Celebrating their 38th year in NYC, World Music Institute has announced their spring and summer 2023 season with sixteen performances featuring artists from over a dozen countries.
About World Music Institute
Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute (WMI) has served as one of the leading presenters of world music and dance within the United States. WMI is committed to presenting the best in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world with the goal of inspiring wonder for the world’s rich cultural traditions, promoting awareness and appreciation and encouraging cross-cultural dialog and exchange. WMI presents at venues throughout the city and depends on both public and private funding to accomplish its mission.
The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Season Highlights
This Season’s events include the 12th annual edition of the institute’s popular Dancing The Gods Indian dance festival, and Brazilian musical legend Hermeto Pascoal. They will be joined by Korean folk-pop sensation ADG7, West African pop icons Vieux Farka Touré , Fatoumata Diawara, and many more.
World Music Institute Executive Director Gaby Sappington states “The second half of our 2022-2023 Season continues to reflect our commitment to offering audiences affordable access to the most exciting, innovative, and meaningful voices in world music and dance. Some of them are already well known, while others are up-and-coming. All of them are united by a passion for their respective cultures and the arts. We are thrilled to bring them to NYC’s stages, celebrating our motto: MANY CULTURES – ONE WORLD.”
Schedule Of Events
Red Baraat ‘Festival of Colors’ with Shubh Saran and Kahani (DJ)
Friday, March 10, 2023
Doors and DJ: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Brooklyn Bowl – 61 Whyte Avenue, Brooklyn
Tickets: $20
Co-presented with Brooklyn Bowl
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Rescheduled show: March 18, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 7:30 PM
Kaufmann Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y – 1395 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan
Tickets: $35 | $45 | $60
Co-presented with 92NY
Hamid Rahmanian’s Song of the North
Friday – Sunday, March 24-26, 2023
Friday and Saturday – Doors 7 PM | Show 8 PM, Sunday – Doors 2 PM | Show 3 PM
Peter Norton Symphony Space – 2537 Broadway at 95th St, Manhattan
Tickets: $25 | $35 | $45
Tarta Relena
March 30, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Tickets: $20 Advance | $25 Day of Show
National Sawdust – 80 North 6th Street, Brooklyn
Co-presented with National Sawdust
NY Arab Festival
Friday, April 7, 2023
Doors and DJ: 8 PM
Nublu – 151 Avenue C, Manhattan
Tickets: $20 advance | $25 day of show
Co-presented with NY Arab Festival
Twelfth Annual Indian Dance Festival
Come early each evening for a pre-performance slide lecture by curator Rajika Puri.
Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Lecture by Rajika Puri: 7:30 PM | Performance: 8 PM
The Ailey Studios – 405 W 55th St, Manhattan
Tickets: $35 / $45 / $55
Night One: Sreelakshmy Govardhanan
Night Two: Praveen Kumar
Dakh Daughters with Opening Guest Balaklava Blues
Thursday, April 20, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
(le) poisson rouge – 158 Bleecker St, Manhattan
Tickets: – Advance $30 | Day of Show $35
KOKOKO!
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Public Records – 233 Butler St, Brooklyn
Tickets: $25 Advance | $30 Day of Show
Co-presented with Public Records
Fatoumata Diawara with Opening Guest TBA
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Brooklyn Bowl – 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn
Tickets: $35
Co-presented with Brooklyn Bowl
ADG7
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
(le) poisson rouge – 158 Bleecker St, Manhattan
Tickets: Advance $30 | – Day of Show $35
With promotional support from The Korea Society
Vieux Farka Touré with Guest
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Brooklyn Bowl – 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn
Tickets: Advance $25 | Day of Show $30
Co-presented with Brooklyn Bowl
Alam Khan with Manik Khan and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center – 129 West 67th Street, Manhattan
Tickets: $35 / $45 / $55
Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Pioneer Works
Tickets: $30 – standing room | $45 – general admission seating | $65 – preferred seating
Co-presented with Pioneer Works
Kiran Ahluwalia w/ Yacouba Sissoko
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Flushing Town Hall
Tickets: $20 advance | $25 day of show
Co-presented with Flushing Town Hall
Yasser Tejeda with DJ Sabine Blaizin (Oyasound)
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Doors and DJ: 8 PM | Show: 9 PM
Harlem Stage – 150 Convent Avenue, Harlem
$20 – advance | $25 – day of show
For World Music Institute’s season’s full schedule, with venue, artist, and ticketing info, visit www.worldmusicinstitute.org