DCASE Announces 20th ANNUAL WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL CHICAGO SCHEDULE Preview – MUSICIANS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE SEPTEMBER 7-23

This is a FREE annual event in Chicago. Below is a preview of the September, 2018 event.  Look for this same event next year. 

DCASE (Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events) announces that “the world will come together from September 7 to 23 at 17 venues across Chicago for the 20th Annual World Music Festival Chicago. Celebrating diverse music from across the globe, this FREE festival is produced by the is the largest festival of its kind in the United States.

Opening the festival on Friday, September 7, is the all-night Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music starting at 6 p.m. and continuing until the following morning at 8 a.m. A tradition in India, the all-night classical concerts are rarely held publicly in the United States. Visitors have the rare opportunity to hear the ragas (traditional scales or modes) as they were meant to be played during the early morning and late night hours, under the Tiffany stained glass dome of Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Presented in collaboration with Indian Classical Music Society of Chicago and People of Rhythm, the concert features a variety of musical groups and artists including: Anindo Chatterjee, Anubrata Chatterjee, Sara Ranganathan, Anandi Bhattacharya with Debashish Bhattacharya and Subhasis Bhattacharya, Debashish Bhattacharya with Swapan Chaudhuri and many more.

A special celebration for of the El Grito will take place in Millennium Park on Saturday, September 15 beginning at 3 p.m. Commemorating Mexico’s Independence Day, the concert presents four bands, all from Mexico. Headliner Mariachi Herencia de México is a Latin GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble of students from Chicago. Bringing a contemporary spin to traditional music, Chéjere combines “mexican son” with the rhythms and sounds of music genres from around the world. Performances also include Latin rock and singer-songwriter Ceci Bastida and Mexican-Canadian, musician and singer Quique Escamilla who won the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015 with his first full-length and self-produced album, 500 Years of Night.

On Sunday, September 16 in commemoration of the International Peace Day, the Global Peace Picnic at the Humboldt Park Boathouse (from 2 to 6 p.m. is planned by DCASE as a day of family-friendly activities and performances by the miramba- group Rio Mira founded by artists from Ecuador and Colombia; GRAMMY®-nominated Innov Gnawa performing Morocco’s traditional Gnawa music; and Combo Chimbita, a group of first-generation New York musicians performing music based on their Colombian heritage.

The festival finale on Sunday, September 23 is being called World Music Festival meets the World Dumpling Fest at Navy Pier wil l include performances by a number of international bands starting at 1 until 7:30 p.m. Band Highlights include Jupiter and Okwess led by Jupiter Bokondji, playing the Congolese rhythms, funk and rock referred to as “Bofenia Rock” with lyrics promoting positive social messages; Delgres from Guadeloupe, combining their native Caribbean rhythms with the delta blues for a deep roots sound of their own; and the Zhou Family Band from China, playing traditional wind and percussion music. The World Dumpling Festival at Polk Bros Park will feature dumplings of the world from 10 neighborhood ethnic restaurants, cultural artists and family activities. This event is free to the public 

DCASE spokesperson says, “In line with the City of Chicago’s One Chicago campaign, the World Music Festival reaffirms that Chicago welcomes everyone. The One Chicago campaign is the visual representation of the City’s value promise that everyone is welcome here no matter their race, religion, color or background. Through its imagery and personal stories, the campaign aims to take the negative rhetoric out of the current immigration story and remind Chicagoans that the immigrant story is everyone’s story.  And it reinforces that Chicago has been and will continue to be a city that embraces diversity - no matter the political climate.

Visit the World Music Festival website for a complete schedule.  Highlights below. 

Presented in collaboration with Indian Classical Music Society of Chicago and People of Rhythm, the concert features a variety of musical groups and artists including: Anindo Chatterjee, Anubrata Chatterjee, Sara Ranganathan, Anandi Bhattacharya with Debashish Bhattacharya and Subhasis Bhattacharya, Debashish Bhattacharya with Swapan Chaudhuri and many more.

A special celebration for of the El Grito will take place in Millennium Park on Saturday, September 15 beginning at 3 p.m. Commemorating Mexico’s Independence Day, the concert presents four bands, all from Mexico. Headliner Mariachi Herencia de México is a Latin GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble of students from Chicago. Bringing a contemporary spin to traditional music, Chéjere combines “mexican son” with the rhythms and sounds of music genres from around the world. Performances also include Latin rock and singer-songwriter Ceci Bastida and Mexican-Canadian, musician and singer Quique Escamilla who won the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015 with his first full-length and self-produced album, 500 Years of Night.

On Sunday, September 16 in commemoration of the International Peace Day, the Global Peace Picnic at the Humboldt Park Boathouse (from 2 to 6 p.m. is planned by DCASE as a day of family-friendly activities and performances by the miramba- group Rio Mira founded by artists from Ecuador and Colombia; GRAMMY®-nominated Innov Gnawa performing Morocco’s traditional Gnawa music; and Combo Chimbita, a group of first-generation New York musicians performing music based on their Colombian heritage.

The festival finale on Sunday, September 23 is being called World Music Festival meets the World Dumpling Fest at Navy Pier wil l include performances by a number of international bands starting at 1 until 7:30 p.m. Band Highlights include Jupiter and Okwess led by Jupiter Bokondji, playing the Congolese rhythms, funk and rock referred to as “Bofenia Rock” with lyrics promoting positive social messages; Delgres from Guadeloupe, combining their native Caribbean rhythms with the delta blues for a deep roots sound of their own; and the Zhou Family Band from China, playing traditional wind and percussion music. The World Dumpling Festival at Polk Bros Park will feature dumplings of the world from 10 neighborhood ethnic restaurants, cultural artists and family activities. This event is free to the public 

DCASE spokesperson says, “In line with the City of Chicago’s One Chicago campaign, the World Music Festival reaffirms that Chicago welcomes everyone. The One Chicago campaign is the visual representation of the City’s value promise that everyone is welcome here no matter their race, religion, color or background. Through its imagery and personal stories, the campaign aims to take the negative rhetoric out of the current immigration story and remind Chicagoans that the immigrant story is everyone’s story.  And it reinforces that Chicago has been and will continue to be a city that embraces diversity - no matter the political climate.

Visit the World Music Festival website for a complete schedule.  Highlights below. 

DCASE World Music Festival
Juana Molina (Argentina)
DCASE World Music Festival
Sona Jobarteh (United Kingdom | Gambia)
DCASE World Music Festival
Quique Escamilla (Toronto, Canada)
DCASE World Music Festival
Altan (Ireland)
DCASE World Music Festival
La Dame Blanche (Cuba)
DCASE World Music Festival
Mariachi Herencia De México (Chicago, IL)
DCASE World Music Festival
Rio Mira (Ecuador | Colombia)
DCASE World Music Festival
Combo Chimbita (New York, NY)
DCASE World Music Festival
Spiro (United Kingdom)
DCASE World Music Festival
Emilia Amper (Sweden)
DCASE World Music Festival
Zhou Family Band (China)
DCASE World Music Festival
Jupiter & Okwess (Congo)
DCASE World Music Festival
Andreas Kapsalis (Chicago, IL)
DCASE World Music Festival
Actores Alidos (Italy)
DCASE World Music Festival
National Arab Orchestra (Detroit, MI)
DCASE World Music Festival
Chéjere (Mexico)
DCASE World Music Festival
Ceci Bastida (Tijuana Mexico | Los Angeles, CA)
DCASE World Music Festival
Orquesta Akokán (Cuba)
DCASE World Music Festival
Innov Gnawa (Morocco)
DCASE World Music Festival
Orquesta Akokán (Cuba)
DCASE World Music Festival
Lo Còr De La Plana (France)
DCASE World Music Festival
Quantic (United Kingdom | New York, NY)
DCASE World Music Festival
H.A.T. (Boston, MA | Morocco)
DCASE World Music Festival
Delgres (Guadeloupe)

20th Annual World Music Festival Chicago Schedule

Friday, September 7–Saturday, September 8

Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music
Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall
78 E. Washington St.
6 p.m.-8 a.m.
In collaboration with Indian Classical Music Society of Chicago and People of Rhythm

6–7:15 p.m. CARNATIC
Sara Ranganathan

7:45–9 p.m. HINDUSTANI
Anandi Bhattacharya with Debashish Bhattacharya + Subhasis Bhattacharya

9:30–10:45 p.m. CARNATIC
TBD

11:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m. HINDUSTANI
Abhisek Lahiri, Dilshad Khan + Subrata Bhattacharya

1–2:30 a.m. FUSION
Beats + Pieces - Anindo Chatterjee + Anubrata Chatterjee

3–4:30 a.m. HINDUSTANI
Debashish Bhattacharya with Swapan Chaudhuri

4:45–6 a.m. CARNATIC
TBD

6:15–8:00 a.m. HINDUSTANI
Anupama Bhagwat & Nitin Mitta

Saturday, September 8

Juana Molina (Argentina)
Andreas Kapsalis (Chicago, IL)
The Promontory
5311 S. Lake Park Ave. W.
7 p.m.
21+

Sunday, September 9

National Arab Orchestra (Detroit, MI)
University of Chicago
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
915 E. 60th St.
3 p.m.
All Ages

Wednesday, September 12

Sona Jobarteh (United Kingdom | Gambia)
Actores Alidos (Italy)
Sleeping Village
3734 W. Belmont Ave.
7 p.m.
All Ages

Thursday, September 13

Actores Alidos (Italy)
Chicago City Market at Daley Plaza
50 W. Washington St.
Noon
All Ages

Sona Jobarteh (United Kingdom | Gambia)
Chinese Mongolia Band (China)
Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall
78 E. Washington St.
6 p.m.
All Ages

Altan (Ireland)
Irish American Heritage Center
4626 N. Knox Ave.
7 p.m.
All Ages

Friday, September 14

Chinese Mongolia Band (China)
Ping Tom Memorial Park
300 W. 19th St.
5 p.m.
All Ages

Chéjere (Mexico)
National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 W. 19th St.
3 p.m.: Workshop
7 p.m.: Performance
All Ages

Saturday, September 15

EL GRITO
Mariachi Herencia De México (Chicago, IL)
Chéjere (Mexico)
Ceci Bastida (Tijuana Mexico | Los Angeles, CA)
Quique Escamilla (Toronto, Canada)
Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion
201 E. Randolph St.
3 p.m.
All Ages

Orquesta Akokán (Cuba)
Rio Mira (Ecuador | Colombia)
Martyrs’
3855 N. Lincoln Ave.
9 p.m.
21+

Sunday, September 16

Global Peace Picnic
In commemoration of the International Day of Peace
Rio Mira (Ecuador | Colombia)
Innov Gnawa (Morocco)
Combo Chimbita (New York, NY)
Humboldt Park Boathouse
1301 N. Sacramento Ave.
2–6 p.m.
All Ages

Wednesday, September 19

Spiro (United Kingdom)
Old Town School of Folk Music,The Gary and Laura Maurer Hall
4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
8:30 p.m.
All Ages

Thursday, September 20

Spiro (United Kingdom)
Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall
78 E. Washington St.
6 p.m. show
ALL AGES

La Dame Blanche (Cuba)
Cheick Hamala Diabate (Mali | Washington, D.C.)
Martyrs’
3855 N. Lincoln Ave.
8 p.m.
21+

Friday, September 21

Lo Còr De La Plana (France)
Emilia Amper (Sweden)
The Promontory
5311 S. Lake Park Ave. W.
7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
All Ages

La Dame Blanche (Cuba)
H.A.T. (Boston, MA | Morocco)
Pachanga DJs (Chicago, IL)
Chop Shop & 1st Ward Events
2033 W. North Ave.
9 p.m.
21+

Saturday, September 22

Beatdown Soundsystem (Chicago, IL)
Featuring Kinky P, Chuck Dubshine and Friends
Loyola Park
1–6 p.m.
All Ages

Lo Còr De La Plana (France)
Zhou Family Band (China)
DePaul University
Holtschneider Performance Center, Mary Patricia Gannon Concert Hall
2330 N. Halsted St.
7 p.m.
All Ages

Jupiter & Okwess (Congo)
Delgres (Guadeloupe)
Quantic (United Kingdom | New York, NY)
Concord Music Hall
2047 N. Milwaukee Ave.
9 p.m.
21+

Sunday, September 23

World Music Festival meets the World Dumpling Fest
In Collaboration with Navy Pier, Chicago Cultural Alliance and DCASE
Jupiter & Okwess (Congo)
Delgres (Guadeloupe)
Zhou Family Band (China)
East Meets Middle East (Chicago, IL | India)
Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Ave.
1 p.m.–6 p.m.
All Ages

Photos courtesy of DCASE

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