Samba Mapangala and Virunga

Samba Mapangala and Virunga
THURSDAY, JULY 9  |  7:30pm
Tickets: $20

Samba Mapangala and his band Virunga are one of the seminal bands to emerge from Central and East Africa from in the last 25 years. Loved throughout East Africa and beyond for his astounding voice, Samba has created an innovative mix of the best Congolese rumba and soukous with an earthier Kenyan style. Singing in both Congolese Lingala and Kenyan Swahili languages, Samba's incendiary live show features complex, interlocking guitar lines, rapid-fire bass and light, fast-paced percussion with horn or sax overlays. The songs begin with Samba's catchy melodic lines, evolving through beautiful vocal harmonies and brilliant guitar and horn solos. Samba's sound is unique among African vocalists and remains legendary to this day.

> http://www.myspace.com/sambamapangala

	Cucu Diamantes

Cucu Diamantes
THURSDAY, JULY 16  |  7:30pm
Tickets: $20

Born of Spanish, African, Chinese and French heritage, CuCu Diamantes is a fascinating singer-songwriter and actress from Cuba. Along with producer-guitarist Andres Levin, Diamantes co-founded the sizzling-hot Latin fusion collective, Yerba Buena, and was directly responsible for garnering major recognition and popularity for the band, including a Grammy® nomination and performances with artists such as Dave Matthews, Ray Charles, Juanes and Celia Cruz, as well as critical media praise. After eight years as Yerba Buena’s principal vocalist and songwriter, Diamantes released her first solo record, CuCuLand, in March 2009 to much anticipation. Smart, sexy and fierce, CuCu Diamantes’ music is an intoxicating mix of NYC downtown funk and old-school Cuban glamour and passion.

> http://www.myspace.com/cucudiamantes

	Kailash Kher’s Kailasa

Kailash Kher’s Kailasa
THURSDAY, JULY 30  |  7:30pm
Tickets: $20

A darling of Bollywood for his superb popular renditions of Sufi songs, Kailash Kher's voice and dynamic performances have earned him a judge's spot on Indian Idol, as well as adoration across the Indian Diaspora. Kher began studying Indian classical vocal music at age twelve with his father. In 2007, Kher participated in a concert tour in North America entitled The Incredibles, also starring Asha Bhosle, Sonu Niigaam and Kunal Ganjawala. Kher and his Mumbai-based ensemble, Kailasa, captivate audiences worldwide with their exotic mix of world, lounge, new-age dance music and Sufi traditions.

> http://www.kailashkher.com

	Slavic Soul Party!

Slavic Soul Party!
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6  |  7:30pm
Tickets: $20

Fiery Balkan brass, hip-grinding American grooves and ecstatic anthems both new and old: Slavic Soul Party! is just what it says. Brash and strong as slivovitz, these nine musicians have forged a virtuosic new brass band in the heart of New York City—melding Gypsy, East European, Mexican and Asian immigrant backgrounds with American jazz and soul—and “developed a reputation for delivering a great time.” (New York Times) One of the hardest-working bands in New York, Slavic Soul Party! plays nearly 100 times a year in the United States, Europe and beyond. They have performed at Babylon (Istanbul) with the Karandila Orkestar, at Irving Plaza with Gogol Bordello, on the Warped Tour and in virtually every major New York club.

> http://www.slavicsoulparty.com/main.html