It may only be in its second year, but Chicago’s World Music Festival already dwarfs every other city-sponsored music celebration in terms of length, depth and — arguably — quality. The 2000 edition of the festival, which began Thursday and runsthrough Oct. 1, is bringing more than 40 artists from more than 25 countries to 21 venues around the city. And that doesn’t include the numerous American musicians participating in the festivities.
Unlike most music festivals, which schedule artists in a daylong series of concerts that culminate with “headline” performances, the World Music Festival has booked only premier acts and staggered their concerts over an 11-day period. That strategy, in effect, makes every performance a headline one.
As a result, it’s nearly impossible to select highlights from this year’s extensive slate of events. However, there are some appearances that may prove particularly rewardingPeruvian vocalist Susana Baca has already established a strong following in Chicago, and her appearance at Symphony Center on Oct. 1 should bring the festival to a suitably dramatic close. Baca’s spare, often haunting songs preserve the themes and sonic textures of traditional Afro-Peruvian music while firmly embedding that tradition in the present.
Another major festival artist is Hamza El Din, a Nubian composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist whose breathtaking works blend elements of classic Arabic and Nubian music with influences from other traditions. Throughout his storied career, El Din has made a point of performing with musicians from around the world, so his appearance at the festival is certainly appropriate.
“If you learn the language of another country, you want to communicate with people who also use that language,” says El Din. “Music is a language that I use, and it’s very enjoyable to me to speak that language with others from around the world who also speak it. It’s also very exciting.”
A similarly exciting cultural exchange should occur when jazz saxophonist Steve Coleman and his Mystic Rhythm Society group (to be joined by local jazz legend Von Freeman) perform for the first time ever in Chicago. The Mystic Rhythm Society brings together like-minded musicians from around the world to communicate and explore musical ideas.
“I hooked up with these musicians in the first place because we share the same ideas about music,” says Coleman. “We like to explore more esoteric ideas — such as the nature of the universe, why are we here, what is our purpose — through our music.”
Most World Music Festival concerts are programmed as double bills designed to expose audiences to a wide variety of music by pairing up musicians from very different traditions. In some cases, those pairings also may underscore less than obvious connections between cultures.
For example, the Saturday pairing of the great Malian guitarist Boubacar Traore with local bluesmen Eddie C. Campbell and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith at the Museum of Contemporary Art should help amplify the audible link between Malian music, Delta blues and contemporary Chicago-style blues.
In the same vein, the pairing of Nass Marrakech with Trevor Watts & Moire Music at HotHouse on Sept. 29 should deliver an equally ear-opening experience. Nass Marrakech reexamines the traditional music of Morocco in a way that accommodates instrumental textures and influences from Asia and beyond, while English saxophonist Trevor Watts & Moire Music meld the improvised music traditions of Europe with those of Africa.
This fusion of traditions will be given a distinctly modern twist during the festival’s Global Electronica Night at Metro and Smart Bar on Sept. 29. There, deejays from England, Canada and the U.S. will rework traditional music from around the world through a series of live dance mixes spiced with contemporary Western influences.
While the idea of cramming a world of sound into an 11-day event would seem to be a tall order, Chicago’s 2000 World Music Festival is programmed to provide maximum diversity and quality with a minimum of filler and hassle. Here, in alphabetical order by artist, is the World Music Festival lineup. For further information call 312-742-1938 or go to www.cityofchicago.org/WorldMusic/
ADAM RUDOLPH’S MOVING PICTURES; TONY VACCA MASSAMBA DIOP AND GOKH-BI SYSTEM: 8 p.m. Sept. 26; $10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
ANTIBOLIS, SLAVIC SOUL PARTY, FUNKADESI: 10 p.m. Sept. 22; $10; Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-549-0203,
AJOY CHAKRABORTY, SAMAR SAHA & JYOTI GOHO, ALIM QASIMOV: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27; Free; Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
ALIM QASIMOV: noon Sept. 26; Borders, 830 N. Michigan Ave; 12:30 p.m. Sept. 27; Free; Museum of Broadcast Communications, 78 E. Washington St. (Chicago Cultural Center). .
ANDREW BIRD’S BALL OF FIRE, GUILLERMO ANDERSON & CIEBANA: 9:30 p.m. Sept. 29; $10; Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave.
ASHISH KAHN & SWAPAN CHAUDHURI: 4 p.m. Oct. 1; $10, $9 members; Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
BACKYARD VARIETY SHOW, LO’JO: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27; $10, free-$10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
BOBBY CONN, MINO CINELU: 8:30 p.m. Oct. 1; $10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
BOUBACAR TRAORE: 2 p.m. Sept. 23; Free; Borders, 830 N. Michigan Ave.
BOUBACAR TRAORE, EDDIE C. CAMPBELL AND WILLIE “BIG EYES” SMITH: 8 p.m. Sept. 23; $10; Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
BOUBACAR TRAORE, OLIVER MTUKUDZI: 9:30 p.m. Sept. 22; $10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
CHICAGO SAMBA, CASOLANDO, WOFA PERCUSSION & DANCE: 9 a.m. Sept. 30; Free with museum admission; Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive.
CHICAGO SUMMERDANCE: Plena Libre; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22; 312-742-4007; Zlatne Uste; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23; 312-742-1938; Shirim; 3 p.m. Sept. 24; Free; Grant Park, Spirit of Music Garden (Michigan Ave. between Harrison St. and Balbo Drive), 650 S. Michigan Ave. 312-742-4007.
CHICO CESAR: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23; $10, $9 members; Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
DEBJYOTI BOSE, SAMAR SAHA, SANGEETA KUMAR, SIVAN PERWAR: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26; Free; Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
DREPUNG GOMANG MONKS: 3 p.m. Sept. 24; Free; Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
DREPUNG GOMANG MONKS, STEVE COLEMAN & THE MYSTIC RHYTHM SOCIETY, NATYAKALALAYAM DANCE COMPANY: 9 a.m. Sept. 23; Free with museum admission; Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive.
ESCHIKAGOU POW WOW: Hundreds of singers, dancers, artisans and cultural demonstrations; Native Roots performs at 6 p.m. on Sept. 23; 10 a.m. Sept. 23, 24; The University of Chicago, with The Gathering of Nations, Ltd. and the City of Chicago Park District, will host one of the largest Native American Indian powwows in Chicago’s recent history; 10 a.m. Sept. 24; Free; Midway Plaisance, 5900 S. between Cottage Grove and Stony Island. 888-947-5004.
FUNKADESI, SAVINA YANNATOUR & PRIMAVERA EN SALONICO: 8 p.m. Sept. 29; $10; Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive.
GLOBAL DIVAS FEATURING CHAVA ALBERSTEIN AND SUSANA BACA: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1; $10-$15; Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.
GLOBAL ELECTRONICA NIGHT: Amon Tobin, Karsh Kale, Sussan Deyhim, U-Cef, Badawi, Sultan 32, The Notorius WIG, T.S. Soundz; 10 p.m. Sept. 29; $10; Metro/Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark St.
GUILLERMO ANDERSON & CEIBANA: 2 p.m. Oct. 1; $10; Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave.
HAMZA EL DIN, ALIM QASIMOV: 7 p.m. Sept. 26; $10; Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
HAMZA EL DIN, HASSAN HAKMOUN: 12:30 p.m. Sept. 26; Free; Museum of Broadcast Communications, 78 E. Washington St. (Chicago Cultural Center).
HAMZA EL DIN, OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK & HIS ENSEMBLE: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25; Free; Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
HEDNINGARNA, WIMME: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24; $10, $9 members; Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
KOREAN SINAWI ENSEMBLE: SIKIM: 2 p.m. Sept. 30; Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave; 3 p.m. Oct. 1; Free; Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
LENINE: noon Sept. 22; Free; Borders, 830 N. Michigan Ave.
LENINE, ISOTOPE 217: 10 p.m. Sept. 23; $10; Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-549-0203,
LENINE, VEZHLIVIY, ULELE, DJ WARP: 10 p.m. Sept. 22; $10; Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.
LILA DOWNS: 12:30 p.m. Sept. 27; Mexican Fine Arts Center, 1852 W. 19th St; 6 p.m. Sept. 27; Free; Borders, 830 N. Michigan Ave.
LILA DOWNS, MARY JANE LAMOND: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29; $10, $9 members; Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
LILA DOWNS, SAVINA YANNATOUR: 8 p.m. Sept. 28; $10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
LILA DOWNS, SUSSAN DEYHIM: 12:30 p.m. Sept. 29; Free; Museum of Broadcast Communications, 78 E. Washington St. (Chicago Cultural Center).
LO’JO: noon Sept. 26; Daley Civic Center, 50 W. Washington St; 5:30 p.m. Sept. 26; Free; Harper Court, 52nd Pl. and Harper Ave.
LOS DE ABAJO, COMIFO: 10 p.m. Sept. 29; $10; Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-549-0203,
MARY JANE LAMOND: 3 p.m. Sept. 28; Free; Borders, 830 N. Michigan Ave. 312-573-0564.
MARY JANE LAMOND FEATURING LIZ CARROLL: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28; Free; Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. 312-744-6630.
MATAPAT, MONO BLANCO: 9:30 p.m. Sept. 28; Free; Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave.
MINO CINELU, LOS DE ABAJO: 10 p.m. Sept. 30; $10; Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-549-0203,
MONO BLANCO: 8:30 p.m. Sept. 27; $3 suggested donation; Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
MUSIC FROM CHINA: 3 p.m. Sept. 24; Free; 57th Street Children’s Book Fair, 5631 S. Kimbark Ave.
NASS MARRAKECH, GUILLERMO ANDERSON: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30; $10, $9 members; Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
NASS MARRAKECH, TREVOR WATTS &MOIRE MUSIC: 9:30 p.m. Sept. 29; $10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
NATIVE AMERICAN EQUINOX CELEBRATION: noon Sept. 22; Free; Welles Park at Lincoln and Montrose Aves. 4400 N. Lincoln Ave.
NATIVE EQUINOX CELEBRATION WITH BILL MILLER: 10 p.m. Sept. 22; $10, $9 members; Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
NATYAKALALAYAM DANCE COMPANY, MUSIC FROM CHINA: 7 p.m. Sept. 23; $10; Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive.
OLIVER MTUKUDZI, BILL MILLER: 12:30 p.m. Sept. 22; Free; Museum of Broadcast Communications, 78 E. Washington St. (Chicago Cultural Center).
OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK & HIS ENSEMBLE: 2 p.m. Sept. 24; Free; Borders, 830 N. Michigan Ave.
SAVINA YANNATOU & PRIMAVERA EN SALONICO: 12:30 p.m. Sept. 28; $10; Museum of Broadcast Communications, 78 E. Washington St. (Chicago Cultural Center).
SAVINA YANNATOU & PRIMAVERY EN SALONICO: noon Sept. 29; Free; Borders, 830 N. Michigan Ave.
SIVAN PERWAR: 12:30 p.m. Sept. 25; Free; Museum of Broadcast Communications, 78 E. Washington St. (Chicago Cultural Center).
SOUNDSCAPES WITH QURAYSH ALI LANSANA, TONY VACCA & GOKH-BI SYSTEM, MR. GREENWEEDZ: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27; $7, $5 seniors, students; Guild Complex/Chopin Theater, 1543 W. Division.
STEVE COLEMAN & THE MYSTIC RHYTHM SOCIETY: 7 p.m. Sept. 22; $10; Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive.
SUSSAN DEYHIM, U-CEF: 8 p.m. Sept. 30; $10; Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
TATSU AOKI’S MIYUMI PROJECT, STEVE COLEMAN: 9 p.m. Sept. 23; $10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
TONY VACCA, MASSAMBA DIOP AND GOKH-BI SYSTEM: 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25; Free; Harper Court, 52nd Pl. and Harper Ave.
TREVOR WATTS’ MOIRE MUSIC: 10 p.m. Sept. 30; $10; Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.
WOFA PERCUSSION & DANCE: 3 p.m. Oct. 1; $3 suggested donation; DuSable Museum of African-American History, 740 E. 56th Pl.
WOFA, COMIFO: 10 p.m. Sept. 30; $10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
WIMME, SIVAN PERWAR: 8 p.m. Sept. 25; $10, free-$10; HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive.
ZLATNE USTE: noon Sept. 25; Free; Daley Civic Center, 50 W. Washington St.
ZLATNE USTE BALKAN BRASS BAND: 3 p.m. Sept. 24; Free; Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. 312-742-1938.
