For Tony Artis, aka “Baba Amoah,” drum-making combines his interests in music, aesthetics, and Nigerian Yoruba culture. His craft allows him to have a greater connection to the music he plays, because he believes that the drum takes on the maker’s voice. A native of...
Led by master percussionist Johnny Kalsi, this London-based collective is founded on the Indian bhangra drumming traditions of Kalsi’s native Punjab. However, Indian bhangra drumming is just the starting point for Dhol Foundation’s freewheeling style. Rock, pop,...
This Hungarian ensemble is a tamburitza band: it’s built around the tambura, a small string instrument reminiscent of the mandolin. Add wind instruments and accordion, and you have the Söndörgő sound. Growing up amidst a strong Serbian culture in their small town near...
Senegalese kora meets Lithuanian kanklès in the duo of Solo Cissokho and Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė. Solo is a griot, a storyteller and praise singer devoted to transmitting his African heritage, who plays the kora, a 21-stringed West African instrument that is part harp,...
The Afro Roots sound of Ghanaian musician and social activist Rocky Dawuni has been influenced by the soulful music of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and the positive messages and deep grooves of Bob Marley. Rocky’s songs straddle musical boundaries between Africa, the...
Riyaaz Qawwali enthrals listeners with lively rhythms, joyous melodies, and inspirational poetry in an improvisational Sufi vocal tradition made famous in the West by the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In addition to paying homage to traditional qawwali...
The “electronic production collective” Palenke Soultribe deconstructs Afro-Colombian rhythms, blending them with modern beats, catchy bass lines, and synthesized arpeggios. Formed in Colombia but currently based in Los Angeles, PST has made a name for itself on the...
My Larsdotter and Bubba Tomasdottir make soulful, sensual, unhurried music that’s as playful as it is powerful. The sparse songs sometimes feature a cappella, body percussion, or simple acoustic arrangements. The lyrics are deceptively simple, sounding at times like...
A fan favorite, Movits! returns with their special Swedish concoction of hip-hop and swing. Johan Rensfeldt (vocals), Anders Rensfeldt (DJ, sampling, and other instruments), and Joakim Nilsson (sax) bring flair and energy to every Lotus performance. They call their...
Formed in 2001 by six musicians from Zimbabwe, Mokoomba’s sound ranges from funky rap, to expert Congolese grooves, to quasi-reggae, to Latin music. The band uses rhythms and melodies from their native Tonga culture to create a global fusion through blending sounds...