Worldmusic formerly conjured up impressions of folklore, field recordingsand fading traditions lovingly preserved on wax. Lately, it’s emergedfrom the archives and the museums to take its place in contemporary popculture. Even so, world music still strikes many ears as an awkwardcatchall term. Aside from the music of the spheres, what on Earth isn’tworld music? But for an industry, a media and a populace lost withoutneatly labeled categories, world music has become the file folder foralmost any performer outside of the Anglo-American musical tradition.
You can call it music from anywhere but here, but even that definitiongets a bit blurry. Many world music groups draw on rock or hip-hop andlive in the United States, the United Kingdom or Canada.
Milwaukeebecomes a mecca for world music this weekend when the third annualGlobal Union festival takes the stage at Humboldt Park Bandshell, nestled below a rolling green hillside in Bay View. According to thefestival’s director, David Ravel, Global Union seeks to represent mostevery continent over the course of its two-day run.
This year’s eventmore or less fulfills the mission statement (Antarctica and Australia excepted). Standing for Africa are two groups, Samba Mapangala (from the Democratic Republic of Congo) and Vieux Farka Toure (Mali). From south and western Asia come Mamak Khadem (Iran) and Prasanna (India) and from Eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, Reelroad (Russia) and a “Gypsy surf rock” band from Chicago, Lamajamal. Maraca (Cuba) and Nation Beat (Brazil) represent Latin America.
Global Economy
Global Union was conceived in the backroom of a New Yorkpub where a world music concert was taking place. Mike Orloff, aprominent impresario in world music circles, approached Ravel, who hadalready been booking some of his acts in Milwaukee as part of theAlverno Presents performing arts series. Orloff was eager forMilwaukee to host a multi-day showcase for bands he worked with as partof his plan to cultivate a network of festivals in the Midwest.
“It’s a big deal to bring artists to the U.S. from a place like Mali,”Ravel explains. “The costs are extraordinary. How do you produce enoughmoney to pay the artists? Routing is the key. The more citiesparticipating along the route of a tour, the better.”
Fall has become a prime season for world music bands to perform in the United States. They can easily pick up club dates in major East Coast cities such as New York, Boston, Washingtonand Philadelphia, thread their way through the heartland along acircuit of festivals in Bloomington, Ind., Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison,Minneapolis and Cedar Rapids, Iowa,head west to a festival in Albuquerque, N.M., and finish their tourwith club dates on the West Coast. “The Midwest has become the linchpinfor many of these artists,” Ravel explains.
Like most worldmusic festivals around the country, Global Union charges no admissionfee. The costs are born by sponsorships and underwriting. ThatMilwaukee isn’t among the longest or largest of such festivals has onlyadded to its cache among performers.
“Global Union has becomea prime date,” Ravel explains with evident satisfaction. “There are 40artists playing Chicago and only eight of them will find their way toMilwaukee. We’ve been accused of skimming the cream.”
This Year’s Lineup
Saturday, Sept. 13
1p.m., Lamajamal
The father of 1960s surf instrumental bands, Dick Dale,was a Lebanese- American who coupled melodies from his ancestralhomeland with trebly electric guitars. Chicago’s Lamajamal rides thewave, adding a dash of ’60s go-go sensibility to the Wild East soundcommon to Jewish, Gypsy, Greek, Armenian and Arabic traditions.
2:30p.m., Prasanna
India continues to nurture some of the world’s mostancient living musical traditions. Guitarist Prasanna bringselectricity to those age-old sounds, plugging in for fusion projects,a Jimi Hendrix album called Electric Ganesha Land and sessions forBollywood movies, including the Oscar-nominated Lagaan.
4p.m., Nation Beat
Nation Beat explores links between the music of Northand South America, specifically the Brazilian state of Pernambuco andthe Caribbean melting pot of New Orleans. The band’s lively, funky,high-stepping rhythms show how the seeds of Africa flourished in thesoil of the New World.
5:30p.m., Vieux Farka Toure
Mali’s Ali Farka Toure became a signature worldmusic artist. According to legend, Ali Farka Toure forbade his sonVieux from playing music, not wanting him to be exploited by the globalentertainment industry. Inheriting his father’s stubbornness along withhis talent, Vieux persevered, making music that uncovers the roots ofthe blues in African syncopation.
Sunday, Sept. 14
1p.m., Reelroad
Although their lively repertoire originates in many farcorners of the Russian Federation, Reelroad often sounds rather Celtic.Maybe they were inspired by the Irish Renaissance of recent decades? Orperhaps they have found com mon roots. After all, the Celts began theirmigration in the East centuries before reaching the British Isles.
2:30p.m., Mamak Khadem
Mamak Khadem is open to many styles, but the divagrounds her singing in the rich classical heritage of her homeland,Iran. Living now in the United States, Khadem’s subtle, sophisticatedrepertoire recalls the minimalism of Philip Glass along with theclosely related traditions of India, Persia, the Near East and EasternEurope.
4p.m., Maraca
Maraca is a Cuban flutist and composer who leads a lively12-piece orchestra on tours of Europe, Africa and the Americas. Hismusic is steeped in the ballrooms of old Havana, drawing from theelegantly funky, irresistibly dance able styles that have been hisisland nation’s gift to the world.
5:30p.m., Samba Mapangala
Born in Congo, Samba Mapangala sojourned in manyparts of Africa, becoming an Afrobeat hit-maker in the process.Although he now lives in Maryland, Mapangala’s recordings and concertshave lost none of the bright exuberance that characterizes much of thepop music of the African continent.
