Texas-based Brave Combo’s performances are eclectic and exuberant journeys to the worlds of salsa, merengue, rock, cumbia, conjunto, polka, zydeco, classical, blues, and more. One of the premier dance bands, the group has won two Grammy Awards, and its music has been heard in feature films and on television. Brave Combo’s foot-tapping music always sparks a party—the band played at David Byrne’s wedding reception and appeared on an episode of The Simpsons.

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times, “Locos por Juana pulls listeners into a reverse Gulf Stream churning through the Straits of Florida south to Jamaica, Venezuela, and Colombia, and over to Puerto Rico.” Vocalist Itawe Correa, guitarist Mark Kondrat, and drummer Javier Delgado form the band’s core, though they frequently incorporate trombone and percussion soloists. This Grammy-nominated, bilingual, Latin jam-band draws on the diverse backgrounds of its members, riffing on traditional Colombian rhythms and tapping into reggae, ragga, dub, hip-hop, rock, and funk traditions to deliver what Kondrat calls “island swing.”

London-born Ahmed Gallab, who makes music as Sinkane, lived in Sudan until he was five years old. In these early years, he absorbed the North African musical culture that inspires his rapturous hybrid sound, laced with percussion-heavy Sudanese pop, electronica, funk, and free jazz. He is a prolific recording artist with critically acclaimed EPs and albums to his credit. Sinkane’s most recent recording, Life & Livin’ It, has won rave reviews, with The Guardian touting its “socially conscious music suffused with joy.”

Carnegie Hall Citywide Night is a sensational celebration of music from around the globe and across the country. From foot-stomping sounds of Quebec to the effervescent song and dance of Guinea, the music is free and fun all night.

Experience the energy of a Québécois house party when Les Grands Hurleurs take the stage. The three musicians present the traditional music of their homeland, with traces of classical, gypsy music, and electronica. Since the trio’s founding in 2009, it has captivated audiences around the world, as well as in Canada, with memorable performances at Canada Day 2017 and the Canada Summer Games. Les Grands Hurleurs’ newest album, 3/4 Fort, showcases spectacular vocals and virtuoso fiddle, guitar, and mandolin playing.

Jordan Officer is a virtuoso jazz guitarist, composer, and singer who has wowed audiences in his native Montreal and throughout Canada. Now it’s time for the US to experience his unique jazz, blues, rock, and country music. Acclaimed for his collaborations with singer Susie Arioli, Officer has been enjoying a solo career that puts his songwriting front and center. Three Rivers, his recent album inspired by a road trip to the American South, is an irresistible blend of warm and witty songwriting and crisp guitar playing.

Ismael Kouyaté’s joyful and passionate music is rooted in Guinea, his West Africa homeland. Born to a family of griots (West African poet-musicians), his high-flying vocals and dancing catapulted an international career that led to a stirring appearance in the Broadway musical Fela!, a performance that caught the attention of Beyoncé, who enlisted him as a featured vocalist on her hit song “Grown Woman.” Kouyaté now fronts his own band, which blends the effervescent West African sound with the gritty funk of New York.

Tribu Baharú’s exuberant performances of champeta music—a fusion of Colombian, African, and Afro-Caribbean styles—are driven by lively vocals, sparkling Congolese guitar, and high-energy bass and drums. A Tribu Baharú performance recreates the joyous, impromptu spirit of the verbena dances that are popular in Colombian neighborhoods during holidays. With traces of soukous, zouk, calypso, soca, rap, and more, Tribu Baharú celebrates the colorful Colombian musical spectrum.

The Campbell Brothers’ brand of electrified, ecstatic music sets pulses racing and hands clapping. Led by the “sacred steel” guitar riffs of brothers Chuck (pedal steel) and Darick (lap steel), buoyed by a rhythm section that pumps out irresistible beats, and featuring the soaring vocals of Denise Brown, it’s gospel music with a rock and blues heart. Pure, passionate, and jumping with the energy, The Campbell Brothers have thrilled audiences for nearly two decades—come hear why.

Spoken poetry, hip-hop, a hard-driving band, and Afrobeat dancers make each of Ayo’s shows an invigorating experience. Essence magazine has called the Nigeria-born performer “one to watch on the Afrobeat scene.” He has made his name on the circuit opening for such superstars as Wande Coal and Talib Kweli, electrifying audiences at the Apollo Theater, and performing on the same bill as Gyptian at South by Southwest. A powerful poet who is passionately committed to social activism, Ayo moves audiences and uplifts their spirits.

Fueled by the driving rhythms of the sacred Cuban batá drum and punctuated by African chants, the music of Pedrito Martinez is “complex, blenderized Africa-to-the-New-World funk” (The New York Times). Havana-born drummer and singer Martinez and his group play Afro-Cuban music with precision and power, respecting its roots, but always keeping it fresh and progressive. Besides leading his own group, Martinez has played with Paquito D’Rivera, Eddie Palmieri, Edie Brickell, and Sting.

Hazmat Modine’s music tips its hat to New Orleans–style honky-tonk with dashes of klezmer and gritty jug-band blues tossed in for good measure. Propelled by the earthy vocals and scorching harmonica of band founder Wade Schuman, the group’s unique sound is buoyed by tuba, drums, guitar, and banjo, as well as an Armenian double-reed instrument called the duduk. For nearly a decade, the band has toured in more than 40 countries and performed with an eclectic assortment of musicians, from Kronos Quartet to Natalie Merchant.

Corey Cott was a special guest at Michael Feinstein’s recent Carnegie Hall concert As Time Goes By: Crooning the American Songbook—and now you have the opportunity to hear him again. He won rave reviews in his Broadway debut as Jack Kelly in the hit musical Newsies, a role he starred in for two years. Cott returned to Broadway in the revival of Gigi, and recently appeared opposite Laura Osnes in the world premiere of Bandstand at Paper Mill Playhouse.

A pair of winners of the Music Academy of the West’s prestigious Marilyn Horne Song Competition (2017), soprano Hannah Rose Kidwell and pianist Christina Giuca perform together and show us why they took home top honors. Kidwell has appeared in Chapman University’s productions of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and sung the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Giuca holds a collaborative piano fellowship at Bard College, and has served on the music staffs of the Houston Ballet, Eastern Music Festival, and SongFest.

This concert is part of the Marilyn Horne legacy at Carnegie Hall.

Pianist, composer, and arranger Billy Childs has performed with an honor roll of jazz luminaries that includes Freddie Hubbard, J. J. Johnson, Joe Henderson, and Wynton Marsalis. A highly sought-after composer, his music has been performed by a wide range of artists in the worlds of jazz, classical, and pop, including Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, Renée Fleming, and Sting. As a recording artist, Childs has won multiple Grammy Awards; most recently, his album Rebirth won the 2018 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

Magda Giannikou—the Greek-born leader of Banda Magda—boasts silky vocals, nimble-fingered accordion playing, and an effervescent stage presence that together make for an irresistible performance. With members of the band hailing from Argentina, Japan, Colombia, and the United States, Banda Magda taps into each of these cultures for an eclectic sound. French songs, Afro-Peruvian landó, samba, Greek dance, and other diverse styles compose Banda Magda’s inventive set list. The group continues to explore new ground with its recent album Tigre, released in 2017.

Soul music courses through Deva Mahal’s veins. The daughter of iconic blues master Taj Mahal, she collaborated with her father on the song “Never Let You Go” on his Grammy-nominated album Maestro. Her powerhouse voice is ideally suited to soul, which she infuses with dashes of gospel and funk that float on tight jazz-style arrangements. Mahal has also made her mark performing alongside such legends as Etta James, Dianne Reeves, Maceo Parker, Bettye LaVette, and Cyndi Lauper.

Cuban-born pianist Elio Villafranca’s brand of jazz excites with its virtuosity and pulsing Latin rhythms. Villafranca was classically trained in percussion and composition in Cuba. Since his 1995 arrival in the US, he has been among the foremost pianists, composers, and bandleaders. A Grammy Award nominee, Villafranca’s recordings have been praised in the jazz press. His debut album, Incantations Encantaciones, was selected as one of JazzTimes magazine’s 50 best albums of 2003.

Called a “volcanic violinist with a huge, fabulous tone” (Los Angeles Times), Lara St. John is equally at home with classical works, new music, folk, and beyond. She is joined by multifaceted pianist Matt Herskowitz, recognized for his jazz, world music, and free improvisation skills. The duo performs an eclectic program that features Debussy’s Violin Sonata (a work filled with verve and light), Milica Paranosic’s arrangement of the traditional Macedonian circle dance Čoček, Martin Kennedy’s spectacularly virtuosic and wildly raucous Czardashian Rhapsody, and much more.

Lorraine Klaasen is South African music royalty. The daughter of renowned jazz singer Thandi Klaasen, she honors the vibrant musical traditions that were born in the townships: the poor, racially segregated urban areas of South Africa’s apartheid era. Influenced by such South African legends as Miriam Makeba—the inspiration for her 2013 JUNO Award–winning tribute album—Klaasen makes the music her own with her impassioned singing and dynamic stage presence.

Alphonso Horne honors the legacy and continues the rich traditions of such iconic trumpet masters as King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. Horne and the band have the sizzling chops to capture the classic sound of New Orleans jazz and the innovative vision to put their own contemporary stamp on the music. Horne has performed with such stars as Wynton Marsalis (who included him in a list of 16 young jazz musicians entitled “Wynton’s Picks: Who’s Got Next”), Dianne Reeves, Jane Monheit, and Rihanna.

Mantra Percussion’s mission is to honor the past and expand the future of percussion music. “Forward thinking” (Time Out New York) and “a fresh source of energy” (The New York Times), Mantra Percussion has headlined internationally with notable appearances at BAM’s Next Wave Festival, Bang on a Can Marathon, Ecstatic Music Festival, and Right Now Music in South Korea. Passionately devoted to music by living composers, the ensemble has commissioned and premiered more than 40 new works in the past eight years.

Ensemble Connect’s daring, versatility, and virtuosity is limitless. Whether these musicians are drawing an audience into the Russian soul of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio or exploring the visionary works of Steve Reich, they show why they have been called “the new face of classical music” (The New York Times). Each a stellar artist, these exciting young musicians are members of a fellowship program that prepares them for careers as innovative performers, teachers, and advocates for music in the 21st century.

Soh Daiko shatters the boundaries of traditional taiko drumming. This New York–based Japanese drumming collective’s shows are high-energy displays of sensational choreography and amazing athleticism. In a great visual spectacle, Soh Daiko’s impeccable musicians perform traditional Japanese Shinto and taiko music, as well as daring new compositions by ensemble members. The members play a vast array of drums, complemented by bamboo flutes, brass bells, conch shells, and gongs. Exhilarating, breathtaking, and always captivating, Soh Daiko keeps your pulse racing.

Classic Latin boleros, mambos, and danzóns burn hotter with iLe’s sultry voice. Before she went solo and took her current stage name, Ileana Cabra was a singer and rapper under the name PG-13, performing with the popular rap group Calle 13 that features her half-brothers known as Residente and Visitante. Her most recent album, the breakthrough iLevitable, features Latin favorites along with songs written by her family members and backed by a host of Puerto Rican music superstars.

Mezzo-soprano Siena Licht Miller’s versatile operatic career—she has sung roles by John Adams, Britten, Ravel, Mozart, and Puccini—is coupled with noteworthy performances on concert and recital stages. A 2016 Marilyn Horne Rubin Scholar, she has sung in master classes led by Ms. Horne, Renée Fleming, and Plácido Domingo. She is joined by Cameron Richardson-Eames, an award-winning chamber musician and collaborative pianist who has accompanied master classes led by such singers as Dame Felicity Lott and Dame Sarah Connolly.

The Itty Biddies’ foot-tapping tunes, crystal-clear vocals, and instrumental skills inspire audiences of all ages to sing and dance along with the band. The musicians’ soaring vocals are buoyed by sweet ukulele, melodic piano, groovy bass, and fat drums for an irresistibly joyous sound that will lift your spirits, and get your fingers snapping and your toes tapping.

Soprano Devony Smith has been praised by The New York Times for her “sensuous” and “strong” voice. A winner of the MIMF Art Song Competition and participant in The Song Continues, she is equally at home on the operatic stage and in the recital hall. Her performances of Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with The Bronx Opera Company and OperaRox Productions were called “utterly alive, natural, and beautifully sung” by Opera News. She is joined by collaborative pianist Nikolay Verevkin, who has worked with a host of vocal stars, such as Danielle de Niese, Matthew Polenzani, and Michelle DeYoung.

“Unlike anything its intended audience—or anyone else—has ever heard” (Gramophone), the Spektral Quartet reveals the hidden nuances of the classic string quartet repertoire while opening the door to the visionary music of our day. The ensemble has been praised by The New York Times for its “supreme technical command that seems to come easily” and its “capacity to make complicated music clear.” Among its many unique initiatives is Mobile Miniatures, a project for which the quartet commissioned more than 40 composers to write ringtone-length pieces that were made available for download to mobile devices.

In ancient times, the country of Georgia was called Iberia; the vocal ensemble Iberi honors its homeland’s historic traditions in song. Iberi sings work songs, carols, hymns, historical ballads, and a host of treasures from the pre-Christian era with gripping intensity and virtuosity. Clad in their trademark black coats and boots, the musicians’ iconic brand of polyphonic singing features blocks of unconventional improvised harmonies with wild stratospheric falsetto tones floating above sepulchral bass notes. Drama, ecstasy, and tenderness are at the core of every note Iberi sings.

The outstanding young professional musicians of Ensemble Connectare fellows in a two-year program that supports them in building careers as top-quality performers, innovative programmers, and dedicated teachers. With their refreshing approach to a vast range of music—from the earliest Baroque works to cutting-edge pieces by Missy Mazzoli and Caroline Shaw—Ensemble Connect is entertaining and always inspirational.

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader Tia Fuller is one of the leading performers on the jazz scene, as well as a member of Beyoncé’s touring band. An instrumental triple threat—she plays alto and soprano saxophone, and flute—she is a much sought-after performer who has played with such jazz luminaries as Wycliffe Gordon, Don Byron, Jon Faddis, and Nancy Wilson. Not only a stellar performer, Fuller is also a dedicated educator and full-time professor at the Berklee College of Music.

It’s a rare artist who can be credited with defining a genre, but singer-keyboardist Joe Bataan is the standard-bearer for boogaloo—the fiery fusion of Latin rhythms and gritty New York–centric soul music that exploded onto the scene in the late 1960s. Bataan is still pumping out these sizzling beats, singing doo-wop–tinged, Latin-laced favorites like the funky “Subway Joe” and smooth and soulful “Ordinary Guy,” lifting audiences out of their seats and getting their feet moving.

Jayme Stone bridges folk, jazz, and chamber music as he celebrates the banjo’s historic role in music around the world. Stone is an eclectic musician who has performed with such diverse artists as Malian kora master Mansa Sissoko (a recorded collaboration that earned Canada’s JUNO Award), former Carolina Chocolate Drop Dom Flemons, and other performers from a wide range of genres. Jayme Stone’s Folklife—featuring his band of vocals, accordion, fiddle, and bass—shines new light on traditional songs from the Georgia Sea Islands, Creole calypsos, Appalachian dance tunes, and more.

This concert is part of the citywide music festival Make Music New York.

Birds of Chicago—husband-and-wife team JT Nero and Allison Russell—has been making soulful, heartfelt music since 2012. In Nero’s words, the duo’s self-described “secular gospel” songs open up “channels of love.” Birds of Chicago’s voices—Nero’s gritty and Russell’s smooth—blend beautifully and recall country blues, doo-wop, and classic soul. The pair’s newest album, Love in Wartime, is balm for the nation’s troubled times, offering messages of trust and understanding that are also danceable.