Songs, languages and instruments from around the planet will be heard on stages citywide during the annual World Music Festival Chicago. Among the array of classical ensembles, dance bands and DJs, here are a few crucial artists:
Ambi Subramaniam
Indian violinist Ambi Subramaniam’s deep resonance echoes his father, L. Subramaniam, who is one of their country’s musical giants. But Ambi has his own vision on how to present that legacy. He has established arts academies all over India and co-leads the fusion band SubraMania with his singer sister, Bindu. His perspective also comes from a lifetime of global encounters.
“When I was growing up, I met a lot of great musicians,” Subramaniam said. “Indian classical musicians, jazz musicians and Hungarian Gypsy musicians. That taught me the standard that I aspire to be — to work hard and try to be a musician of that caliber.”
Subramaniam’s festival appearances will promote inclusivity within his country. The violinist, who represents southern India’s Carnatic music, will perform in an exchange (called “jugalbandi”) with northern Hindustani sarode player Alam Khan as part of the all-night Ragamala. Subramaniam will also participate in the premiere of his father’s epic “Bharat Symphony,” which celebrates 70 years of India’s independence and draws on the nation’s myriad cultures.
“The last part of the symphony is the choir singing, ‘The world in one country,'” Subramaniam said. “This is the perfect platform to bring people together.”
Jugalbandi, Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Saturday, Sept. 9, 12 a.m.; Bharat Symphony, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., Saturday, Sept. 9, 3 p.m.
Mdou Moctar
Mdou Moctar learned how to play guitar while he was growing up in a rural village in Niger. Now he uses the instrument to write songs that are based on the inviting melodies of nomadic Tuareg tribes. Moctar also expresses an appeal for cohesion.
“When I play, it’s to send a message that all the Tuaregs need to be united,” Moctar said. “Whether you are from Libya and I am from Niger, we are all the same.”
Moctar has experienced his own travails in migrating across borders, such as trying to find a guitar that he could play left-handed. But his fame took off when he starred in the 2015 movie “Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai.” The film is a Tuareg adaptation of Prince’s “Purple Rain” and even its title loosely translates as “/Rain the Color of Blue With A Little Red Inside.”
He is especially pleased about the response from one person in the docudrama’s audience, saying, “I’m just happy that my father likes it.”
Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln Ave., Saturday, Sept. 16, 10:00 p.m.; Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1301 N. Sacramento Ave., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2:00 p.m.; “Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai,” Storefront Theater, Friday, Sept. 15, 6:00
Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo
For Venezuelan singer Betsayda Machado, her tradition works best at its most elemental. Machado’s group takes its name from the small town of El Clavo, where she grew up hearing the sounds of tambor. This music and dance uses just voices and drums to exhilarate audiences.
“Sometimes in Venezuela we lack love for our most pure roots,” Machado said. “My group is 30 years old, and we play the songs that are written by ourselves based on everyday stories that look back into our past.”
Tambor also emphasizes Venezuela’s historic ties to Africa through its rhythms and movements. Machado points out that her country’s history of slavery is also accentuated in its performance.
“If you look at the dance, you won’t see dancers moving their hips and waist so much,” Machado said. “You will see short steps and flirting because slaves had their feet chained. Many of the gestures are limited, but with strength in the looks and in the music.”
Machado’s lyrics address her country’s current difficulties, including “La Situación” (The Situation), which decries food shortages. She believes that the music that helped her ancestors survive remains essential to supporting Venezuelans through these crises.
“When we play, it’s a message of hope for a better future,” Machado said. “It’s tambor therapy.”
Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Saturday, Sept. 16, 3 p.m.; Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1301 N. Sacramento Ave., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2 p.m.
Some of the festival’s other exciting worldwide musicians include:
Roopa Panesar
Accomplished British sitar player Roopa Panesar brings her classical Indian training to several different contexts, including collaborations with electronics artist Talvin Singh. She will perform traditionally in an early morning Ragamala set.
Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, Saturday, Sept. 9, 5 a.m.
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Singer Seun Kuti carries on the legacy of his father, influential Nigerian afrobeat creator Fela Kuti. Afrobeat blends American funk with West African tones in lengthy compositions that are politically sharp and relentlessly danceable.
Concord Music Hall, 2047 N. Milwaukee Ave., Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m. (21+)
Vox Sambou
Like Fela and Seun Kuti, charismatic Canada-based Haitian rapper Vox Sambou’s records delve into social issues. He also fuses his homeland’s beats with salsa and hip-hop.
Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln Ave., Thursday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m. (21+); The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West, Friday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m.
When: Sept. 8–Sept. 24
Where: Venues across Chicago
Tickets: Free; www.worldmusicfestivalchicago.org
Aaron Cohen is a freelance writer.
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