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New York Global Music

Global Music in NYC is mostly in nightclubs. Global Music is the music of the entire world, except for Europe, the European Diaspora and the Latin world. It’s mostly music from Mother Africa and Asia. Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat is Global Music.

Robert Browning Associates and the World Music Institute are among the category’s pioneers.

The term “World Music” comes from Classical Music, but it’s current meaning (non-European Diaspora music) didn’t enter popular usage until the late 1980s. The Recording Academy (Grammys) struggles to wrap its head around this because the great majority of music on Earth is not European.

The Grammys started their “World Music” category in 1992. In 2020, they changed the term from “World Music” to “Global Music.” The idea is that “World Music” put “us” against the world, whereas the term “Global Music” is inclusive. At least the Recording Academy is trying. Anyway, Global Music is Great!

Global Music is World Music (Steve Ball/Adobe)
Global Music is World Music (Steve Ball/Adobe)

NYC Global Music Venues

These producers and venues also present a lot of Latin music.

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Global Music in NYC

Global music nyc archive

January 2023

Moroccan gnawa sacred singer Samir LanGus and New York Iraqi DJ Omar Aena play North African and Iraqi healing dance music (Global Music Afrobeats) for the World Music Institute at Nublu 151 in Manhattan’s East Village, on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 8pm (7pm doors). From $20. 🇲🇦

November 2022

Locobeach, and its own Cheo Pardo (DJ Afro), play Psychedelic Cumbia with Underground System (Afrobeat) for the World Music Institute at Nublu 151 in Manhattan’s East Village on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 8pm (7pm doors). From $20. 🇻🇪

October 2022

Opera and musical theatre producer Beth Morrison Projects presents song cycles by three great African and Diaspora singers: Zimbabwean gwenyambira (musical storyteller & healer) Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa-Nzou Mambano, New York Rocker Yaz Lancaster, and classical electronic film score composer Tamar-kali whose roots are in the South Carolina coastal islands, at Harlem Stage in Manhattanville, West Harlem on Friday-Saturday, October 28-29, 2022 at 7:30pm. From $25. 🇿🇼🇺🇸

September 2022

Michael Olatuja plays highlights from his album “Lagos Pepper Soup” for Carnegie Hall Citywide in Times Square on Friday, September 9, 2022 at 5pm. Free. carnegiehall.org 🇳🇬

The Bazurto All Stars, the iconic Colombian Champeta band, make their New York debut with a performance preceded by a Champeta dance workshop at Flushing Town Hall in Flushing, Queens on Friday, September 30, 2022. Dance Workshop at 7pm. Show at 8pm. $18. ovationtix.com 🇨🇴

May 2022

Youssou N’Dour, Africa’s most famous living singer and one of the world’s great voices, plays Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Fri, May 13, 2022 at 8pm. From $16. carnegiehall.org 🇸🇳

April 2022

Violinist, singer, composer L. Shankar, tabla master Abhijit Banerjee, and drummer Rohan Krishnamurthy play Classical Indian Music at Roulette Intermedium in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn on Sat, Apr 2 at 8pm. From $25. 🇮🇳

March 2022

Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita present their new album “Suba,” Global Music reuniting the Caribbean and Mother Africa, at Roulette Intermedium in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn on Thu, Mar 31 at 8pm. $25. robertbrowningassociates.com 🇨🇺🇸🇳🇻🇪

Sona Jobarteh a Gambia griot and the first female kora master, plays Gambian Folk and Afrobeats for the World Music Institute at Peter Norton Symphony Space in the Upper West Side on Sun, Mar 20 at 7:30pm (6:30pm doors). From $35. 🇬🇲

Bollywood blends Classical Indian Dance with Jazz and Hip-Hop in a tradition created for South Asian movies. It’s really fun.

The Bollywood Beats: Desi Saturdays party is at SOB’s in Hudson Square, Manhattan on Saturdays in March 2022. $30. 🇮🇳

Latin Music