RAM, a long-running band from Port-au-Prince, Haiti exemplifies Haiti’s love of its uptempo Carnival melodies known as meringues. Unifying the sounds of Africa with its Creole influences, RAM’s musical style has been described as “Voodoo rock and roots,” a mixture of traditional Voodoo folk music rhythms, lyrics, and instrumentation into a new sound that incorporates elements of rock and roll and American pop music.
Group Doueh plays raw and unfiltered Saharawi music infused with western pop and rock music influences from the former colonial Spanish outpost of the Western Sahara. The band’s leader, Doueh is a master of the electric guitar who is influenced by music greats such as such as Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. Playing their US debut, Group Doueh’s sound is distorted, loud and unhinged with an impressive display of virtuosity and style.
Baloji’s sound is a riot of pan-African sounds and musical styles consisting of acoustic/electric and hip-hop. Effortlessly switching between singing and rapping in French, Swahili and other African languages, his words seem to travel across continents as he tells the personal story about his life between Belgium and the Congo. His first release, a biographic album entitled, Hôtel Impala debuted to critical acclaim and his follow up, Kinshasa Succursale has further established him as a powerful emcee and boundary crumbling artist.
For over a decade, the DJs of GlobeSonic Sound System have connected the dots between global traditions and dancefloor beats at nightclubs and festivals throughout the world.
New York City, NY; NYC