19th Annual World Music Festival Announces Full 2017 Lineup

Jul 20, 2017 James Currie Breaking News, Music News, This Just In 0

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19th ANNUAL WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL CHICAGO ANNOUNCES THE FULL SCHEDULE OF DIVERSE INTERNATIONAL MUSICIANS CELEBRATING THE RICH CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SEPTEMBER 8-24

Performances at 23 Venues include Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Salif Keita, an all-night Ragamala, a special debut of the Bharath Symphony by Dr. L. Subramaniam to commemorate the 70^th anniversary of India’s Independence in Millennium Park

The world will come together from September 8 to 24 at a variety of venues across the city for the 19th Annual World Music Festival Chicago. Celebrating diverse music from across the globe, this FREE festival is produced by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and is the largest festival of its kind in the United States.

In addition to the previously announced artists, a highlight of the 2017 festival includes a performance by singer and saxophonist Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 from Nigeria. A star in his own right, Seun Kuti is the son of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti and the inheritor of his band Egypt 80 along with their famous ultra-funky sound. They will perform on September 23 at FELABRATION! featuring Bitori of Cape Verde, and AFRICA HI-FI, a unique musical tribute to Africa created by DJ and producer Ron Trent and Sonia Hassan fusing music and social consciousness with art and dance. The performance will take place at the Concord Music Hall (2047 N. Milwaukee Ave.) at 8 p.m.

Recently announced performances include Salif Keita, the all night Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music, opening-weekend collaboration with Chicago SummerDance in Grant Park, concerts in Millennium Park, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, DePaul University Concert Hall and several other venues throughout the city. The full schedule can be found online at worldmusicfestivalchicago.org

In line with the One Chicago campaign recently launched by the City of Chicago, the World Music Festival reaffirms that Chicago welcomes everyone. One Chicago is a multimedia representation emphasizing that every Chicagoan has a story all their own, but the thread that connects us lives in the promise of this city. For details, visit onechi.org.

Opening the festival on Friday, September 8, the all-night Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music starts at 6:30 p.m. under the Tiffany stained glass dome of Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.). A tradition in India, the all-night classical concerts are rarely held publicly in the United States. Visitors have the rare opportunity to hear the ragas (traditional scales or modes) during the early morning and late night hours as they were meant to be played. The all-night concert features more than eight musical groups and artists.

Ragamala highlights include Priya Venkatraman & Troupe performingthe stories of “Ahimsa: Non-Violence” with music by Shiv Subramaniam. Dancer and choreographer Priya Venkatraman is one of the premier contemporary practitioners in the ancient art of Bharatanatyam, an important and very old classical dance tradition of India. Legendary tabla artist Anindo Chatterjee will perform a tabla duet with his son Anubrata Chatterjee. Anindo Chatterjee, a student of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, is widely regarded as one of the greatest living tabla practitioners. Alam Khan and Ambi Subramaniam will perform their first-ever jugalbandhi together as they pay tribute to the legendary Carnatic and Hidustani jugalbandhi collaboration that took place nearly 25 years ago between their respective, iconic fathers, the late Ali Akbar Khan and Dr. L. Subramaniam.

On Saturday, September 9, Salif Keita will perform at the Concord Music Hall (2047 N. Milwaukee Ave.) at 8 p.m. Salif Kieta is known as “the Golden Voice of Africa” and is one of the  greatest singers to emerge from modern Mali. He has towered as one of the most dominant stars of world music since launching a solo career in 1982 and has long been a pioneer experimenting with various pop hybrids to reach a larger audience without abandoning his deep footing in Mande tradition.

On Saturday, September 16, Venezualan artist Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo will perform at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park at 3 p.m. The powerhouse singer Betsayda Machado brings the sound of Afro-Venezuelan culture to Chicago this year, introducing a rich, polyrhythmic sound as soulful as it is irresistible. She will perform with La Parranda El Clavo, a living link to the area’s musical heritage that’s been active for more than three decades. She launched her career with them back in the late 80s and the group performs songs about saints, dancing, slavery and the hard lives of the cocoa-plantation workers who originally sang parranda.

On Saturday, September 16, to commemorate Mexican Independence Day, World Music Festival Chicago will present the critically-acclaimed Mariachi Flor de Toloache from New York and Los Hijos de la Montaña at Thalia Hall (1807 S. Allport St.) at 9 p.m.

On Sunday, September 17, The 606 Walk + Global Peace Picnic at the Humboldt Park Boathouse (1301 N. Sacramento Ave.) from 2–6 p.m. is a day of family-friendly activities that include instrument making, a peace procession and more. Highlights also include performances by: La Tribu de Abrante, a bomba group from Puerto Rico led by Hiram Abrante offering flavors of salsa, energetic vocals and the energy of reggaeton; Nigerian singer and guitarist Mdou Moctar and Veneualan artist Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo.

On Saturday, September 23, as part of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival featuring Nicole Mitchell and Ballake Sissoko: Bamako * Chicago Sound System will perform two shows at the University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts (915 E. 60^th St.) at 3 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.

World Music Festival is sponsored by Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, Chicago Sun-Times, and Millennium Garages. Grant support for World Music Festival provided by the Chicago Park District, Irish American Heritage Center, National Museum of Mexican Art, and Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America, a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

The full schedule with locations and times of each performance is included below. For more information and festival updates, visit worldmusicfestivalchicago.org and follow the festival on Facebook and on Twitter @WMFChicago #WorldMusicFestChi #ChicagoIsOne.

World Music Festival Chicago 2017 – Full Schedule

***NOTE – all bands are listed as follows unless otherwise noted HEADLINER with the OPENER(S) listed underneath – headliners on top. If on the same line, artists have been given equal billing. Schedule is subject to change.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

Underground System (New York, NY)

Chicago SummerDance

Grant Park, Spirit of Music Garden

601 S. Michigan Ave.

Dance Lesson: 6–7 p.m.

Live Music: 7:30–9:30 p.m.

All Ages

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8–SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music + Dance

Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall

78 E. Washington St.

6:30 p.m.–10 a.m.

All Ages

HINDUSTANI (SUNSET @ 7:12 p.m.)

6:30–7:30 p.m.

The 85 Year Evolution of Music in Indian Films

Anjali Ray, (vocals) with Rishi Thakkar (tabla) + TBD (harmonium)

CARNATIC

7:50–8:50 p.m.

Priya Venkatraman & Troupe performing the stories of “Ahimsa: Non-Violence”

Music by Shiv Subramaniam

HINDUSTANI

9:10–10:25 p.m.

Anindo Chatterjee (tabla) with Anubrata Chatterjee (tabla) and Rohan Misra (sarangi)

CARNATIC

10:45–11:45 p.m.

Aditya Prakash (vocals) with Mythili Prakash (bharatanatyam dancer)

JUGALBANDI

12–1:30 a.m.

Alam Khan (sarode) with Ambi Subramaniam (violin), Salar Nader (tabla) and Mahesh Krishnamurthy (mridangam)

HINDUSTANI

1:50–3:05 a.m.

Satish Vyas (santoor) with Anindo Chatterjee (tabla)

CARNATIC

3:25 a.m. –4:40 a.m.

Music from Abhang & Carnatic Traditions

Shiv Subramaniam (vocals), Sruti Sarathy (violin) and Rajna Swaminathan (mridangam)

HINDUSTANI

5–6:10 a.m.

Roopa Panesar (sitar) with Prishanna Thevarajah (mridangam) and Nitin Mitta (tabla)

SUPRABHATAM (SUNRISE @ 6:25 a.m.)

6:15–6:30 a.m. 

Awakening the Gods: Chants from Tirumali Hills

YOGA + GONG MEDITATION LAB

Zen Yoga Garage + GongLab

Millennium Park, Great Lawn

201 E. Randolph St.

8–10 a.m.

(2 hours)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

Bharath Symphony for the 70th Anniversary of India’s Independence

World Premiere Work Commissioned for World Music Festival Chicago

Written and scored by Dr. L. Subramaniam

Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion

201 E. Randolph St.

3 p.m.

All Ages

Duo Scofano-Minetti (Argentina)

Chicago SummerDance

Grant Park, Spirit of Music Garden

601 S. Michigan Ave.

Dance Lesson: 6–7 p.m.

Live Music: 7:30–9:30 p.m.

All Ages

Salif Keita (Mali)

Grand Tapestry (Los Angeles, CA)

Concord Music Hall

2047 N. Milwaukee Ave.

8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.)

21+

Uptown Saturday Nights featuring Ugochi & The Afro Soul Ensemble (Chicago, IL)

with a special performance by God’s Grace, a Congolese refugee family

Wilson Abbey

935 W. Wilson Ave.

8–9:30 p.m.

All Ages

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Feufollet (Lafayette, LA)

Chicago SummerDance

Grant Park, Spirit of Music Garden

601 S. Michigan Ave.

Dance Lesson: 4–5 p.m.

Live Music: 5–7 p.m.

All Ages

“Women of the World”

Underground System (New York, NY)

Ecos del Pacifico Afrocolombia (Colombia)

lePercolateur (Chicago, IL)

Navy Pier

600 E. Grand Ave

3–6 p.m.

All Ages

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

Alfonso Ponticelli + Swing Gitan (Chicago, IL)

Eva Salina (New York, NY)

Green Mill

4802 N. Broadway St.

7:30 p.m.

21+

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Tcheka (Cape Verde)

Eva Salina (New York, NY)

The Hideout

1354 W Wabansia Ave

7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)

21+

Kalapriya presents Bhangra Blowout with DJ + Live Dhol (Chicago, IL)

Chicago SummerDance in the Parks

Willye B. White Park

1610 W. Howard St.

6–9 p.m.

All Ages

Lúnasa (Ireland)

Irish American Heritage Center

4626 N. Knox Ave.

7 p.m.

All Ages

Vox Sambou (Montreal, Québec | Haiti)

Los Hijos De la Montaña (Tucson, AZ + Portland, OR)

Martyrs’

3855 N. Lincoln Ave.

8 p.m. (doors open at 8 p.m.)

21+

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Yao Ye (China)

Ping Tom Memorial Park

300 W. 19th St.

6 p.m.

All Ages

Film Screening: Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai

Tamashek with English subtitles, 75 mins

Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater

78 E Washington St.

6 p.m.

All Ages

Vox Sambou (Montreal, Québec | Haiti)

Tcheka (Cape Verde)

The Promontory

5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West

7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)

All Ages

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

La Tribu de Abrante (Puerto Rico)

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center

4046 W. Armitage Ave.

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

All Ages

Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo (Venezuela)

Luciano Antonio Quartet (Brazil | Chicago, IL)

Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion

201 E. Randolph St.

3 p.m.

All Ages

MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

Mariachi Flor de Toloache (New York, NY)

Los Hijos De La Montaña (Tucson, AZ + Portland, OR)

Thalia Hall

1807 S. Allport Ave.

9 p.m. (doors open at 8 p.m.)

21+

Mdou Moctar (Niger)

Ode (Chicago, IL)

Martyrs’

3855 N. Lincoln Ave.

10 p.m. (doors open at 9 p.m.)

21+

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Yao Ye (China)

Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater

78 E. Washington St.

2 p.m.

All Ages

The 606 Walk + Global Peace Picnic with Juicebox Concerts

La Tribu de Abrante (Puerto Rico)

Mdou Moctar (Niger)

Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo (Venezuela)

Humboldt Park Boathouse

1301 N. Sacramento Ave.

2–6 p.m.

All Ages

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Trio da Kali (Mali)

Hong Sung Hyun’s Chobeolbi (South Korea)

Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall

78 E. Washington St.

6 p.m.

All Ages

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Hong Sung Hyun’s Chobeolbi (South Korea)

Daley Plaza

50 W. Washington St.

Noon

All Ages

INSTRUMENT WORKSHOP

Hong Sung Hyun’s Chobeolbi (South Korea)

People’s Music School

931 W. Eastwood Ave.

6 p.m.

All Ages

Sahba Motallebi (USA | Iran) with Naghmeh Farahmand (Canada | Iran)

Iberi Choir (Georgia)

Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall

78 E. Washington St.

6 p.m.

All Ages

Trio da Kali (Mali)

Rami Gabriel (Chicago, IL)

The Hideout

1354 W. Wabansia Ave.

7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

21+

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Bitori (Cape Verde)

Beats y Bateria (Chicago, IL)

The Promontory

5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West

6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show

All Ages

Iberi Choir (Georgia)

DePaul University Concert Hall

800 W. Belden Ave.

8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.)

All Ages

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Hyde Park Jazz Festival

Nicole Mitchell & Ballake Sissoko: Bamako * Chicago Sound System  (USA + Mali)

University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts

915 E. 60th St.

3-4 p.m. and 5:45-6:45 p.m.

All Ages

FELABRATION!

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (Nigeria)

Bitori (Cape Verde)

AFRICA HI-FI: Ron Trent (MUSICANDPOWER / AFRICA HI-FI) and Sonia H. (Chicago, IL)

Concord Music Hall

2047 N. Milwaukee Ave.

8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.)

21+

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Chicago Gypsy Jazz Festival & Caravan Art Festival

Sara Labriola Quartet (New York, NY)

The Harmonious Wail (Madison, WI)

Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan (Chicago, IL)

and more!

Band of Bohemia

4710 N. Ravenswood Ave.

1–6 p.m.

All Ages

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