Category Archives: SHOW “G”-Views

Live from Sung Harbor:

Boma Bango takes the hypnotic, reverb drenched, tremolo-ed electric guitar heavy music from the 1960s in the Congo and reimagines it as if it came out of some humid outdoor bar in Southwest Louisiana. Boma Bango formed after Daniel Coolik became infatuated with 1950s and 1960s Congolese Rumba. A music originally influenced by Cuban records from the 1930s and 40s and infused with melodies and instruments from the Congo. Boma Bango, by taking musical cues from Congolese luminaries as Franco Luambo & le TPOK Jazz, L’Orchestra African Fiesta with Docteur Nico and Tabu Ley Rochereau, and Le Grand Kallé et l’African Jazz, has strived to create their own kind of improvisational music based upon the sounds from this golden age. The band was started in 2018 by musical compatriots Daniel Coolik (electric guitar/electric mandolin), Trey Boudreaux (bass), Megan Constantin (vocals/percussion), Bill Smith (congas/marimba), and Glenn Fields (drums/percussion) – and is sometimes joined by Aurora Nealand (saxophones). They reinvent old songs and write new ones in Louisiana French just as the Congelse wrote songs in Lingala. In the same way jazz musicians took the Great American Songbook in the 1940s and 50s and now take from popular music, Boma Bango has reworked these beautiful and almost forgotten melodies to create an alluring, tropical, and exciting new sound.

Millennium Stage

This evening, Daymé Arocena, a Grammy®-nominated and Juno Award-winning Afro-Cuban singer who is known for her genre-defying creativity and deep connection to her Cuban heritage, rocked a sold out stage at the Kennedy Center. Her latest album, Alkemi (2024), follows the acclaimed Sonocardiograma (2019) and marks a bold evolution from her jazz roots, blending neo-soul, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and modern pop. In recognition of her work, she received a 2024 Latin Grammy® nomination for Song of the Year for “A Fuego Lento” featuring Vicente García.

Millennium Stage – Sat. Feb. 22, 2025

Renowned vocalist Alicia Waller provided an unforgettable evening as she brings her ensemble, Alicia Waller & The Excursion, to Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. Featuring a vibrant blend of jazz, soul, and vernacular sounds, Waller performed selections from her acclaimed EP, Some Hidden Treasure (2020), along with fresh material from her highly anticipated debut album, Louder Then. Known for the luminous warmth of her voice and her captivating approach to soul, Waller creates a rich, expressive sound that has been praised as a synthesis of splendor and depth.

The Jazz Foundation Presents: Simon Lott’s We Gon Do Dis
February 19, 2025 5:00 pm – February 19, 2025 6:00 pm
Snug Harbor

Drummer & beyond, Simon Lott was born on January 6, 1982 and has been making music professionally since 1995. His career as a versatile drummer began in Louisiana at age 13 in Baton Rouge & New Orleans. He completed an B.A. in English Literature in 2004. At age 23, he moved to New York City after the destructive Hurricane Katrina & began touring internationally. 2 years later, he returned to the South and has been living in New Orleans since. He fashioned his first album of original music at age 18, an instrumental jazz recording called “In The Parking Lott of Swing.” Then at age 23 completed his second album of original music entitled “Things.” Things stepped into other facets of music: hip-hop, electronica, funk, rock, R&B, and included bits of vocals and a heavy amount of post-production and “cutting-&-pasting” of live recorded tracks mixed with composition and improvisation, highlighting Lott’s skills as composer as well as producer. The music was recorded in 2002 and was slowly edited over 3 years. At the age of 25, Simon began home recording and experimenting more with synthesizers and effects pedals. At age 28, he created a home studio called THE EARSE in New Orleans where he cultivated two alteregos– Context Killer and Diamond Kinkade: Context Killer’s main rig is a drum set w/contact microphones, synthesizer(s), looper(s), & effects pedal(s); later, electric bass & vocals were added– a malleable, morphing rig indeed… The initial concept of Context Killer’s music was to create a more visceral, organic kind of electronic music by making the music without pre-set loops or samples and with live drumming & keyboard playing. The Context Killer concept was also fabricated as a way to develop playing other instruments and singing. Context Killing is also about changing your current situation if it’s not working; it’s a way to come at things from a different angle so you don’t get stuck, or face the infinite spectrum–there’s always another layer to be uncovered & explored. For instance, using “negative” energy effectively to make music thus giving the listener diverse experience; or employing physical exercise to free your mind and become more in touch with the body that is needed for music-making. This looping period lasted for a good while with great affects & effects.

Madison, Wis. (Feb. 5, 2025) — The International Festival returns to Overture Center for an exciting day full of cultural performances, food and more. The annual festival will take place on Saturday, March 8 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Celebrating the rich cultural heritage within our community and enjoying nearly 30 FREE performances throughout Overture by artists who call Dane County home. Indulge in cuisines from around the world, browse stunning arts and crafts available for purchase, and learn about the many local businesses with global connections. More than 20 cultures will be represented.

Guests may participate in person at Overture or online for select livestreamed performances via Overture’s Facebook page.

PERFORMANCES – 10:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Atimevu – Traditional music from Ghana
Beni Daiko – Madison-based Japanese Taiko drumming
Breckenridge School of Highland Dance – Watch the swirling kilts and vibrant tartans of Scotland
Charanga Agozá – Cuban charanga-style dance music
Cris & Ann Plata – South Texas and Mexican border music: conjunto and norteño
Guitar House of Madison – Spanish guitar music with rhythm, passion & fire featuring Gabor Szarvas & friends
Hmong Institute’s Heritage Club – Traditional poetry songs (kwv txhiaj) with musical instruments
Last Gaspe – Canadian, Irish and American fiddle music that swings
Limanya Drum & Dance Ensemble – Traditional drumming and dancing from Guinea, West Africa
LuLu Quintet – Sparkling French/Romany “hot club” jazz inspired by Django Reinhardt
Mad Craic Irish Dance – All-adult dance troupe performing both modern and old-style Irish dances
Madison Chinese Culture Association – Promoting Chinese culture and supporting our community
Madison Männerchor – Wisconsin’s oldest German chorus, performing German and English songs
Madison Pipes & Drums – Scottish bagpipe band that promotes Celtic heritage through music
Meenakshi Ganesan & the Kalaanjali Dance Company – Bharatanatyam – classical Indian dance more than 3,000 years old
Mona Augustin – World beat love & social justice songs
Raizes do Brasil – Capoiera – an Afro-Brazilian art form that fuses self-defense, dance, music and acrobatics
Rebulu Group – Classic Cuban conjunto music
Sadira Middle Eastern Dance – Raqs Sharki – the joyful, classical women’s dance of the Middle East
Sergio El Vacilon – Cuban Son Guajira, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, solo guitar and vocals
Son Del Atlantico – Colombian fusion band
Swapna Srinivasan-Mukula – Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher and performer
Tania Tandias Flamenco & Spanish Dance – Fiery flamenco dances from Southern Spain
UW Russian Folk Orchestra – Russian/Eastern European music played on authentic instruments
Yid Vicious – Festive blend of traditional and contemporary Klezmer music
Žaibas Lithuanian Dancers – Sharing, preserving and promoting Lithuanian heritage through dance
Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association – Traditional Sar Ping style of Lion Dance with live music

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF) (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.): Hands-on activities by various LEAF artists:
Molli Pauliot – natural fiber weavings
Lightning New Rider – natural fiber weavings
Glory of the Morning: Claire Maisells and Joy Maisells – hand crafted items all Native American made
Blue Bear Studios: Chris Sweet and Chrissy Shegonee – paintings, totes and mugs
Sky Woman Beadwork – Sayokla Kindness
Lillian WhiteEagle – traditional beadwork on everyday items and Ho-Chunk dancer regalia
Kimberly Crowley – basketry
Earth Jewelry by Leah: Leah Winneshiek – gemstone and beadwork mixed media
Little Eagle Arts Foundation – beadwork art making activity
UW-Madison International Reach (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.): Explore new cultures with student ambassadors

INTERNATIONAL MARKET & FOOD VENDORS
Aidanm Sweet Isintu Foundation
Akarim African Enterprise
Café Costa Rica
Friendship Force of Wisconsin-Madison
Friends of Ukraine – Madison, Inc.
Greenbush Heritage Foundation
Hope Institute of Uganda
Inti Fair Trade
Italian Workmen’s Club – Madison
Jakarta Cafe
Madame Chu Delicacies
Madison Arcatao Sister City Project (MASCP)
Madison Area Chinese Community Organization
Madison-Camaguey Sister City Association
Madison-Freiburg Sister City Committee
Madison-Obihiro Sister Cities, Inc.
Madison-Rafah Sister City Project
Madison-Tepatitlán Sister Cities
Madison-Vilnius Sister Cities, Inc.
Mundo Esperanza Inc.
M&J Jamaican Kitch’n
Nazka’s Handmade
Nepali American Friendship Association
Otavalo Art
Polish Heritage Club of Madison-Wisconsin
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin-Madison
Spinning Handiworks
The Hmong Institute
The Rolling Pin Bake Shop
Verona Area International School

 
International Festival 2025 is funded by Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison.

In collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Center on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center.

The Korean drumming collective GongMyoung is renowned for its innovative reinterpretations of time-honored Korean music—with a modern jam-session flair, unconventional improvised instruments, and an effortless sense of cool. Formed in 1997, the group has the unique ability to recreate & rearrange traditional Korean music, showcasing the versatility & diversity of Korean culture through surprisingly approachable works. Their performances often feature their namesake—a distinctive bamboo instrument they created, called the GongMyoung—plus a variety of wind & percussion instruments. As an ensemble, GongMyoung transcends genres in both their style and musical application, which includes major concerts, stage musicals, plays, dance performances, & films. GongMyoung’s global impact extends to over fisty countries and 130 international festivals. The group has been selected for some of the world’s largest art showcases & festivals, including performances at AAM 2001 in Singapore, GATEWAY 2006 in Mexico, APAP 2007 in New York, WOMEX 2008 in Spain, MIDEM 2009 in France, SXSW 2010 in Texas, and CINARS in 2007 and 2014 in Canada. They have performed at numerous international festivals including in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney), Norway (Ford), Sweden (Malmö, EBU Folk Festival), Italy (San Marino), China (Guangzhou), Germany (Pina Bausch), Canada (Vancouver), the Philippines, Zimbabwe (Harare), Mongolia (Playtime), Belgium (SFINKS Mixed Festival), and Taipei (WMF). Their performances in international diplomacy and cross-cultural exchange has taken GongMyoung across the globe as well, to India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai), Portugal, Greece, Bangladesh, the Philippines, China (Guangzhou), New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch), Chile, the United States of America (Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston), Vietnam, Japan (Tokyo), Brazil, Pakistan, the UAE, the United Kingdom (London), Germany (Wuppertal), Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Sweden, Bulgaria, Canada, Cambodia, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, France, Belgium, Taiwan, Romania, Nauru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, and many more. Their performances continue to expand globally, further cementing their place as a prominent cultural ambassador group.

Members:
Director: Seo Hyungwon
Planning: Jeong Wooin

Musicians: Kyongkeun Song (sogeum, daegeum), Youngju Lim (percussion), Sunil Kang (janggu, gayanggeum), Seungwon Park (guitar, string bamboo)

The genre-fluid, accomplished creator Mali Obomsawin is a bassist, composer, vocalist and proud citizen of the Odanak First Nation. Obomsawin’s increasingly broad body of work spans jazz and roots music, indie rock and experimental sound, film scoring, and all-ages instruction. An international touring artist and celebrated accompanist, her current projects include the shoegaze duo Deerlady, the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band and her eponymous free-jazz ensemble, making its Lincoln Center premiere at the David Rubenstein Atrium. Obomsawin’s music liberally references her Native heritage and the challenges of realizing freedom under colonialism while challenging listeners with expressive harmonies.

Ghalia Volt cut her chops busking in the streets of her native Belgium and fronting blues-rock bands. The personable singer, drummer, guitarist, & songwriter followed the blues trail to New Orleans, where she fronted the local band ‘Mama’s Boys’ – to Chicago and back down the river through Mississippi and finally back to the Crescent City, where she is now based. She’s charted on the Billboard Blues Chart with her 2019 album Mississippi Blend, which includes appearances by Cody Dickinson and Cedric Burnside, among others. Since then she’s stripped down her sound ahead of her One Woman Band project, which began with a month-long songwriting Amtrak trip and launched a solo tour. Her 2023 Shout Sister Shout! release brings her back with a full band and includes originals like “Po Boy John” as well as her rocking version of the blues standard title cut. Tuned in last Friday afternoon to catch a live set from Ghalia Volt at WWOZ.

I caught two events tonight that were able to keep a mind opening. First at the Kennedy Center, I witnesses the power of Maruja Limón. Maruja Limón is a female sextet from Barcelona known for their vibrant music that blends flamenco, pop, & Latin rhythms. Formed in 2014, they compose and arrange their own songs and have performed at festivals and venues across Europe, Morocco, and Spain, including Festival Cruilla and Pirineos Sur. They are presenting the EP Te como la cara, where they explore Catalan, flamenco, and Latin rumba fused with experimental electronic sounds, dembow, salsa, and pop, delivering explosive music with lyrics that balance sensitivity and irony. They gained recognition in Billboard’s On the Radar Latin section after their debut in the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC, New York). They really energized the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.

Second, I ear-grabbed and eye-popped Dex Daley & Jam-X Live at Snug Harbor presented by The Jazz Foundation of America. Dex Daley & Jam-X perform a unique blend of Reggae, Ska and Caribbean roots music incorporating the Steel Drum, that keeps excited audiences worldwide moving, grooving and downright feeling real good.
The band features:

DEX DALEY
Steel Pan, Keytar, Lead Vocals
SEBASTIAN WESTON
Guitar
ETHAN SHORTER
Drums, Percussions, Vocals
STEVEN MENOLD
Bass
MICHELLE SHORTER
Sax

Songwriter Vienna Teng reemerges this Fall with her mashup song pair We’ve Got You—her 1st new music in over a decade—but her fans have been here the whole time. They’ve packed concert venues even in years between releases, crowdfunded an ambitious music video in hours, and joined by the hundreds when she launched her “music x climate action” Patreon in 2022. That kind of devotion has poured forth since 2002’s Waking Hour, which landed her on NPR’s Weekend Edition, The Late Show with David Letterman, and the top of Amazon’s music charts. Across 4 more studio albums that followed—the chamber folk of Warm Strangers, the jazz-inflected Dreaming Through the Noise, the indie epic Inland Territory, the bright electro-pop in Aims—Teng has paid homage to her genre-bending heroes like Paul Simon & Tori Amos, while carving a path all her own. Together with her captivating live performances and thoughtful online presence, her work has built a loyal following across generations and continents. Teng’s new mini-EP We’ve Got You reflects the complexity of her life over the past decade: climate change work, community building, parenthood. 2 songs, each titled “We’ve Got You,” act like fraternal twins: one an indie-pop tribute to inspiring leaders, the other a chamber-folk paean to unsung caregivers. Played simultaneously, they reveal a new intricate whole: a mashup by design, and a love letter to social movements. Appropriately, Teng she also hosts climate action workshops on tour and online, which participants have described as “rocket fuel” and “the perfect antidote to despair.” It’s an exciting new chapter in the ever-evolving love story between an artist and her audience. She brought all these maGical aspects to the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center on January 11th and I can imagine everyone left this experience ready to keep their support of her, her music and advocacy on high alert.

Zar Electrik pays homage to tribal cultures, particularly through the incorporation of the ancient Zar ritual originating from Ethiopia and Egypt. This ritual serves as a conduit for healing, achieved through trance & connection with the spirit world. Zar Electrik transports us into its unique universe, where the reigning forces are trance and dance. Its music resonates within our beings; the electronic layers resembling mantras; and the voices akin to invocations. The overall experience mirrors a tribal rite, guiding us towards an altered state of consciousness. The music of Zar Electrik is best encountered on the dance floor, facilitating a transformative and cathartic ritual trance. Zar Electrik’s music knows no codes or borders. This is the meeting of 3 friends from Marseilles. There’s Anass Zine, with his mesmerizing North African–influenced voice and a range of traditional instruments (gumbri, oud…); and Arthur Péneau, with his deep voice, adding hybrid African influences thanks to his kora, which he mystifies with electric effects. The connection with Miosine (Didier Simione) is a real highlight. He is the last member of the trio, adding his knowledge and mastery of machines, synthesizers, and electronic music codes. The result is simply spectacular. Their music is rich and vibrant, a transcending journey between the Maghreb, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the West. Watch it here.

This weekend I checked out the fiddle expert Niccolo Seligmann and percussionist Lucas Ashby on a musical tour of the Middle Ages. From Spanish miracle songs to whirlwind Italian dances and more, this concert illuminates how bright the Dark Ages really were. This was a livestreamed event held at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.

Jazz Foundation Of America
December 18, 2024 5:00 pm – December 18, 2024 5:45 pm
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro
For over 20 years, the Hot 8 Brass Band has been one of the most popular and visible funk-style brass bands in community parades and funerals. In 1996, sousaphone player Bennie Pete played a key role in merging two former Fortier High School student groups, the High Steppers and the Looney Tunes Brass Bands, to form the Hot 8. The band’s members grew up together, and they continue to maintain strong, family-like bonds and regular membership. Most of the players were born between 1975 & 1987, belonging to a generation that primarily heard modern-style brass bands in community functions. The Hot 8’s lineup is often larger than many other younger groups, frequently featuring 10 members, including 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, bass drum, & snare drum. As is common in some more modern brass bands, the Hot 8 includes only one reed player. The band’s funk style blends influences from iconic New Orleans groups like the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth, while incorporating contemporary R&B, rap, and the local variation known as “bounce.” This mix creates a unique sound that sets them apart from other brass bands in the genre. The band’s distinctive sound is largely due to the steady flow of creative original songs and ideas contributed by various band members. Since the Dirty Dozen, the sousaphone has played a more prominent role in brass bands, often serving as both a feature and solo instrument. It frequently sets up and maintains short rhythmic (and sometimes melodic) grooves that dominate and propel the band’s songs, adding a driving force to their performances.

Watch the show here.

Tuned in to the New Orleans Music Show with host Murf Reeves on Monday, on December 2 around 12pm CT to hear Loose Cattle performing live in the studio! It was fun, and filled with new and old tunes that made for a joyous occassion.

Tia Wood followed her heart from the Rez to the city of Angels to make her musical dreams come true. Her powerful, soulful voice carries the spirit of her people’s songs that have echoed from her homelands since time immemorial, and the musical roots of her family tree run deep. She began singing as soon as she could talk, inspired and nurtured by her parents, siblings, and her dual Plains Cree and Coast Salish heritage. Wood believes it was inevitable that she’s now blazing her own trail as a solo artist.

A Celebration of Native American Heritage Month on the Millennium stage.

Empresarios is a Washington, D.C.–based collective of musicians and DJs who finely tuned their Tropicaliente sound over the past few years and shared this unique blend of tropical beats across the globe. With over three albums of original material and dozens of remixes already released, the Empresarios recently took the next step and launched their own label, Empresarios Musica.

Not only do the Empresarios release great music, they have also brought their live show across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. In recent years they have played great events as the Joshua Tree Music Festival, Musikfest, Landmark Festival, and the National Cannabis Festival, as well as D.C.’s Funk Parade and H Street Festival. The Empresarios have licensed their music to television networks like NBC, documentaries, films including Echo Park (2014), and video games such as EA Sports’ popular FIFA 12 (2012). Mixing together the warm sounds of the Caribbean is the specialty of the Empresarios, so get ready to dance to a fusion of reggae, salsa, hip hop, reggaetón, dub, and house. And they sure did rock the house on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center on November 14th.

Live from Harlem: Trumpeter Jack Walrath is well known for his work in the groups of Charles Mingus, Ray Charles, Muhal Richard Abrams, Sam Rivers, Charli Persip, Mike Clark, and Craig Harris. Aside from playing and arranging for others, he has released 22 albums as a leader, for Blue Note, Muse, SteepleChase and other labels. As a composer, he has worked in film and television, while earning grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mary Flagler Cary Trust, and fielding commissions for ensembles of all sizes. This concert features his engaging small group that shares a name with his 1987 Grammy-nominated Blue Note release, “Masters of Suspense.”

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Millennium Stage
The Kennedy Center
August 16th

As a resolute preservationist, storyteller, and instrumentalist, Dom Flemons has long set himself apart by finding forgotten folk songs and making them live again. His work has been recognized with a Grammy Award®, two Emmy® nominations, and 2020 U.S. Artists Fellowship. Dom Flemons is originally from Phoenix, Arizona and currently lives in the Chicago area with his family. He has branded the moniker The American Songster® since his repertoire of music covers over 100 years of early American popular music. Flemons is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, actor, slam poet, music scholar, historian, and record collector. He is considered an expert player on the banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fife, and rhythm bones. Flemons is the host of the American Songster Radio show on Nashville’s WSM Radio. In 2022, he was awarded a degree as a Doctor of Humane Letters from his alma mater Northern Arizona University.