Twenty years after she released her debut album Zabalaza, Thandiswa Mazwai is taking her magic to the GlobalFEST New York stage.
Once again, King Tha will be flying the Mzansi flag high at the Lincoln center for the performing arts where it’ll be a full day of music and performances on Sunday.
Three stages in the David Geffen Hall will be graced by musical traditions from all over the world.
"We look forward to heading back to NYC with GlobalFEST and can’t wait to create sacred spaces for healing and freedom at the world-renowned Lincoln Centre,” Thandiswa says.
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"What is also exciting is that so many people that are involved in the making of my upcoming album Sankofa are also performing in New York this coming weekend. Meshell Ndegeocello, who produced a few songs, will be doing a residency at the Blue Note, Nduduzo Makhathini is playing the New York winter jazz fest, and one of my new favourites Julius Rodriguez who plays piano on some the songs will also be performing. So, New York will be all wrapped up in the sounds of Sankofa this weekend. Makwande!"
Throughout its 21 years of existence, the festival has been a musical beacon, bridging cultural divides and audiences together through the universal language of music. The curation has proven to be influential to arts organisations and venues across the country and jumpstarted the US touring careers of incredible artists, including Antibalas, Amythyst Kiah, Angelique Kidjo, DakhaBrakha, Jupiter and Okwess, Martha Redbone, Rhiannon Giddens among others.
Since inception, GlobalFEST has showcased more than 200 artists and groups from 70 different countries, and always to sold-out audiences. Founded in response to the aftermath of 9/11, the run-up to the Iraq war, the closing of borders and rising xenophobia, the festival was a music-filled light in a dark time.
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The festival has grown from a concert into a catalytic non-profit organisation that serves an intersectional array of global artists and the larger performing arts field. Additionally, the festival has centered gender equity as a goal and made LGBTQ+ voices a programming priority.
"We are thrilled to once again bring artists from all over the world to Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall. The power of music to bring people together during trying times is more important than ever. globalFEST began following the dark days between 9/11 and the start of the Iraq War. Now in its 21st year, as the world faces new conflicts and the horrors of war are all around us, we remain devoted to encouraging cultural awareness through musical discovery,” says the co-directors Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer and Bill Bragin.
