World Music Institute's LUSOPHONE FESTIVAL Opens Tonight with Os Mutantes

World Music Institute opens its spectacular 30th Anniversary Season with a four-night cross-cultural Lusophone Festival, featuring music from the Portuguese-speaking world with artists from Brazil, Portugal, Cape Verde, Angola, and Mozambique. From today, September 15, through September 18, back-to-back concerts take place at venues around town including Le Poisson Rouge, Drom NYC, and The Town Hall.

From Artistic Director Par Neiburger: "For our first ever Lusophone Festival, we are thrilled to present artists from Brazil, Europe, different countries in Africa, and Cape Verde -- performing at one festival that is tied together by the commonality of language.

"Brazil's Os Mutantes is one of my favorite bands of all time; they have been tremendously influential on modern music, even in America. Artists such as David Byrne, Beck and Nirvana considered them to be huge influences and they continue to enjoy an unparalleled cult status. Also from Brazil is Ana Carolina, one of the finest and most successful artists of MPB (Música Popular Brasileira).

"Inviting Lula Pena from Portugal to this festival was of interest to WMI because of her unique way of weaving in Cape Verdean morn and Brazilian bossa nova, demonstrating the ways in which Lusophone cultures cross-pollinate. Fantcha from Cape Verde was the protégé of the great Cesaria Evora, arguably the greatest singer and export from the island. Fantcha carries the torch for Cesaria and is a very important artist from that country.

"Ricardo Lemvo is a remarkable musician from Angola who incorporates many influences into his music, including Salsa -- this show is going to be a dance party without a doubt. Opening up for him will be Isabel Novella, an up-and-coming singer from Mozambique who is not yet well known in America. We are pleased to present an artist who is representative of the young Afropolitan movement in African music."

Under new leadership and with new staff, World Music Institute celebrates this milestone season with an expansion of concert offerings that reflects a contemporary and avant-garde spirit, and the launch of new partnerships with BAM, 92nd Street Y, Storm King Art Center, Le Poisson Rouge, and Drom.

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Os Mutantes
The kings of Brazilian psychedelia
Tuesday, September 15, 8:00 p.m.
Le Poisson Rouge
$30 in Advance, $35 Day of Show
TICKETS

Os Mutantes are the pioneers of Brazilian avant-garde, and this show at LPR marks their World Music Institute debut. WMI Artistic Director Par Neiburger compares them to "the earlier, experimental Pink Floyd."

The late '60s in Brazil produced an explosion of new sounds and ideas that still reverberate throughout the world. During that time, Os Mutantes created a unique psychedelic sound that brought them international attention, earning them a lasting legacy. Their music weaves together musical influences from the English speaking world-inspirations include John Cage, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix-with bossa nova, samba, and other styles from their native Brazil.

Os Mutantes' ethereal absurdist pop music, sonic collage approach and tendency for cultural irony has influenced many prominent musicians, from the Flaming Lips to David Byrne. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was tipped to the band by members of the band Red Kross. When Nirvana toured Brazil in 1993, Cobain tried to arrange a meeting with Mutante bassist/singer Arnaldo Baptista. Unable to locate the musician he sent him the following note: "Arnaldo, best wishes to you, and be careful with the system. They swallow you up and spit you out like a maraschino cherry pit."

Lula Pena
The reclusive and spectacular Fado singer from Lisbon
Wednesday, September 16, 8:00 p.m.
Drom NYC
$25 in Advance, $30 At the Door
TICKETS

A truly exquisite Fado singer, the elusive and esoteric Lula Pena-one of the greatest singers born in Portugal-makes her WMI debut. Her works draws on international influences to add new textures to Portugal's ancient musical genre, as she blends traditional fado with Portuguese folk, French chanson, Cape Verdean morna, and Brazilian bossa nova. With a commanding yet sensitive voice, Pena performs solo guitar and sings of passion and pain, mirroring her personal journey as both musician and poet.

Ana Carolina with Fantcha
One of the grand stars of Brazil's new guard,
along with the multi-dimensional Cape Verde vocalist
Thursday, September 17, 8:00 p.m.
The Town Hall
$55-$75
TICKETS

Ana Carolina's musical talent brought her immediate success: she began performing in local venues in 1998, and her first album earned her a Latin Grammy nomination only a year later. Today, she is one of the most important and popular voices in Brazil. World Music Institute is thrilled to present her for the first time. A skilled songwriter, Carolina draws on the wide range of music that she loves, from Chico Buarque, Maria Bethânia, and João Bosco to Björk and Nina Simone. Carolina is a talented multi-instrumentalist, performing on both guitar and percussion and especially lauded for her skillful playing of the pandeiro, a Brazilian tambourine-like instrument.

The evening also features the Cape Verde-born vocalist Fantcha, protégé of Cesaria Evora. Her music offers a unique blend of African, Cuban, and Portuguese inflections, embracing a wide range of emotions. Her sensuous voice is as compelling when evoking the longing in soulful mornas, as when she turns to energetic renditions of coladeras. Fantcha has toured throughout Cape Verde, Europe, and the U.S., with performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Chicago World Music Festival, New York's Summerstage, and Joe's Pub.

Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca
with Isabel Novella
The African Salsa ambassador from Angola
along with a stunning new Afropolitan voice from Mozambique
Friday, September 18, 10:00 p.m.
Drom NYC
$30
TICKETS

Raised in The Democratic Republic of the Congo (known as Zaire at the time) with Angolan family roots, Ricardo Lemvo moved to the U.S. at age 15 to continue his education. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in political science. In 1990 he formed the band Makina Loca. The group's "seamless, organic and infectious" (Los Angeles Times) blend of Cuban and African rumba and soukous, Angolan kizomba and samba, and Cuban son and salsa has garnered them critical acclaim in the decades since. "Ricardo Lemvo blends Cuba, Congo into one soulful package," wrote The Chicago Tribune, calling him "one of the few artists in tropical music today who is moving the genre forward."

Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca's latest album is La Rumba SoYo, a multinational undertaking that was recorded on three continents and in four countries (US, Canada, France and Angola). It took Lemvo three years to complete and saw him dive even deeper into his Angolan roots for inspiration.

Isabel Novella, a stunning new Afropolitan voice from Mozambique, will open the program. Unique in style and performance, Novella has carved her own niche as an artist who straddles soul-bossa jazz, marrabenta-bossa, and up beat Afro-soul to create a sound that Novella calls "pop-world soul."

ABOUT WMI (www.worldmusicinstitute.org) - Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute has served as the leading presenter of world music and dance within the United States. For the past 30 years, WMI has built the most comprehensive concert series of diverse music and dance performances, presenting the finest in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world. WMI encourages cultural exchange between nations and ethnic groups and collaborates with community organizations and academic institutions in fostering greater understanding of the world's cultural traditions. WMI works extensively with community groups and organizations including Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Hungarian, Irish, and Central Asian. This has enabled WMI to be at the forefront of presenting the finest ensembles from these countries.

WMI curates a full season of concerts each year in New York City in venues throughout the city, including Carnegie Hall, The Apollo, BAM, 92Y, Symphony Space, Town Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Roulette, The Beacon Theatre, Skirball Performing Arts Center at NYU, New York City Center, Drom, Storm King Art Center, the Rose Theater (Jazz at Lincoln Center), and Le Poisson Rouge. It has presented more than 1,500 concerts and events featuring artists from more than 100 countries including Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

In addition to its regular programming, WMI has brought many musical, dance and ritual traditions to the New York or U.S. stage for the first time, including Laotian sung poetry, folk music of Khorason and Bushehr (Iran), songs of the Yemenite Jews, Bardic divas of Central Asia, trance ceremonies from Morocco, music from Madagascar, and Theyyams (masked dances) of Kerala, South India. For more WMI events and the complete 30th anniversary season schedule, visit www.worldmusicinstitute.org.

Tickets for all World Music Institute events are available for purchase online at www.worldmusicinstitute.org, or by calling 1-888-596-1027.