“[Debo Band] just totally rocks…amazing.” All Songs Considered, NPR


Debo Band, whose debut album was released by Sub Pop earlier this year to critical acclaim, harnesses the power of 1970s Ethiopian funk, jazz, and rock to unleash rolling, psychedelic grooves, serpentine melody lines, and urgently joyful vocals. Forro in the Dark perform forró, the hip-swiveling, rural party music of Brazil’s northeastern states. The collective includes Mauro Refosco (zabumba drum and vocals) who plays regularly with Thom Yorke, Red Hot Chili Peppers and David Byrne; Davi Vieira (percussion and vocals); Guilherme Monteiro (guitar and vocals) and Jorge Continentino (pifano flute, sax and vocals), who update this Brazilian party music for a 21st century urban cool.

With a finger on the pulse of the most interesting sounds from around the world, globalFEST has defined the leading edge of international music for a decade.

deboband.com

forrointhedark.com

The Joshua Light Show, founded by multimedia artist Joshua White, are perhaps the most legendary visualists of live music. As resident artists at Bill Graham’s Fillmore East during the late 1960’s, and in performances at Woodstock, Newport Jazz Festival, Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall, and the classic film, Midnight Cowboy, White and his cohorts created live, colorful, psychedelic projections behind the great bands of that era including The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, and The Who.

For more information about globalFEST at Bonnaroo

Founded in 2003, globalFEST is a creatively curated bright spot for music lovers in the dark days of early January and a groundbreaking 1-night, 3-stage, 12-band international music festival timed to coincide with the APAP conference. On Jan 13, 2013 gF will celebrate its 10th anniversary.
gF is an essential catalyst for international and American regional music and cultural exchange and has created new opportunities for more than 100 groups whose musical hybrids and styles range from funk, rock, jazz, punk and hip-hop to traditional and folk. gF incorporated as a not-for-proft organization in 2010 to foster cultural exchange and increase the presence of international music in diverse communities. In 2011 gF created a competitive touring fund and in 2012 gF will premiere its first showcase at SXSW and Bonnaroo, furthering its mission to bring international music to the fore throughout the music industry.

globalFEST is now accepting submissions for artists for its 10th anniversary festival on Sunday January 13, 2013 at Webster Hall in NYC during the annual Arts Presenters conference.

For seven years globalFEST has been the springboard festival for world music artists on the brink of North American national mainstage success, performers known in one community but ready to cross into others, and the marquee stars of tomorrow.

globalFEST 2010 showcases French Gypsy jazz with breakbeats, cumbia-fied downtempo Argentine club sounds, soul-stirring Colombian roots, new generation Louisiana fiddling, Africa unplugged, Irish traditional song, Senegalese roots reggae, Central Asian avant rock, Romanian hybrid blues, New York salsa upstarts, and a Gwo-ka master from Guadeloupe all under one roof at New York City’s Webster Hall (125 E. 11th St.) on January 10, 2010 at 7pm.

This year’s festival includes:
- Alif Naaba, West African acoustic song (Burkina Faso)
- Cara Dillon, striking Celtic vocalist (Ireland)
- Caravan Palace, swingin’ electro manouche jazz (France)
- Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, Creole Zydeco heir from Louisiana (USA)
- Federico Aubele, bolero and cumbia meets electro downtempo (Argentina/USA)
- François Ladrezo & Alka Omeka, Gwo-ka master (Guadalupe)
- La Cumbiamba eNeYé, music from the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Colombia (Colombia/USA)
- La Excelencia, old-school salsa dura revivalists (USA)
- Meta and the Cornerstones, African roots reggae export (Senegal/USA)
- Namgar, Siberian shaman rock from the Central Asian steppes (Russia)
- Nguyên Lê’s Saiyuki, acclaimed French-Vietnamese guitarist leads a Pan-Asian jazz trio
(Vietnam/Japan/India/France)
- Nightlosers, Transylvanian blues-rock/Gypsy chameleons (Romania)

(full bios to follow soon; artists subject to change)

globalFEST offers different musical styles to suit the variety of people attracted to the event. Traditional music enthusiasts will find appeal in Nightlosers, Cara Dillon, Cedric Watson, La Cumbiamba eNeyé, and La Excelencia. Rock and electronic aficionados will be attracted to Caravan Palace, Namgar, and Federico Aubele. Lovers of singer-songwriters will fast become fans of Alif Naaba and Meta and the Cornerstones. The French gateway continues to play an important role in bridging global artists to American stages giving France strong representation on globalFEST’s stages including Nguyên Lê’s Saiyuki and singer-percussionist François Ladrezo.

The festival—which has presented over 75 artists since its inception in 2004—is buoyed by a renewed sense of the United States’ place at the global table in the wake of Barack Obama’s election to president, confirmed by his recent Nobel Peace Prize. “This year’s globalFEST looks towards a new sense of internationalism and accessibility,” says Isabel Soffer of World Music Institute, who along with Bill Bragin of Acidophilus: Live and Active Cultures and Shanta Thake of Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, direct the annual festival. “The U.S. is being re-embraced by the world,” says Bragin. “There is a reinvigorated interest in artists trying to connect with the U.S. market.”

As always, the three festival directors seek out artists that may be discoveries or even revelations for their audience, a mix of music fans, and performing arts professionals—including concert presenters, agents, managers, artists, labels, and press—on the lookout for new talent. “We continue to bring several local U.S. based bands as well as international ones, some smaller bands that may be easier to tour in clubs and cabarets, and other larger groups for major festival markets,” Thake explains.

Webster Hall’s three performance spaces mimic the spectrum of venues that concert presenters use nationwide: a large main stage with balcony, a medium café-style space, and a bar with a packed, standing-room-only dance floor. This environment leads to an unusual night of musical madness.

“Global citizenry continues to be a priority for many nations and particularly France, and what better way to raise awareness of each other’s cultures than through music?” says Emmanuel Morlet, Musical Attaché at the French Embassy, the festival’s founding sponsor. “From increasing understanding to the real economic role the festival plays for emerging French and Francophone performers, now more than ever globalFEST plays a great role in connecting people across political boundaries.”

globalFEST finds the balance between pragmatism and idealism. “Each year we build on previous years’ successes by bringing artists from North America and abroad that we think have the strong potential for viable tours. But we never lose sight that these are representatives of the incredible cultural riches of the world that will likely influence people in ways we can’t even predict,” concludes Thake.

globalFEST is a  volunteer-run co-production of World Music Institute, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, and Acidophilus: Live & Active Cultures. Support for all seven editions has been provided by The Cultural Services of the French Embassy with additional support from the French Music Export Office, recognizing France’s pre-eminent role as a hotbed of global music activity. The globalFEST media sponsor is WNYC Radio. globalFEST is presented in association with Bowery Presents. Visa services are provided courtesy of Tamizdat. Publicity services are provided by rock paper scissors, inc. François Ladrezo & Alka Omeka are presented in association with the Anyway Organisation. Nightlosers are presented in association with the Romanian Cultural Institute.

Tickets are $40* ( Ticketmaster or by phone through World Music Institute box office: 212-545-7536*). Buy tickets early, as prior globalFEST shows have sold out in advance.
*WMI Friends, Public Theater Patrons, and APAP members can buy tickets for $35 by calling the WMI box office: 212-545-7536

Tickets for globalFEST 2010 on January 10, 2010 are ON SALE NOW on ticketmaster.com or via the World Music Institute Box Office.

General Admission Tickets are only $35 until Nov. 1, 2009 and $40 on Nov. 1 and after.
WMI Friends & APAP members have reduced $35admission price.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS OR CALL: 212.545.7536

We’re thrilled to be rolling out the new website for globalFEST! Click around for event info, news updates, photos, video and so much more. Be sure to check back here, follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook for all the latest on the upcoming globalFEST 2010.