Emel Mathlouthi first took the stage at the age of 8 in the Ibn Sina suburb of Tunis. In her mid-twenties, she moved to France to pursue her singing career, and her song “Kelmti Horra” (My Word Is Free) was sung on the streets of Tunis by Arab Spring revolutionaries....
Blog
Movits!
Movits! returns to Bloomington with their special Swedish blend 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 music...
Singing for the Planets
Srinivas Krishnan plays the tabla, ghatam, mridangam, dumbek, and bodhran, and is known for exploring the complex and beautiful rhythms of Indian classical music and translating them into improvisational settings that often speak to other cultures and genres. He...
Nagata Shachu
Rooted in the taiko drumming traditions of Japan, Toronto-based Nagata Shachu’s heart-pounding performances combine thunderous, primal drumbeats with subtle, intricate rhythms. The musicians play an array of taiko (including the massive O-Daiko), wooden clappers,...
Erkan Oğur’s Telvin Trio
Emerging from the jazz and blues scene in Istanbul, the Telvin Trio is well known for its virtuosic expression of contemporary jazz. Led by Erkan Oğur – whose brilliant fretless guitar work combines ethnic folk music and traditional Turkish themes with rock, blues,...
Orkesta Mendoza
Orkesta Mendoza delivers mambo and cumbia – big time. Nogales-born Sergio Mendoza partners with vocalist Salvador Duran to lead a tight group of musicians in a set that will be heaven for dancers. Expect to find classic instrumentation, including vihuela (mariachi...
The Revelers
The Revelers have serious cred on the Louisiana music scene – they are founding members of the Red Stick Ramblers and the Pine Leaf Boys, two groups at the forefront of Louisiana’s cultural renaissance. The Revelers push beyond the traditional and serve up a musical...
Söndörgő
Söndörgő isn’t your average Balkan group. Instead of using brass or fiddles, 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...
Nora Jane Struthers & the Party Line
* 2014 Lotus Dickey Artist * This high-energy Nashville-based quintet performs Struthers’ original story-songs with tight three-part harmonies, fiddle, claw-hammer banjo, acoustic guitar, bass, and drums. Struthers led her band to a blue ribbon at the 2010 Telluride...
Tsuumi Sound System
Fans of the Finnish band Frigg will see some familiar faces in the line-up for the Tsuumi Sound System. TSS begins with Nordic string traditions and adds brass, percussion, and keyboards to create a fuller, even more powerful sound: driving Finnish fiddle music with a...