globalFEST

New York-based festival and organization globalFEST and NPR Music are thrilled to announce the lineup for the third annual Tiny Desk meets globalFEST, a three night online series that will run Tuesday, January 24 through Thursday, January 26 via NPR Music’s digital platforms. Hosted by five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo, the series echoes globalFEST’s  live flagship event, which celebrated its 20th anniversary just days ago at Lincoln Center on January 15, in spirit but is centered in the framework of Bob Boilen’s acclaimed Tiny Desk Concert Series. This collaboration will present exclusive video performances from nine artists filmed in their respective homelands, on the road, and in exile all over the world. Each night’s videos will premiere at 8:00PM ET on NPR Music’s YouTube channel. To RSVP for a reminder, click here.

The lineup features a combination of artists who are alums of the live festival, new to the globalFEST fold, and those that have performed in this year’s festival at Lincoln Center.

Tiny Desk meets globalFEST 2023 Lineup 

Tuesday, January 24

Dakh Daughters (Ukraine)

Khadija El Warzazia’s Bnat el Houariyat & Esraa Warda (Morocco & USA)

Cui Jian (China)

Wednesday, January 25 

Septeto Santiaguero (Cuba)

Bia Ferreira (Brazil)

Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti & France)

Thursday, January 26 

Taraf de Caliu (Romania)

Noura Mint Seymali (Mauritania)

Justin Adams & Mauro Durante (UK & Italy)

“globalFEST has been a brilliant way to discover music from all over the world, and bringing the globalFEST stage to our Tiny Desk (home) concert series has been a gateway to a new and open-minded audience to so much great talent,” said Bob Boilen, host of All Songs Considered and creator of the heralded Tiny Desk series.

The collaboration was born out of the challenges of the pandemic and was built on a long relationship between globalFEST and NPR Music. When the original series had to shift from Bob’s desk at NPR to artists’ homes in 2020, it made perfect sense for globalFEST, known for its live and crowded event, to shift as well: for the sake of their shared goal of music discovery. Even with the return to live events, the success of this collaboration has resulted in the now annual Tiny Desk meets globalFEST online series.

“The opportunity to bring globalFEST artists – from past festivals, the current one and artists we have not worked with before – to viewers’ homes via these exclusive concerts filmed all over the world, is the perfect way to expand the audience for diverse music. And it is with tremendous gratitude that superstar Angélique Kidjo continues her role as the host of this exciting collaboration,” said globalFEST co-curators and directors Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer and Shanta Thake. Kidjo, who performed at the first globalFEST in 2004, said, “Hosting Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST is a very inspiring job indeed. It opens a window to a brand new world of music from all over the globe.”

globalFEST is a festival like no other: for two decades, it has showcased musicians from more than 80 countries to sold-out audiences annually, serving as an important source of discovery for music fans and performing arts professionals. Known for its celebratory spirit and tried and true mission to move global music to concert stages across the country and around the world, building bridges and cultural understanding along the way,  globalFEST has been crucial to the trajectory of many notable artists, including Combo Chimbita, Kidjo, Emel Mathlouthi, DakhaBrakha, La Santa Cecilia, Red Baraat and more.

About globalFEST

globalFEST is one of the world’s most dynamic global music platforms, growing from an acclaimed festival/showcase into a catalytic non-profit service organization for curators, artists, and the performing arts field that moves international and regional American music into the center of the performing arts field. The programs have evolved to include the curation of notable stages and festivals, the creation and distribution of urgent grants, a partnership with NPR Music’s All Songs Considered and its Tiny Desk series, the gF Awards, and Wavelengths, an industry-focused music conference. Through its work, the not-for-profit 501(3)C globalFEST (gF) encourages networking and cultural diplomacy; deepens cultural understanding among its constituents; builds audiences for international music and creates new opportunities for artists leading to a more robust and sustainable ecosystem for world music in the United States. For more information, including lineup, event news, and updates, please visit globalfest.org and follow globalFEST on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

About NPR Music:

For more than a decade, NPR Music’s robust music journalism and award-winning original video programming has delighted millions of music fans from all genres. NPR Music collaborates with NPR’s news magazines, public radio Member stations and the passionate listener community to celebrate exceptional music and discover emerging artists. Visit NPRMusic.org to find the complete Tiny Desk concert series, music feature stories, podcasts, extensive archives of performances, interviews and music reviews. Connect with NPR Music on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.