Bio: ADAAWE is comprised of seven dynamic women creating rich organic music of the voice and drum. These diverse, skilled percussionists and vocalists come from all over the world, and their music is an international fusion of African music and rhythms, R&B/pop vocals, arresting Gospel vocal harmonies, and funky original creations.
Instrumentation: Drum set, conga drums, djun-djun drums, djembe drums, cajon drums, shekeres, bells and 5 vocals - lead and background.
Bio: The award-winning ensemble, AlmaNova, is an innovative flute and guitar duo presenting an eclectic program of chamber music that includes traditional classical repertoire, Latin-inspired works, and their own original compositions featuring Balkan world music.
Instrumentation: Flute, Guitar, Percussion, Bass
Number of Musicians: 2-4 Additional Equipment Available: Indoor P.A. system
Bio: This trio’s repetoire spans over 100 years of music and incorporates Brazilian, Latin, Jazz, Cuban, African, French and American influences. They perform both standard and original songs in traditional styles such as choro and flamenco with a contemporary, unique sound.
Instrumentation: Percussion, Bass, Guitar
Number of Musicians: 3 - 5 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. System
Bio: The music of the Arohi Ensemble is indebted to the deep classical and folk traditions of India, the Middle East, Macedonia, Spain and Brazil. Playing creative world music through original compositions and improvisations, Arohi combines these diverse rhythms, moods and melodies in the spirit and freedom of American jazz. Members of Arohi play traditional and contemporary innovative instruments designed to stretch the boundaries of new world music. Arohi means "ascending melodic movement."
Instrumentation: Sitar, fretted and unfretted guitar, requinto, flutes and world winds, cello, tabla, ghatum, drums and sometimes Indian violin.
Number of musicians: 3-6 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
Bio: Aztec Stories incorporates musical performance with spoken word and interactive audience participation to share the culture of ancient Mexico and the indigenous world of the Mexika (meh-shee-ka)/Aztecs. The stories, ballads, and narratives presented in this program are all true and based on documented accounts. Many handmade reproductions of indigenous instruments are used and shared throughout the presentation.
Instrumentation: Tlapitzalli (flutes), huilacapitztli (ocarinas), chichtli (whistles), ayacachtli (shakers and rattles), tzcahauztli (rasps), bubalak (Mayan gourd water drums), gourd trumpet, ayayotls (shakers wrapped around the ankles), atecocolli (conch shell trumpet), teponaztli (two-toned wood drum), ayotl (turtle shell drum), frog shell (produces the sound of a frog), singing stones (oldest instrument in the world), chikauaztli (rain stick), xiuhkoatl (fire stick - makes the sound of crackling fire), and guitar.
Bio: Inspired by the cultures of Indonesia, Bali & Beyond features a variety of Gamelan from Bali, including sacred ritual pieces and secular music of the royal court performed on shimmering bronze metallophones, gongs, and gong chimes. Credits include the Hollywood Bowl, California Arts Council Touring Roster, Music Center, Huntington Gardens, and many more.
Instrumentation: 2 to 6 Metallophones (slendro & pelog tunings), various gongs, gong chimes, drums, flutes, and jaw harp.
Number of musicians: 2-5 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
Bio: It's Eastern but Western. It laughs while it weeps. It's happy but minor key. It's klezmer, the lively Yiddish jazz with an upbeat tempo and inherent humor that is appropriate for all ages.
Instrumentation:Banjo/guitar/mandolin/bouzouki/balalaika, clarinet, accordion, bass, violin, trombone, trumpet, drums, flute and vocals. Additional strings, horns, and percussion are also available.
Number of musicians: 1-9 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
Bio: Ana Gazzola and Sonia Santos present authentic and informative performances of bossa nova, samba, and other traditional Brazilian musical forms. Audiences learn about the instruments, songs, and people of Brazil in their energetic and highly entertaining show.
Instrumentation: Guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion and vocals.
Number of musicians: 3-12 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
Bio: Braziliando plays an enchanting mix of samba, bossa nova and Brazilian jazz featuring the beautiful guitar playing and soulful vocals of Kleber Jorge, a native of Rio De Janeiro, singing in both Portuguese and English. Also from Brazil, percussionist Cassio Duarte adds raw rhythmic energy and hypnotic pulse playing a wide variety of Brazilian and African drums and percussion instruments. The lyrical and passionate saxophone and flute playing of Robert Kyle round out this trio.
Instrumentation: As a trio: saxophone/flute/percussion, guitar/vocals and percussion. Group can be augmented by any or all of the following: bass, drums, piano, and additional vocals.
Number of musicians: 3-7 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
Bio: Build An Ark is a Los Angeles based music ensemble comprised of artists from varied musical and ethnic backgrounds. A multi-generational group, Build An Ark fuses folk, jazz and psychedlic forms and sounds into one inspired, collective expression.
Bio: For more than a decade, Chinese Classical Music Ensemble's performance of Chinese classical and original repertoires on Chinese and western instruments has been featured in numerous concerts and soundtracks such as appearances with the San Francisco Symphony and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and on the soundtracks of Jackie Chan's and Disney's movies. In 2002, this ensemble's performance at the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration was featured in a highlight broadcast that aired nationally on PBS.
Instrumentation: Dizi (Chinese bamboo flute), yangqin (Chinese butterfly harp), zheng (Chinese long zither), sheng (Chinese mouth organ), pipa (Chinese lute), erhu (Chinese violin), violin, viola, cello, bass, and percussion.
Number of musicians: 1-12 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
Bio: Updating and reinvigorating the lively son jarocho music of Veracruz, Mexico, Conjunto Jardín specializes in presenting this style to a broad audience and features the only known female requinto player. "Instantly captivating, generating dancing in the aisles� a superb example of the manner in which traditional music and dance continue to have the power to reach out and gather in new, receptive audiences." - Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
Instrumentation: 2 Jaranas (regional guitars), 1 requinto (regional lead guitar), bass, cajon, keyboards, various regional percussion (pandero, quijada) and vocals.
Bio: Conjunto Los Pochos performs Conjunto music (also known as Conjunto Tejano or Musica Norteña) comprised of polkas, waltzes, boleros, cumbias and other danceable rhythms. Deeply rooted in the Conjunto tradition, they play old standards as well as new original music.
Instrumentation: "Full band/Quartet: Button accordion, bajo sexto, bass, drums and vocals. Trio: Button accordion, bajo sexto, guitarron or upright bass and vocals."
Number of musicians: 3-4 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
Bio: Craicmore is a contemporary traditional Celtic band with roots deep in the heritage of Scotland and Ireland. Featuring the critically acclaimed contralto Nancy Johnston singing in Irish, Scots Gaelic and English, Craicmore has performed for more than 8 years throughout the Western United States at Highland Games, Irish Fairs and community concerts. "Celtic Music that touches the heart, mind & soul" - Flagstaff Live
Bio: This Barbadian singer/songwriter delivers performances influenced by soul, modern roots, rock, and reggae. Recently relocated to Los Angeles, Kirton has been awarded the titles of Reggae Artist of the Year and has won a total of four Barbados music awards.
Instrumentation: Vocals/Guitar, Lead Guitar, Drum, Bass, Keyboard, Saxophone, Harmonies
Bio: "Jewish Klezmer music borrows its exuberant, whimsical, driving rhythms and melodies from the musical traditions of 19th century Eastern European wedding dance music and 20th century American big band jazz and Yiddish theater. Extreme Klezmer Makeover creates a blend of Klezmer music fused with Cajun, bluegrass, Middle Eastern, reggae and Sephardic rhythms and melodies."
Bio: The Greg Porée Band utilizes improvisation and focuses on melody to create a world jazz sound driven by groove. Greg Porée is the featured guitarist of the group who has performed with artists from Stevie Wonder to Ozomatli.
Bio: Made up of an international mix of performers, Klezmer Juice presents fresh renditions of traditional Jewish Soul music. They have performed locally at venues such as the Skirball Center as well as toured throughout South America.
Bio: The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony specializes in Jewish music from Yiddish to Klezmer to Sephardic. They also perform other music from Beethoven to Bacharach. They are well known for their children's concerts and the audience-friendly approach of Artistic Director/Conductor Dr. Noreen Green.
Instrumentation: Strings, winds, brass, percussion, harp, piano and world instruments.
Bio: Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the members of Los Pinguos have been entertaining Los Angelinos for the past six years with their eclectic mix of reggae, flamenco, samba, cumbia, and Argentine folk music. From performing on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, they have worked their way up to performing at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Downtown Los Angeles for the annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration.
Instrumentation: Spanish guitars, cajon (Peruvian box drum), Cuban tres guitar, electric bass guitar, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, drums, and percussion.
Number of musicians: 5-10 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. System
Bio: The 8-member Masanga Marimba Ensemble plays music from Africa and Latin America on marimbas of various sizes, drums and percussion, and the mbira, a hand-held instrument with 22-28 metal keys which is traditionally used in Africa for calling ancestral spirits and dance. The group is led by Dr. Ric Alviso, a Cal State Northridge professor of World Music, who has studied with master musicians in Zimbabwe and Senegal.
Instrumentation: 3 soprano Zimbabwean marimbas, 3 tenor Zimbabwean marimbas, 1 baritone Zimbabwean marimba, 1 bass Zimbabwean marimba, 2 mbiras (Zimbabwean thumb-pianos), 1 drum set, gourd shakers and other assorted percussion, and saxophone and trumpet.
Number of musicians: 8 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
Bio: The Michael White Quintet: Unit 2, led by commercial recording jazz violinist Michael White, brings together some of LA’s most versatile musicians to create a sound that has been dubbed “kozmic groove.” The Michael White Quintet Unit 2’s wide-ranging repertoire includes original compositions, jazz classics, Latin and Bossa Nova, as well as spontaneous sound improvisation.
Bio: Performing a blend of Celtic traditional songs and instrumentals, the Twilight Lords combine the spirit of the old with modern contemporary music of the British Isles. Dublin-born and raised Ken O'Malley is Musical Director of the Los Angeles Celtic Arts Center, and has carried the tradition of Irish music forward in the United States for over two decades.
Bio: With the powerful rhythms of ensemble taiko music at its foundation, the On Ensemble (pronounced "ohn") combines the musical and dance talents of its four members into provocative performances. As Los Angeles Japanese newspaper Rafu Shimpo put it, "On Ensemble...has made its mark in both the U.S. and Japan with its one-of-a-kind blend of taiko with non-traditional styles including jazz, rock, and electronic."
Instrumentation: Taiko (Japanese drums), koto (Japanese 13 string zither), bamboo flutes, western trap drums, overtone throat singing, vocals and dance.
Bio: Rasheed Ali and Rain People celebrate the musical melting pot of the African diaspora by combining a diverse group of musicians from the Caribbean, South America and Africa. Singing songs in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Yoruba, the music of Rasheed Ali and Rain People embraces the global village.
Instrumentation: Keyboards, percussion, steel pan guitar, bass, drums and Afro-Caribbean percussion
Bio: The TAIKOPROJECT, founded in 2000, is an ensemble of America's premiere emerging taiko drummers dedicated to preserving and disseminating American taiko through educational activities and public performances. The ensemble's work balances the traditions and rich history of American taiko with a contemporary edge exploring new dimensions in taiko.
Instrumentation: Japanese taiko drums (chudaiko, okedo-taiko, shime-daiko, O-daiko), Japanese percussion (chappa, atarigane, uchiwa-daiko, hyoshigi), Japanese woodwinds (bamboo flutes - yokobue, shakuhachi) and other percussion instruments (shakers, wood blocks).
Bio: Taumbu has been playing congas for 50 years throughout the world and worked with such musical greats as Archie Shepp, Joe Henderson, Horace Tapscott, and Los Tropicanos, among others. His ensemble creates an exotic atmosphere of rhythms from Africa to Cuba, Brazil to Haiti, and blends with a jazz horn section performing Taumbu compositions, traditional jazz and folk melodies.
Bio: Formed in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1980s and reformed in Southern California in the early 1990s, this group is known for their unique, Caribbean sound. Upstream incorporates reggae, calypso, soca, West Indian boogie and steel drum music.
Bio: Stefani Valadez is a singer, guitarist, percussionist and songwriter performing ancient and contemporary love songs from the Spanish, North African, Middle Eastern, Brazilian, Irish and American blues traditions. She and her band of seasoned musicians play instruments from around the world.
Bio: Established in 1998, Very Be Careful plays traditional vallenato music from the Colombian Caribbean coast. It is a 50s/60s roots style parranda (meaning jam or party) that calls on the audience to become dancing participants.
Bio: The Wicked Tinkers are roving musicians who blend the ancient art of the Highland bagpipes with the primal driving rhythms of drums and the Bronze Age horn. They play the kind of music heard hundreds of years ago in Scottish castles or around campfires. A national performing and recording ensemble, the Wicked Tinkers have appeared on TV and performed at festivals across the country.
Instrumentation: Bagpipe, snare drum, djembe, bodhran, tapan (bass drum), didgeridoo, and Bronze Age Celtic horn.
Number of musicians: 3-4 Additional Equipment Available: P.A. system
