The Bazurto AllStars was created in 2009 at the heart of Cartagena, Colombia in the Bazurto Market, amid the myriad colors, sounds, and smells of that epicenter of the Caribbean and African culture. The band has their own unique sound which comes from the mixing of African Champeta, folkloric and electronic music with cumbia, vallenato, reggae, ska, and even symphonic music. They have dubbed this fusion “La Champeta Universal” or “Universal Champeta” which has allowed champeta to cross social, cultural and language barriers to evolve and adapt to a variety of musical styles.  Their concerts hook the audience from the first note with an explosive show full of contagious energy and dancing. The result has been a string of hits. Like “La Manguera,” “El Bololo,” “Me Falla El Wifi,” “La Reina del Baile” and “La Pupileta.”  The last song reached markets that more traditional champeta had never entered, becoming the official song of the Carnaval of Barranquilla ( the largest after Rio) in 2016 and becoming one of the most recognized songs within Colombia. They were awarded the prestigious “Congo de Oro” from the Carnaval of Barranquilla on three occasions (2017, 2018, and 2019.) Several of their songs hit #1 on the top radio stations in Colombia.

Madalitso’s story began in 2009 when a local producer in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, overheard the duo busking outside a shopping center.  Eight years later the duo performs its first concert outside of Malawi at the Sauti Za Busara Festival in 2017.  Six months later, the duo headed to Europe for a 2 week tour, the first time they traveled by airplane. Audiences enthusiastically embraced the down-to-earth nature and raw energy onstage of the duo, and thus their international touring took off.  Their intuitive, authentic, and ruthless rhythms have taken Europe by storm.  In 2018, they returned to Europe for increasingly extended tours. Then in 2019, the duo released their second album called Wasala on Bongo Joe Records. Bongo Joe Records subscribes to Madalitso’s ethos of “why should we buy our instruments when we can build our own and get the sound we want”? The babatone played by Yobu is a handmade single-stringed instrument that is the perfect foil to Josefe’s guitar playing and steady foot-tapping drumbeat. Their authenticity is the reason they have been invited to perform in festivals and clubs around the world.

Puuluup was an Estonian nu-folk established in 2014. Ramo Teder and Marko Veisson have virtually resurrected the ancient talharpa (bowed lyre), popular in Northern Europe since the early middle ages and played on Western Estonian islands until the beginning of 20th century. Puuluup directs the vibrations of the talharpa’s horsehair strings through effects, using alternative bowing and rhythm techniques. The mellow sighs of talharpa are paired with electronically amplified echoes, knocks, creaks and crackles, while still maintaining the instrument’s natural sound.  It is all presented with a unique sense of humor, originality and what can only be described as offbeat charm.

The ensemble was founded in 2012 by American violinist Kaethe Hostetter, who first worked in Ethiopian music as a founding member of the critically acclaimed Debo Band. Since relocating to Addis in 2009, she has participated in numerous exploratory and professional projects, as she honed her sound and immersed herself further into the culture of her surroundings. In this sense, Qwanqwa, the Amharic word for “language,” is a project creating dialogues between cultures.  Qwanqwa draws inspiration from East African regions of Ethiopia and beyond. Delving deep into regional beats and moods, the repertoire ranges from a trance-like song of the Eritrean tribe of Blen to a Somalian rock number to Mahmoud Ahmed sing-a-longs. The music is characterized by tight arrangements and extended experimental moments. The live show ranges from intimate to wild, from whispery conversations to full-blown rock shows, and it is hard to believe these psychedelic sounds are coming from traditional harp and violin. It is driving, powerful, and different from anything else coming out of Ethiopia in this current Golden Age of Ethiopian music.

Saung Budaya Dance was established in 2006 when dance instructor Amalia Suryani came to New York City and held dance workshops in the Indonesian Consulate. Throughout the years, Saung Budaya has grown to become a vital part of the Indonesian community culture in New York. A variety of dances from all over the Indonesian Archipelago are taught within the group who have performed around in the East Coast / Tri-State Area. Saung Budaya currently consists of 20 dancers who are mostly students and young professionals. Their goal is to introduce Indonesian culture through dance and music to the Indonesian-American youths in New York City and more generally, to the wider public.

Yamma members got together in 2010 and they stayed true to the character of the Middle East, the region where they were born and raised. Their soulful music is accompanied by ancient musical instruments (kopuz, duduk, hand drums) which are typical of the Middle East. It creates the feeling of ancient times, a strong sense of spiritualism, heritage & tradition although the materials are sometimes original and contemporary. The sound, the performance, the selection of the materials, and the moving arrangements took this music far beyond any expectation of the ensemble members. Without special plans, the ensemble became global and international, yet managed to remain authentic, local, and loyal to the region in which it developed and was born.

Originally performing alongside their father at local events since they were kids, their absolute unique blend comes from a typical youthful rebellion, when as teenagers they left behind their upbringing on the marimba and began to play in various punk, rockabilly, and ska bands. Now they’ve gone full circle with the marimba back leading the way, and their live shows are a sweaty mess of dancing fans, with their authenticity shining through as they give their modern interpretation of Mexican, Peruvian, and Colombian classics, as well as their own original material and some surprise covers. The contrast of the traditional marimba with their youthful attitude and street sense connects the audience to the past while they dance into the future.