WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE's 2014-2015 SEASON
Company:
WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE
WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE
Karen Sander, Artistic & Executive Director
announces 2014-15 season
A pioneer of the world music and dance scene,
WMI brings global cultures to life for the modern audience
through dynamic, interactive series and festivals
“A widely copied and influential force in New York cultural circles.”
— The New York Times
Highlights
AFRICA NOW: SOUTH AFRICA!
October 9-12: The packed weekend spotlights today's African music scene
in partnership with the iconic Apollo Theater
MainStage concert introduces 3 progressive young South African talents:
The Soil • Simphiwe Dana • Tumi Molekane
AROUND THE WORLD, AROUND THE CITY
An eclectic mix of voices from around the globe,
at a variety of NYC’s top venues
Bassekou Kouyate (10/30): Ngoni master's rare all-acoustic show
at Met Museum
The Toure-Raichel Collective (11/18): Showcasing the Israeli/Malian duo's new album
Aurelio Martinez (11/22): Sings the Afro-Caribbean culture of Honduras
Emil Zrihan (1/17): Astonishing vocal displays mix Jewish & Arabic tradition
Cherish The Ladies (3/7): 30th anniversary of the Irish all-female group
MASTERS OF INDIAN MUSIC & DANCE
WMI's long-running series presents the most
cherished guardians of Indian classical traditions
Kaushiki Chakrabarty (11/14): Rising vocal star's 1st major solo NY show
Nrityagram (1/10): Famed dance troupe at the Met's Temple of Dendur
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan (4/10): Seventh-generation sitar maestro
WORLD TO BROOKLYN
at Roulette
The series that transports one to a dance-party in a far-off country,
serving up that region’s cocktails, DJ’s, dance teachers and bands
Pepito Gomez (2/7): The Cuban vocal sensation
Gregorio Uribe Big Band (3/14): The 16-piece orchestra's first album
Boukman Eksperyans (5/16): The Haitian supergroup since 1987
GLOBAL SALON
at the Thalia
WMI's “living room” for intimate conversation and performances by virtuosos of little-known ethnic musical traditions
Yungchen Lhamo (1/28): The Tibetan vocalist's deeply spiritual music
Echoes of the Divine: Jewish Women's Voices (2/25):
featuring Muhabbat Shamayeva and Galeet Dardashti
Nordic Fiddlers Bloc (4/22): Three of the finest young fiddlers on the international folk circuit
Plus weekend festivals and special events:
OPRE ROMANI!
April 24: Celebrating the music of the Roma (Gypsies),
with Esma RedA¾epova at Le Poisson Rouge
DANCING THE GODS
April 25-26: The acclaimed Classical Indian dance festival returns
with performances, lec-dems, chat & chai with artists at NYU Skirball Center
SONGS OF TAGORE
June 6: A celebration of the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore
featuring singer Rezwana Chowdhury Bonnya at Symphony Space
From Artistic Director Karen Sander:
“This summer's international news has left me saddened, and the only thing that cheers me up is knowing that there is another side to the global condition—the artists. The people who daily strive for beauty, commonality and connectivity. We are so pleased to announce WMI's 2014-15 season, which will bring concerts and events to NYC that shed a very different light on the state of the world."
World Music Institute announces its 2014-15 season, a year of “lively, edifying musical bridge-building” (Time Out New York) from this pioneer of the world music and dance scene. The richly curated season brings to life the cultures of more than 22 different artists and ensembles from Israel, South Africa, Ireland, Mali, Honduras, Tibet, India, and beyond—all through unusual, electrifying and interactive concerts.
Under the leadership of artistic director Karen Sander, World Music Institute's goal is to reveal these cultures not only through remarkable performances, but by adding lectures, demonstrations, personal stories, family events, and artist accessibility before and after the shows, to make the evenings even more alive. Whether with a rare find like Bengal's Baul master Shafi Mondol or an international star like Angelique Kidjo, WMI seeks ways for the audience to engage more deeply with its artists.
The season kicks off with Africa Now: South Africa! at the legendary Apollo, part of a city-wide celebration of South African music. Africa Now: South Africa! stands out by showcasing the post-Apartheid generation of socially-conscious fresh young artists who are now shaping their country. WMI and the Apollo will play host to three radically different but equally exciting stars, all in their 20's and early 30's: the Xhosa singer/songwriter Simphwe Dana; rapper and poet Tumi Molekane in his American debut; and the uplifting 3-member a cappella group, The Soil.
Throughout the 2014-15 season, WMI offers outstanding artists a stage for premiering their latest projects. In addition to the performers in Africa Now, notable highlights include two other fall shows—the enchanting Garifuna musician Aurelio Martínez, and the inimitable Israeli-Malian collaboration the Toure Reichel Collective. Both will perform new material in support of their highly anticipated new albums.
In one truly unique evening, the godly Indian dance company Nrityagram can be seen in a new light in a site-specific performance at the Temple of Dendur, presented in collaboration with The Met Museum Presents. While Nrityagram regularly performs in stunning architectural temples in India, they have never had the opportunity to share that side of their work with NYC audiences.
Returning to WMI are three recently developed series that have delighted audiences with their creative and immersive formats. The "living-room" intimacy of the Thalia is ideal for the three-part Global Salon series, which this year presents the beautiful and little-known traditions of Nordic folk fiddling, Tibetan healing music, and Bukharian singing and dance. Down in Brooklyn, Roulette will host WMI's raucously fun dance-party series World to Brooklyn, complete with a specific region's cocktail, dance lesson, DJ and headliner band. This year the three shows will cover Haiti, Cuba and Colombia.
And finally there's the exquisite and celebrated Indian classical dance festival Dancing The Gods at Skirball Center in the spring, always full of discoveries and "truly godlike dancers" (The New York Times).
“Since its founding in 1985 the World Music Institute has enriched New York’s cultural ecosphere with events featuring accomplished practitioners of classical and folkloric traditions from around the globe.”
— The New York Times
T H E ’ 1 4 / 1 5 S E A S O N
AFRICA NOW:
SOUTH AFRICA!
Top Row: Simphiwe Dana | Tumi Molekane
Bottom Row: The Soil
Thursday-Sunday, October 9-12, 2014
Apollo Theater
253 W 125th Street
Presented in Partnership with the Apollo Theater
Now in its 3rd edition, the Africa Now weekend festival with the Apollo Theater spotlights today’s African music scene. This year's focus is on South Africa as the country commemorates the 20th Anniversary of Mandela’s Inauguration. While venues around NYC mark the occasion with some familiar names from the South African music circuit, the Apollo in partnership with WMI takes a slice from the cutting edge instead—showcasing a new generation of socially-conscious, roots-based and progressive artists. Through different genres and with distinct voices, they represent and challenge the new South Africa.
Mainstage Concert
THE SOIL,
SIMPHIWE DANA,
& TUMI MOLEKANE
Saturday, October 11, 2014, 8:00pm
$25-$55 Public • $20-$50 WMI Friends
The festival centers around a triple-bill blow-out concert on the Apollo’s legendary Mainstage, featuring:
THE SOIL, a 3-member a cappella group determined to uplift souls around the world with their divine voices and infectious swing. Their Kasi Soul-style of music combines rhythmic vocal bass lines, beat-boxing, and the type of sublime harmonies made famous by groups like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Soweto Gospel Choir.
SIMPHIWE DANA, a sultry Xhosa singer who blends traditional music with jazz, R&B and Afro-Soul for a sound that is at once rootsy and futuristic: think Miriam Makeba-meets-Erykah Badu. Dana’s songs reflect her staunch advocacy for new political discourse, education reform, AIDS awareness, and the betterment of the African people.
TUMI MOLEKANE, a hip hop artist who delivers potent social commentary on such topics as identity, insurgency, materialism, love and fidelity. The Tanzanian-born South African rapper, who rose to fame with his ground-breaking band, Tumi and the Volume, will debut work from his new solo album, Rob the Church, which was inspired by his travels throughout Africa.
AROUND THE WORLD,
AROUND THE CITY
An eclectic mix of voices from around the globe
at a variety of New York City's top venues.
Top Row: Vieux Farka Touré & Idan Raichel | Cherish The Ladies
Bottom Row: Bassekou Kouyate | Aurelio Martínez | Emil Zrihan
BASSEKOU KOUYATE
Thursday, October 30, 2014, 7:00pm
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
1000 5th Ave, at 82nd Street
$35 Tickets
Presented in Collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art
“ancient and utterly contemporary...like some African answer to Hendrix.”
— The Guardian (UK)
Mali’s Bassekou Kouyate is a master of the ngoni, an ancient West African lute and the key instrument of griot culture. Armed with a dynamite dexterity and remarkable lineage—he is descended from generations of griots on both sides—he’s the full embodiment of his tradition. Yet it’s his daring reworking of it—placing it in a thrilling ensemble format with four sizes of ngoni worn strapped like electric guitars, adding strings and introducing new plucking methods—which has garnered Kouyate the reputation of visionary as well as guardian. As The New York Times notes, “Through technique, technology, and open ears, Kouyate hurls the ngoni into the 21st century.”
THE TOURE-RAICHEL COLLECTIVE
Tuesday, November 18, 2014, 7:30pm
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$45-55 Public • $40-50 WMI Friends
“A cross-cultural triumph”
— Time Out Chicago
This concert at Symphony Space kicks off the release of the much anticipated, second Touré-Raichel Collective album, The Paris Session. A chance encounter at an airport between Israeli superstar Idan Raichel and Malian guitar virtuoso Vieux Farka Touré led to an unscripted recording session that ultimately yielded their debut critically-acclaimed album, The Tel Aviv Session. A creative partnership was born as the duo, joined by Israeli bassist Yossi Fine and Malian calabash player Souleymane Kane, improvised a masterful selection of songs. The group’s live concerts capture the same creativity and inspired collaboration, delivering music that transcends the boundaries of country, culture, and tradition.
AURELIO MARTÍNEZ
Saturday, November 22, 2014, 8:00pm
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$35-45 Public • $30-40 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“He sings with a sustained fervor
akin to the Senegalese songwriter Youssou N’Dour”
— The New York Times
This concert celebrates the release of Aurelio Martínez’s new album, Landini, which is the Garifuna term for a canoe’s landing spot on shore. Torch-bearer of the Garifuna tradition and the first black member of Honduras’ National Congress, the soulful singer, guitarist and percussionist has come a long way from the tiny fishing village in which he was born. He assumed the lead in preserving the culture’s unique language and extraordinary sound after the passing of its first musical ambassador, Andy Palácio. He’s been casting the warm glow of the Caribbean upon audiences ever since, enchanting all with his bittersweet vocal style, guitar-accompanied paranda ballads, and hypnotic percussion.
EMIL ZRIHAN
Saturday, January 17, 2015, 8:00pm
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$35-45 Public • $30-40 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“a voice that could penetrate granite and a technique that defies belief.”
— Chicago Tribune
The sheer power and startling range of Emil Zrihan’s countertenor have earned him renown as “the voice of the mockingbird.” Born in Morocco and living as a cantor in Israel, Zrihan brings to his repertoire a rich mixture of North African and Judeo-Andalusian folk music, fascinating mawals (improvisations), and tunes from the Mediterranean and the Orient. His awe-inducing multi-octave vocal displays are accompanied by oud, violin, kanoun, and darbouka. Zrihan, as the Chicago Tribune writes, is “one of the world's towering vocalists.”
CHERISH THE LADIES
Saturday, March 7, 2015, 8:00pm
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$35-45 Public • $30-40 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“It is simply impossible to imagine an audience that wouldn’t enjoy what they do”
— The Boston Globe
The all-women’s Irish-American music sensation Cherish The Ladies celebrate their 30th Anniversary with a special show at Symphony Space that will feature guests including former members and longtime collaborators Maura O'Connell, Cathie Ryan, Liz Carroll, and Liz Knowles. What began as a concert series organized by folklorist/musician Mick Moloney in 1985 has come to be one the most successful groups in Celtic music, renowned for virtuosi instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements and stunning step-dancing. Over the past three decades, the band has toured the world, performed at the White House and the Olympics, and recorded 15 outstanding albums, the last of which was made into a Public TV Special: An Irish Homecoming.
MASTERS OF
INDIAN MUSIC & DANCE
The Masters of Indian Music series continues the World Music Institute's long tradition of presenting the finest in Indian classical music, both Hindustani (North India) and Carnatic (South India). WMI has been the leading presenter of Indian artists since its founding in 1985; its very first concert featured some of India’s most celebrated classical artists, including Lalgudi Jayraman, Maharajapuram Santhanam, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Sharma, and Zakir Hussain. New Director Karen Sander is committed to continuing this legacy.
Top Row: Kaushiki Chakraborthy
Bottom Row: Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan | Nrityagram
KAUSHIKI CHAKRABORTHY
Friday, November 14, 2014, 7:00 p.m.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
1000 5th Ave, at 82nd Street
$40 Tickets
Presented in Collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art
“The next big thing in Hindustani classical music”
— Tehelka Magazine
In a rare New York appearance, virtuosic Indian vocalist Kaushiki Chakrabarty brings her extraordinary displays of South and North Indian vocal traditions. Her gorgeously lyrical sounds have won international praise and recognition “among the front-ranking new-generation vocalists, with her impeccable technique and musicality” (The Hindi).
NRITYAGRAM
Saturday, January 10, 2015, 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Temple of Dendur
1000 5th Ave, at 82nd Street
Free with Museum Admission
Presented in Collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art
“one dynamic composition after another… between two breathtaking women.”
— The New York Times
Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy, the principal dancers of India's famed dance troupe Nrityagram, return to NYC for a site-specific piece at the Met’s majestic Temple of Dendur—a perfect setting for the Odissi dance form, which speaks of love and union with the divine. They transport us to enchanted worlds of magic and spirituality with the grace and power of their solo and duet performances, illustrating Odissi’s sinuous forms, languorous limbs, and rapt expressions against this stunning backdrop. “Only decades of single-minded devotion could explain the perfection of each of these artists alone. Only decades of shared practice could account for their uncanny coordination together,” says The New York Times. Their program “Songs of Love and Longing“ will be accompanied by live music.
USTAD SHAHID PARVEZ KHAN
Friday, April 10, 2015, 8:00 p.m.
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$35 Public • $30 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“fertile imagination and technical virtuosity in full measure.”
– The Hindu
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan is a seventh generation sitar maestro from the illustrious Etawah Gharana (school), a centuries-old musical dynasty dating back to the moghul courts. He learned his craft from his father, Ustad Aziz Khan, and was considered a child prodigy, performing by age eight. He is lauded for his technical mastery and innovative genius and is especially praised for the vocal phrasings of his raga improvisations. Ustad Shahid Parvez has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Padma Shri. In addition to being an inspirin performer, he is a dedicated guru.
WORLD TO BROOKLYN
“A culturally immersive, festive, and impressive experience…
The concert stood out by bypassing any hierarchy of taste
with the way it engaged across cultures and ages.”
— BROOKLYN RAIL
World to Brooklyn is the World Music Institute’s vibrant new dance-party series that takes place in the cultural hub of downtown Brooklyn. Offering a socially immersive way to enjoy a culture’s music, World to Brooklyn replicates a dance-party in a specific country—one can eat, drink, listen and dance to the culture—and attracts a remarkably friendly, all-inclusive cross-cultural mix. Utilizing the unique flexibility of Roulette’s space (seats are removed downstairs to create a dance floor, while the upstairs has fixed seating for those who prefer to lounge), the series offers pre-performance dance lessons, after-parties featuring DJ’s connected to the culture presented, culturally specific cocktails, meet-and-greets and art exhibits.
7:00pm – Doors Open
7:00-8:00pm – Open Bar with free specialty cocktails from the culture
7:30pm – Dance Lesson with a teacher from the culture
8pm – Live Show with visual projections
9:30pm – DJ After-Party
Top Row: Boukman Eksperyans
Bottom Row: Pepito Gomez | Gregorio Uribe Big Band
PEPITO GOMEZ
Saturday, February 7, 2015, 8:00 p.m.
Roulette
509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn
$25 Public • $20 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“another order of performer”
— The New York Times
José “Pepito” Gómez’s “beneficent alarm” (The New York Times) of a voice has carried him on a fast track from playing with local bands in his hometown of Camagüey, Cuba to becoming lead singer of Maravilla de Florida, Charanga Latina Orchestra, and Habana Ensemble, respectively. He has toured with the late Compay Segundo of the Buena Vista Social Club, and was a lead singer of the Cuban mega- band, Pupy y Los Que Son Son before moving to the U.S. Backed by a powerhouse ensemble of NYC’s Cuban all-stars, he moves from heart-wrenching romantic ballads to high-octane timba arrangements, replete with torrents of improvisations and frenzy-inducing call-and-response.
GREGORIO URIBE BIG BAND
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 8:00 p.m.
Roulette
509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn
$25 Public • $20 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“a feel-good fusion of funk with Afro-Colombian rhythms,
featuring loads of percussion and wailing clarinets.”
— WNYC
Lead by the charismatic singer and accordionist Gregorio Uribe, this 16-piece orchestra blends cumbia and other Colombian rhythms with powerful big band arrangements. The group has wowed crowds from The Kennedy Center to the Celebrate Brooklyn Festival, and the spirited Uribe was even named one of the “100 Most Successful Colombians Abroad” by the country’s government. This concert marks the CD release party for the group’s first album, Cumbia Universal.
BOUKMAN EKSPERYANS
Saturday, May 16, 2015 8:00 p.m.
Roulette
509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn
$25 Public • $20 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“fierce, percussive music that's unabashedly modern and proudly traditional.”
— The New York Times
Haitian supergroup Boukman Eksperyans has been sharing their musical rebellion with the world since 1987 via the musical movement, Mizik Rasin (Roots Music). Dedicated to sharing Haiti's history and struggles through song and dance, they wrap social messages about political freedom, nationalism, and current events into their intoxicating signature blend of vodou rhythms with rock-n-roll. Add to that dashes of rara, blues, reggae, soukous and funk, and one can see why they’re still rocking crowds—9 albums and 27 years later.
GLOBAL SALON
The informal and intimate Global Salon series—which takes place at the 168-seat Leonard Nemoy Thalia theater on the Upper West Side—presents an enticing format for delving into esoteric and ancient traditional music, the kind that won't be found in the mainstream. Now in its third year, the series continues to feature brilliant artists who not only perform, but also share with the audience cultural history and personal stories. Global Salon offers outstanding performances combined with a rare glimpse into the work and minds of modern practitioners of authentic traditional art forms.
Top Row: Yungchen Lhamo | Nordic Fiddlers Bloc
Bottom Row: Galeet Dardashti | Muhabbat Shamayeva
YUNGCHEN LHAMO
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 7:00 p.m.
Thalia Theater at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$30 Public • $25 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“Lhamo carries the weight of the world with the grace of a dove.”
— New York Post
Since fleeing Tibet on foot in 1989, Yungchen Lhamo, whose name means "Goddess of Song," has emerged as the world’s leading Tibetan vocalist. She mesmerizes audiences with her haunting a cappella performances and her deeply spiritual, often political songs. Through her arresting music, which explores Buddhist themes of spiritual pilgrimage, soul searching, and a delight in the natural environment, she hopes to share Tibet’s rich cultural heritage. Lhamo has collaborated with luminaries such as Natalie Merchant, Philip Glass, and Annie Lennox and has performed for spiritual and political leaders across the globe, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
ECHOES OF THE DIVINE:
JEWISH WOMEN'S VOICES
Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 7:00 p.m.
Thalia Theater at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$30 Public • $25 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
Co-Presentation with Center for Traditional Music and Dance
“[Dardashti’s] sultry delivery spans international styles
and clings to listeners long after the last round of applause.”
— Jersualem Report
A fascinating program featuring two powerhouse voices: Bukharian Jewish singer Muhabbat Shamayeva, one of Uzbekistan's leading vocalists; and Middle Eastern singer and composer Galeet Dardashti, heir to a family tradition of distinguished Persian and Jewish musicians including her grandfather, the renowned classical singer, Yona Dardashti. Shamayeva’s diverse repertoire includes Central Asian classical shashmaqam, folk songs and popular estrada music. She has participated in Yo-Yo Ma’s The Silk Road Project, and is the subject of two documentaries. The innovative Dardashti is especially known for multi-disciplinary projects, like The Naming, and her edgy all-female powerhouse Mizrahi ensemble, Divahn.
NORDIC FIDDLERS BLOC
Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 7:00 p.m.
Thalia Theater at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$30 Public • $25 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
“Seldom before can three fiddlers have sounded so well matched”
— The Herald (UK)
Norway, Sweden and the Shetland Islands have some of the richest fiddling traditions in the world. Representing them in this program, respectively, are Olav Luksengård Mjelva, Anders Hall and Kevin Henderson—three of the finest young fiddlers on the international folk circuit. The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc play traditional tunes and original compositions, and with strength, humor and plenty of banter, illustrate the distinct sounds among and cultural ties between the people of the North Atlantic rim.
OPRE ROMANI!
Celebrating the music of the Roma (Gypsies)
Photo: Esma RedA¾epova
ESMA REDA½EPOVA
Friday, April 24, 2015
Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker St
$25 Public • $20 WMI Friends
Co-presentation with Center for Traditional Music and Dance
“flashy clothes, a huge voice and the ability
to wring larger-than-life emotions from her songs”
— The New York Times
The internationally acclaimed “Queen of Romani Song” Esma Redzepova was born in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia into a vibrant Romani (gypsy) community where music, dance and ritual were part of everyday life. She began her professional career in the early 1960s at the age of 13 and was the first Balkan performer to popularize gypsy music for wider audiences. Esma has hundreds of recordings and four decades of touring to her credit—over 9,000 concerts in 30 countries. She has also fostered 47 children with her late husband Stevo Teodosievski, and has received numerous honors for her humanitarian work, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
DANCING THE GODS
“the brilliantly arranged program encapsulated—and expanded—the possibilities of Odissi style”
— THE NEW YORK TIMES
Saturday, April 25, 8:00pm
Sunday, April 26, 7:00pm
NYU Skirball Center
566 LaGuardia Pl. at Washington Sq. South
$35-$40 Public • $30-$35 WMI Friends • $5 Bring a Kid!
Hailed as “among the most probing and serious” Indian classical dance festivals (Dance Tabs), with “a record of attracting some truly godlike dancers” (The New York Times), the World Music Institute's annual Dancing the Gods festival returns after unforgettable performances last year by Rahul Acharya, Shambhavi Dandekar, Vidhya Subramanian, and Janaki Rangarajan. Audiences can expect spectacular shows, lec-dems, chat & chai artist receptions and more. Please visit worldmusicinstitute.org this fall for the full schedule of artists and activities.
SONGS OF TAGORE
Photo: Rezwana Chouwdhury Bonnya
Saturday, June , 2015, 8:00 p.m.
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$35-$40 Public • $30-$35 WMI Friends
Co-Presentation with Channel-i and Muktadhara Foundation
Rabindranath Tagore was the great Bengali poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He championed a religion of man and sang of humanity’s common bond, and is the only poet in the world whose poems were adopted as national anthems by two countries (India and Bangladesh). His “elegant prose and beautiful poetry” continue to inspire generations of people of all cultures more than 150 years after his birth. Tagore was also a great composer, having written and composed over 3,000 songs.
Singer Rezwana Chowdhury Bonnya is one of the greatest exponents of Tagore’s music. She studied at Shantiniketan, the school in West Bengal (India) that Tagore had set up at the turn of the 20th century. Herself a professor of music, Ms. Chowdhury has spent the last 35 years bringing Tagore’s music and its message to the world through concert appearances, lectures, and recordings, including the production of Sruti Gitabitan, a collection of 2222 Tagore songs in 22 DVDs.
TICKETS
Tickets for all World Music Institute events are available for purchase online at www.worldmusicinstitute.org, by calling (212) 545-7536, or in person at the WMI Box Office at 101 Lafayette Street, #801.
15% subscription discount tickets are available when purchasing for 4 or more concerts, before October 4th. Student and group discounts are available, as are VIP tickets for select events.
Discounts are also available for WMI Friends with memberships starting at $70. WMI Friends enjoy priority seating throughout the season.
Visit www.worldmusicinstitute.org for more information.
ABOUT WMI
World Music Institute is a not-for-profit concert presenting organization founded in 1985 and dedicated to the presentation of the finest in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world.
WMI encourages cultural exchange between nations and ethnic groups and collaborates with community organizations and academic institutions in fostering greater understanding of the world’s cultural traditions. WMI works extensively with community groups and organizations including Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Hungarian, Irish, and Central Asian. This has enabled it to be at the forefront of planning and presenting the finest ensembles from these countries.
WMI presents a full season of concerts each year in New York City, and arranges national tours by visiting musicians from abroad, as well as US-based artists. WMI’s accomplishments and expertise in its field are recognized by major institutions throughout the US and internationally.
WMI has brought many musical, dance and ritual traditions to the New York stage for the first time, including Laotian sung poetry, folk music of Khorason and Bushehr (Iran), songs of the Yemenite Jews, Bardic divas of Central Asia, trance ceremonies from Morocco, music from Madagascar, and Theyyams (masked dances) of Kerala, South India. Many artists have been given their U.S. or New York debuts by WMI.
WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE 2014-2015 SEASON LISTINGS
Thursday-Sunday, October 9-12, 2014
Africa Now at the Apollo: South Africa!
Mainstage Concert
Saturday, October 11, 2014, 8 p.m.
The Soil, Simphiwe Dana, Tumi Molekane
Apollo Theater
$25-$55 Public, $20-$50 WMI Friends
Thursday, October 30, 2014, 7 p.m.
Bassekou Kouyate
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
Around the World, Around the City
$35 Tickets
Friday, November 14, 2014, 7 p.m.
Kaushiki Chakrabarty
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
Masters of Indian Music and Dance
$40 Tickets
Tuesday, November 18, 2014, 7:30 p.m.
The Toure-Raichel Collective
Symphony Space
Around the World, Around the City
$45-55 Public, $40-50 WMI Friends
Saturday, November 22, 2014, 8 p.m.
Aurelio Martinez
Symphony Space
Around the World, Around the City
$35-45 Public, $30-40 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Saturday, January 10, 2015, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Nrityagram
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Temple of Dendur
Masters of Indian Music and Dance
Free with Museum Admission
Saturday, January 17, 2015, 8 p.m.
Emil Zrihan
Symphony Space
Around the World, Around the City
$35-45 Public, $30-40 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 7 p.m.
Yungchen Lhamo
Thalia Theater, Symphony Space
Global Salon
$30 Public, $25 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid!
Saturday, February 7, 2015, 8 p.m.
Pepito Gomez
Roulette
World to Brooklyn
$25 Public, $20 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 7 p.m.
Echoes of the Divine:
Jewish Women's Voices
Thalia Theater, Symphony Space
Global Salon
$30 Public, $25 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Saturday, March 7, 2015, 8 p.m.
Cherish the Ladies
Symphony Space
Around the World, Around the City
$35-45 Public, $30-40 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 8 p.m.
Gregorio Uribe Big Band
Roulette
World to Brooklyn
$25 Public, $20 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Friday, April 10, 2015, 8 p.m.
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan
Symphony Space
Masters of Indian Music and Dance
$35 Public, $30 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 7 p.m.
Nordic Fiddlers Bloc
Thalia Theater, Symphony Space
Global Salon
$30 Public, $25 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Friday, April 24, 2015
Roma Fest:
Esma RedA¾epova
Le Poisson Rouge
$25 Public • $20 WMI Friends
Saturday, April 25, 2015, 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 26, 2015, 7 p.m.
Dancing the Gods
NYU Skirball Center
$35-$40 Public, $30-$35 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Saturday, May 16, 2015, 8 p.m.
Boukman Eksperyans
Roulette
World to Brooklyn
$25 Public, $20 WMI Friends, $5 Bring a Kid
Saturday, June 6, 2015, 8 p.m.
Tagore Festival
with Rizwana Chowdhury
Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, Symphony Space
$35-$40 Public, $30-$35 WMI Friends
For further information, press tickets, photos, and to arrange interviews, please contact Aleba & Co. at 212/206-1450 or aleba@alebaco.com.
