Global Mashup: Mali Meets Mexico
SAT, APR 20, 2024
7:00 PM
7:00 PM Dance Lesson
8:00 PM Performance
In-Person Tickets:
$20 General Admission / $15 Members, Seniors, and Students w/ID
Get ready for another Global Mashup, where two cultures meet on one stage with an open dance floor!
Starting with two dance workshops, each band plays a set, then the two meet and jam for the third and final "Mashup" set!
Drinks and food will be available for purchase, and don't forget your dancing shoes!
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Master kora player Yacouba Sissoko devotes his musical gift to expand the awareness of West African history and culture, spread the word of peace, and empower his listeners to take charge and realize their imagined futures. His performances have a magical effect on audiences as he skillfully transforms the traditional songs and stories of his forefathers into modern day messages of peace, love, and harmony.
Yacouba was born to a well-known Djeli family in Kita, Mali. For centuries, Djelis have been the musical storytellers, a position that is inherited through a family bloodline. Highly respected within their communities, they are the keepers of the factual history and the fictional fables of past rulers, nobles, social groups and families. The kora, a 21-stringed plucked instrument with a gourd resonator, is the traditional instrument accompanying their songs.
At the age of 9, Yacouba started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather. By 15, he was touring the country sharing the stories passed down through his family for centuries. He attended the National Institute of the Arts in Bamako, where he immediately caught the attention of the music world there and began touring with noted artists and ensembles such as Ami Koita, Kandia Kouyate, the Raoul Fulero Ensemble, and l'Ensemble National du Mali (the orchestra that both his mother and grandmother sang with).
Rooted in giving back to the community, Yacouba offers cultural programs and benefit concerts all over the world. He continues to blend his virtuosity effortlessly with other musical styles, ranging from Indian ragas to Appalachian tunes. Currently, Yacouba can be seen performing regularly with Regina Carter and his own band, SIYA.
Founded in 2019 by multi-genre performers Julia del Palacio and Claudia Valentina, Juntas Chicas is an experimental project that aims to amplify female voices in traditional Mexican music working in New York City today.
In 2023 the multi-talented Paula Sánchez-Kucukozer joined the band and now Juntas Chicas is led by all three women, featuring exciting guest musicians. Together, Juntas Chicas mix son jarocho—the traditional music, dance, and song from Veracruz, Mexico—with jazz, cumbia, and flamenco, fusing the jarana jarocha, percussive zapateado dance, and voice with modern sounds inspired by their experiences living and playing music in New York City. Through covers of indie rock tunes, traditional son jarocho pieces, or original songs that are evocative, romantic, and a tad melancholy, Juntas Chicas takes audiences on a musical journey through time and space.
8:00 PM Performance
In-Person Tickets:
$20 General Admission / $15 Members, Seniors, and Students w/ID
Get ready for another Global Mashup, where two cultures meet on one stage with an open dance floor!
Starting with two dance workshops, each band plays a set, then the two meet and jam for the third and final "Mashup" set!
Drinks and food will be available for purchase, and don't forget your dancing shoes!
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Master kora player Yacouba Sissoko devotes his musical gift to expand the awareness of West African history and culture, spread the word of peace, and empower his listeners to take charge and realize their imagined futures. His performances have a magical effect on audiences as he skillfully transforms the traditional songs and stories of his forefathers into modern day messages of peace, love, and harmony.
Yacouba was born to a well-known Djeli family in Kita, Mali. For centuries, Djelis have been the musical storytellers, a position that is inherited through a family bloodline. Highly respected within their communities, they are the keepers of the factual history and the fictional fables of past rulers, nobles, social groups and families. The kora, a 21-stringed plucked instrument with a gourd resonator, is the traditional instrument accompanying their songs.
At the age of 9, Yacouba started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather. By 15, he was touring the country sharing the stories passed down through his family for centuries. He attended the National Institute of the Arts in Bamako, where he immediately caught the attention of the music world there and began touring with noted artists and ensembles such as Ami Koita, Kandia Kouyate, the Raoul Fulero Ensemble, and l'Ensemble National du Mali (the orchestra that both his mother and grandmother sang with).
Rooted in giving back to the community, Yacouba offers cultural programs and benefit concerts all over the world. He continues to blend his virtuosity effortlessly with other musical styles, ranging from Indian ragas to Appalachian tunes. Currently, Yacouba can be seen performing regularly with Regina Carter and his own band, SIYA.
Founded in 2019 by multi-genre performers Julia del Palacio and Claudia Valentina, Juntas Chicas is an experimental project that aims to amplify female voices in traditional Mexican music working in New York City today.
In 2023 the multi-talented Paula Sánchez-Kucukozer joined the band and now Juntas Chicas is led by all three women, featuring exciting guest musicians. Together, Juntas Chicas mix son jarocho—the traditional music, dance, and song from Veracruz, Mexico—with jazz, cumbia, and flamenco, fusing the jarana jarocha, percussive zapateado dance, and voice with modern sounds inspired by their experiences living and playing music in New York City. Through covers of indie rock tunes, traditional son jarocho pieces, or original songs that are evocative, romantic, and a tad melancholy, Juntas Chicas takes audiences on a musical journey through time and space.