What world music concert or two that you presented in the past year surprised you the most? Why?
This is the question we asked concert presenters in various regions. DubMC.com will periodically post a round-up of responses from presenters on this and other questions that might be of interest to other professionals in the world music field. The responses are quite diverse and hopefully will turn you on to new (or even past) favorites.
Claudia Norman, Curator of the JPMorgan Chase Latino Cultural Festival at Queens Theatre in the Park, NY:
Luca Mundaca. To me she represents the new generation of Latin American female songwriters. She presented an acoustic concert (guitar and voice) and her voice and music are using elements of bossa nova with a new twist.
Jeffrey Rosenstock, Executive Director, Queens Theatre in the Park, NY:
Salman Ahmad/Junoon: One must not forget that even if we (a US presenter) don't know the name of the artist, the artist can still have major recognition and status with a specific demographic. Salman was a rock star and the equivalent of U2 for South Asian audiences, even though I had never heard of him before (I am not the curator of world music programming, but still "the buck stops with me). Eva Ayllon: Just as Westbury Music Fair or other major Pop venues can bring back the same act year after year and sell out, so can world music artists appear again and again at one's venue and sell out. Eva has been at our theatre at least 4-5 times and was the first act to sell out the JPMorgan Chase Latino Cultural Festival this summer.
Massoud Saidpour, Director, Performing Arts, Music, and Film, The Cleveland Museum of Art, OH:
Le Trio Joubran. They were virtuosos with heart and they offered a new concept: Ud trio. They simply stunned our audiences and got rave reviews from our audience survey and the music critics.
Michael Jaworek, Concert Promoter, The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA:
I was surprised at how spellbinding an artist Lhasa is time after time that I see her. I was surprised at how hard Amadou and Mariam rocked. I was stunned by Camille's versatile stage show......puckish in humor one moment, intensely moving the next.
Rosanna Ruscetti, Director, Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC:
I know this sounds strange, but Cesaria Evora, whom I’ve presented at least 5 times by now. She’s hardly an obscure world music artist or unknown to me, which is why I was so surprised at how moved I was by her concert here last spring. Her level of artistry and the sheer power of her sound really brought home to me why I started presenting in the first place, so much so that I wrote to thank her manager and spent a weekend just re-listening to all of her music.
Yatrika Shah-Rais, Music Director/Asst. Program Director, Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA:
I was very impressed with two acts within the past year: Yasmin Levy is an amazing singer with a magnificent stage presence and rapport with the public. She comes from Israel and performed a combination of Ladino and Flamenco-derived songs in Spanish and the Ladino language. The other act that I knew would be good but surpassed my expectations was Boubacar Traore, Malian blues guitarist, singer/songwriter. I am quite surprised that he has not yet reached the stature of the late Ali Farka Toure. He is equally good even though he may not have had the same exposure in the West and has not performed with Ry Cooder! But there was one act that surprised me in a negative way. As much as I liked Keren Ann, I was very disappointed with her aloof and uncommunicative way with the public. She lacked warmth.
David Ravel, Director, Alverno Presents, Milwaukee, WI:
No surprises really. Our attitude towards presenting world music is that it is a significant part of our mission, and we are building an audience for it in Southeastern Wisconsin. There have been no large surprises, positive or negative. It’s all part of an on-going process for us.
DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., world music publicity firm.
