Mind-blowing Ethiopian grooves. Dazzling Krar, kebero drums and stunning vocals. Rooted in tradition. Soaked with attitude. Krar Collective are Temesegen Zeleke on the krar (a 5 or 6 stringed harp), singer Genet Asefa and drummer Grum Begashaw. The unstoppable trio, dubbed "the White Stripes of Ethiopia" for their minimalist rocky sound, base their repertoire on […]
Christine Salem sings dangerous tunes that rouse the spirits and challenge the authorities – which means that her shows are as controversial as they are spellbinding. The rousing deep-voiced singer from Reunion Island – the multi-ethnic French province in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar – performs maloya. The once-banned, African-influenced music of the Creole […]
With his 2010 World Cup performance before a billion people in Johannesburg, South Africa, Vieux Farka Touré has become one of the most celebrated African guitarists in history. Dubbed the "Hendrix of the Sahara" by critics, Vieux Farka Touré is a guitar master--but he also plays the African kora, a combination drum and string instrument, […]
A rising young star from Gao, Mali, Oumar Konate is blazing the new wave of Malian music onto the contemporary world music stage. Konaté touched the spirit of his classmates with his passion for music and song while still in primary school in his hometown of Gao, Mali. On the strength of his talent with […]
The incredible 11-piece Ethiopian orchestra known as Debo Band returns to Troy for a free outdoor show on the art stage at Freedom Square on Friday, July 11, 2014 from 6 PM until sunset. Their performance at Freedom Square (101st Street where Fifth and Sixth Avenues meet in North Troy) comes between shows at the […]
Artists from 11 countries along the Nile River collaborate to create music celebrating the region’s instruments, languages and traditions to inspire and empower an international network of active change-makers for our rivers’ ecosystem. "Music is a language," exclaims Ethiopian sax player and Nile Project musician Jorga Mesfin, "and in the Nile Project, the conversation is […]
Great guitars, lightning-fast rhythms and a rotating cast of vocalists from the capital city of Niger, West Africa’s largest nation. By the time Tal National reached international acclaim with 2013’s "Kaani," the band’s first release outside of Niger, they had spent more than a decade crisscrossing their native country, usually on dirt pathways through the […]
Noura Mint Seymali in concert featuring: Noura Mint Seymali, vocals / ardine; Jeiche Ould Chighaly, guitar; Ousmane Touré, bass; Matthew Tinari, drums. Seyamil is breaking ground. The “Diva of Mauritania” reflects the intersections of Arab and Black African cultures- effortlessly linking tonal and rhythmic modalities from opposite sides of the Sahara and setting it to […]
The Sanctuary for Independent Media celebrates its 10th anniversary with a photo exhibition in the Underground Gallery featuring documentation of a decade's worth of cultural programming, social action, and community building! Thomas Mapfumo has been the musical voice of protest in Zimbabwe and all of southern Africa for nearly half a century. Hero of the […]
Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara (aka Fatou) was born of Malian parents in the Ivory Coast in 1982. As a child she became a member of her father's dance troupe and was a popular performer of the wildly flailing didadi dance from Wassoulou, her ancestral home in western Mali. She made the decision to dedicate herself […]
Mamadou Kelly hails from Goundam and Niafunke, in the heartland of Mali’s Niger River Delta. Born in 1969, Kelly first picked up the guitar at age 8 and has now become one of Mali’s music leaders. With a quiet charm and encyclopedic knowledge of Malian music, Mamadou Kelly has been an in-demand accompanist for much […]
Trio Da Kali is a group of outstanding musicians from the Mande culture of southern Mali who come from a long line of distinguished griots (hereditary musicians). The group features Hawa Kasse Mady Diabaté, Lassana Diabaté, and Mamadou Koyaté. Formed of voice, ngoni, and balafon, the Trio aim to bring a contemporary twist to ancient […]
The Egg, in cooperation with The Sanctuary for Independent Media, presents a fundraising concert for radio station WOOC 105.3 FM, a double bill of African music that is sure to lift your spirits and satisfy your soul! This show takes place at The Egg in downtown Albany, one of the Capital Region's most intimate and […]
Salif Keita, known as the “Golden Voice of Africa,” is undoubtedly one of the most influential and important artists in African music. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear the Golden Voice of Africa in a small listening room—one of the world's most extraordinary singers, Afropop pioneer, and a direct descendant of Sundiata Keita, founder of the […]
Meklit’s music is imbued with poetry and multiplicity, from hybridized sounds of Tizita (haunting and nostalgic music) drawing from her Ethiopian heritage, to jazz, folk songs, hip-hop and art rock. She aptly describes her music as emanating from “in-between-spaces.” Listening to Meklit transports us to the post-national space of Africa and America, inspiring us to […]
The Sanctuary for Independent Media welcomes acclaimed South African artist Vusi Mahlasela back to the Capital Region with his full band for a concert at The Egg in Albany to benefit WOOC 105.3 FM. Known simply as “The Voice” in his home country of South Africa, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and poet Vusi Mahlasela and his band […]
Discriminating jazz and world music listeners alike will love Boston’s festive eight piece dance band featuring the Latin Bugalu style pioneered by Puerto Rican musicians in 1960's New York City. Fusing R&B and rock into the Afro-Caribbean matrix, the music unfolds at tempos everyone can dance to. You don't need salsa chops or double jointed […]
Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita | SUBA Trio featuring percussionist Gustavo Ovalles are coming to the Sanctuary for the CD release of SUBA Trio, presented in cooperation with The Egg Performing Arts Center. Through the music we bring a message of peace, hope and unity. When everything around us falling apart, the one thing we […]
Drawing from two distinct styles of regional sound, ancient village choral chants and desert guitar, Les Filles de Illighadad are sisters from the village of Illighadad, performing Tende, traditional music from Niger. “MESMERIZING SOUNDS FROM THE SAHARA” - The New York Times “HEADY, TRANCE-INDUCING SONGS THAT BURROW INTO YOUR BRAIN AND SPREAD THROUGH YOUR BODY” […]
Join us for a concert from Al Bilali Soudan from Timbuktu, Mali. Their performance is an improvisational tour de force of traditional instruments (incl. tehardant and calabash), rhythms, and scales. These traditional instruments are foundational to the development of the style that has evolved into the modern desert blues sound. ***In line with our commitment […]
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