 electrifying acts, from the Cambodian-American psychedelic rock of Dengue Fever to Mexico’s punk and marimba-inflected Son Rompe Pera to America’s new first family of gospel and 2022 NEA Heritage Fellows, The Legendary Ingramettes.
L to R – Meera Dugal, 2023 guest curator; Ian Thake, gF administrator; Isabel Soffer, co-founder and director; Bill Bragin, co-founder and co-director; Shanta Thake, co-director and Lincoln Center Artistic Director.
globalFEST takes place during JanArtsNYC, an annual collective of hot festivals showcasing all forms of performing arts during New York’s coldest month – from theater and dance to opera and jazz, the latter via the also much-anticipated WinterJazzFest. Importantly, these all coincide with APAP, The Association of Performing Arts Professionals. This convention brings hundreds of bookers from performing arts centers and independent venues all across the country to sample new artists whom they can contract for performances. In large part via coinciding with APAP, globalFEST has helped jumpstart the domestic touring careers of notables like Antibalas, Angelique Kidjo, Amythyst Kiah, Martha Redbone, Rhiannon Giddens to name a few. This year’s lineup was curated by festival co-directors Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer and Shanta Thake, who helped bring the event to Lincoln Center via her role as its Chief Artistic Officer. Meera Dugal served as a guest curator.
globalFEST is not only one of the most original and ear-opening music festivals, but one of the most well-run and compact. Within the space of five hours, attendees can revel in truly original sounds from a multitude of artists covering many distinct genres from every corner of the globe.
The first act I caught at this year’s event was The Legendary Ingramettes. Inspired by the Black male gospel quartets of the 1940s and 50s, this multi-generational female singing trio, founded by the late Maggie Ingram and now led by her dynamic daughter Almetta, brought roof-raising harmonies and explosive lead vocals to light an early fire at globalFEST. Aletta and crew imparted a Sunday church vibe with pulverizing takes on up-tempo numbers like “Take A Look In the Book” and “Time Is Winding Up.” They then soaked every ounce of pathos out of their gospelized ballad including “I’ve Endured,” the classic by Appalachian folkie Ola Belle Reid, and Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands.”
Another standout performance was that of Llergo (Maria Jose), a young flamenco singer from Andalucia, Spain with a deep knowledge of both the classic form and a penchant for experimentation and avant-garde touches. Her set began with a stirring ballad accompanied by the stellar guitar work of Marc Lopez, who served up fiery runs and foot stomping percussives to adorn her alternatively whispering and searing vocals. In later songs in the set, they were accompanied by a keyboardist who introduced ethereal synth textures and trip hop beats from his laptop – modern flavors that bring to mind the groundbreaking work of another great Latina who fuses tradition with electronica, Juana Molina.
The duo of Brit Justin Adams and Italian Mauro Durante was another highlight. Adams, who has been the producer of Mali’s guitar greats Tinariwen’s albums and also guitarist for Robert Plant’s world music forays, laid down a distorted post-punk take on Arabic and African trance blues. This was complemented by Durante’s searing violin solos, tambourine and vocals. Their collaboration contained shades of delta blues, Southern Italian “taranta” dance songs and even a bit of No Wave/free jazz that brought to mind guitarist James “Blood” Ulmer’s wonderful Odyssey trio of the mid-1980s. The performance by Malian/French quartet Tamikrest also plied the Saharan desert blues sound. Unlike their better-known counterparts, Mdou Moctar, Tamikrest is more intent on building collective danceable grooves rather than serving as a rhythmic backdrop for Hendrix-inspired soloing.
The award for best crowd work at globalFEST 2023 definitely goes to Khadija El Warzazia’s Bnat el Houariyat & Esraa Warda. A collective of six female artists from Morocco, Algeria and the U.S., they served up a high-energy set of celebratory trance music, one featuring call-and-response singing, roaring percussion and complex polyrhythms. The mesmerizing Algerian-American dancer Esraa Warda completed the sensory assault with non-stop gyrations and a “hair-swaying dance” that was copied by more than a few in the audience. An almost as engaging performance was that of Moonlight Benjamin. Born in Haiti and living in France, she is both vodou priestess and a powerful singer-songwriter in the rock mode. Moonlight was supported by a killer band featuring dueling guitarists who employed a smart use of stomp boxes and an uncaged noise pop sensibility.
One of the biggest draws of the event was Dengue Fever, the L.A.-based band that has been providing a singular psychedelic take on the Cambodian pop of the 1960s since 2002. The band, which had played the 2007 edition of globalFEST, spun-out a crowd-pleasing set comprised of tunes from their six-album discography. As always, the attention was focused on their lead singer Chhom Nimol, who gracefully populated the role of the cool, elegant chanteuse in a bedazzled mini-dress. While the focus is firmly on the singer and the songs, Dengue Fever provided plenty of instrumental fire from the spaced out guitaring of Zac Holtzman, the gut-bucket tenor sax of David Ralicke and in an extended solo by bassist Senon Williams.
Dengue Fever was followed on the big stage by Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento, one of the most wildly creative bands to come out of Colombia in many years. Per their bio, the band works to “excavate the forgotten sounds of the fantastical (imaginary)1970s salsa dura band, El Grupo Renacimiento. The group identifies as “B-class” salsa whose music explores human struggles in the urban city landscape, with themes such as police brutality, social marginalization and addiction.” Like Dengue Fever, there’s an accent on psychedelic effects and exploration, with deluges of reverb and dub stylings in the mix. Fans of Brazil’s Tropicalia pioneers, Os Mutantes, will definitely love Meridian Brothers. They had the crowd in their hands from the first number, a psychedelic spin on Dusty Springfield’s classic, “Son of A Preacher Man,” sung in Spanish of course.
Other artists on the roster included the classically-inspired New York Arabic Orchestra and the garage-marimba-cumbia rock of Mexico City’s Son Rompe Pera, two sets I unfortunately missed. Credit should also go to event production manager Danny Kapilian who made sure the sets went off seamlessly with top-notch sound and lighting.
Those who missed the event can catch NPR Music’s Tiny Desk meets globalFEST, a series that will return for its third year, January 24 – 26 on the NPR Music YouTube channel. The series will present exclusive video performances from nine artists filmed in their respective homelands and a different lineup from the festival at Lincoln Center. NPR’s Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST will once again be hosted by five-time Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo, who performed at the first globalFEST festival in 2004.
To hear more, check out globalFEST 2023’s Spotify playlist
