Exciting world musicians will grace the stage at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival this week, with musicians from Mali, Morocco, Lebanon, Sudan, and the U.S.!
Amadou & Mariam is a blind husband-and-wife duo and they are one of West Africa’s finest musical exports, with music that sparkles with an Afro-blues sound. On Friday, July 21, they bring their world-renowned music to the Bandshell alongside the thunderous New York City collective Innov Gnawa, a group that builds upon Morocco’s gnawa tradition with clattering, hypnotic rhythms, led by Maalem (Master) Hassan Ben Jaafer of Fez. Sudanese indie rocker Ahmed Gallab, better known by his stage name Sinkane, will spin records.
Then, on Saturday, July 22, Beirut-based indie rockers Mashrou’ Leila visit the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn stage, with music that breaks boundaries and courts controversy thanks to lyrics that are by turns satirical and sexual, crooned by frontman Hamed Sinno. Experimental acoustic ensemble Dawn of Midi, from Brooklyn, will open the night, along with a set from Lebanon’s DJ Khatir.
The globe-trotting fun doesn’t end there. Upcoming BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival shows include the Italian silent film Maciste All’Inferno with a live score by Sexmob and a set from Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir on July 27, Andrew Bird with special guest Esperanza Spalding on July 28; and French-speaking dancehall legend Admiral T and Haitian compas band Tabou Combo on July 29. Be sure to check out the Prospect Park Bandshell this summer to experience music and culture from around the world and around the block!
