The leading orchestra in Cuban popular music is called Los Van Van. Juan Formell, an arranger, bassist and composer, formed it. Following his passing in 2014, Samuel Formell, his son, assumed leadership of the organization. Respected as The Rolling Stones of salsa on a global scale and as The Train of Cuban music on a national one, it has produced numerous notable... read full bio
Greg Wilson is a DJ from Merseyside who, during his time at Wigan Pier, Manchester's Legend and The Haçienda in its early years, contributed significantly to the growth of UK club culture with his upfront selection of NYC electro-funk beats. He was the first DJ to mix live on UK TV back in 1983. After a twenty-year break, during which... read full bio
Walter Smith III started to take music extremely seriously at a young age. Despite the impression that Smith is a fresh face on the stage, many people know him as a talented musician, composer and innovative teacher. Smith's most recent album, In Common III, has been called "border pushing" and includes some of the world's most significant and well-known musicians, including... read full bio
Born in London, Tom Vek is an eclectic one-man band that blends dance and punk with electronic music, as well as elements from new wave and garage. Vek started creating rock in the vein of Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam when he was a teenager in the mid-1990s, having previously supported his guitarist father on bass and drums in their practice... read full bio
Panteon Rococo is a beloved, socially mindful Mexican band that has spent 27 years in the music business, expanding through several genres. Since 1995, they have been acknowledged globally as the leading force in Mexican irreverent rock, ska, and punk, imbued with the lyrical pulse of the country. The music and accompanying story, which formerly spoke primarily to the vast majority of... read full bio
Grammy-winning Mexican-American rock group La Santa Cecilia is based in Los Angeles. They use a variety of Pan-American rhythms, such as cumbia, bossa-nova, rumba, bolero, tango, R&B, jazz and klezmer music, to draw inspiration from around the globe. La Santa Cecilia, named for the patron saint of music, sings in both English and Spanish with a mesmerizing voice about love, sorrow,... read full bio
American rock group Fishbone was founded in Los Angeles and plays ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae and soul music. The ensemble developed a significant cult following thanks to their hyperactive, self-conscious diversity, absurd sense of humor and incisive social commentary. Fishbone's greatest commercial success came from hits like "UGLY," "SUNLESS SATURDAY," "PARTY AT GROUND ZERO," and "EVERYDAY SUNSHINE," among many others.... read full bio
Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Steve Ignorant is an artist and vocalist who grew up in Dagenham, East London. Later, he resided at Dial House, an intentional community of anarchist-pacifists in Epping Forest, Essex, which has been self-sustaining since 1967. It was there that he first met Penny Rimbaud, one of the project's founders. Ignorant and Rimbaud went on to co-found... read full bio
Radwimps, a Japanese band, debuted on big labels after being formed in 2001. They quickly attracted a global following, with the younger generation constituting the majority. The group has so far put out nine studio albums. The band won awards for Best Original Score at the Japanese Academy Awards for their work on Shinkai's previous record-breaking animated feature films, "Your... read full bio
Exciter has been a constant force in the world of metal for more than 40 years. The band, which was founded in 1978, is largely recognized for having influenced the early thrash movement and for having invented speed metal. Tours with Mercyful Fate, Motorhead, Megadeth, Manowar and Accept helped to further solidify the band's reputation. Early hits, such as their debut... read full bio
Adedeji is one of the most recent findings from Nigeria. At the age of six, he began singing, and he later enrolled in the University of Lagos to study music. Following that, he received his guitar degree in London and pursued a jazz specialty in the Netherlands. But Adedeji's music is anything but scholarly. Together with his very tight band from... read full bio
Pulsating NYC-style live disco vibes are interlaced with both Caribbean and Cape Verdean sounds throughout the record, with danceability always guaranteed and a healthy finishing touch of weirdness present on most tracks. The debut single "Nos Magia" was nominated for Track of the Year 2017 at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards and has received radio from BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio... read full bio
Daniel Kadawatha is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer who goes under several names, including Arc De Soleil. Daniel grew up listening to his father play the songs of the Spotnicks on his homemade guitar amp, which inspired him due to his passion for the band and its soaring guitar-driven sound. Daniel's decision to become a musician was impacted by this... read full bio
Based in Sacramento, California, A Foreign Affair is a five-piece alternative rock band that has received a Grammy nomination. Josh Dotty (Cemetery Sun), Jonny Craig, and Aaron Gillespie (Underoath) are featured as guests on their album "Still Frame." NPR, BBC1 Rock, and SiriusXm Octane have all played the album. Former "Incredible Me" vocalist Alex Strobaugh, Jared Cambridge's tasteful lead guitar work... read full bio
Brice Bottin and Yousra Mansour founded Bab L'Bluz in Marrakech. This French-Moroccan foursome combines Moroccan musical traditions such as Gnawa and Chaabi with more contemporary rhythms such as rock, blues, and funk. In addition to drums and guitars, the lineup includes traditional Gnawa instruments such as qraqabs (metal castanets), guembri (bass lute with a camel hide body), and awisha (a smaller,... read full bio
The gifted singer-songwriter Chalo Correia was born in Angola's capital city of Luanda. He was raised in Angola during the 1970s, the country's most vibrant and passionate musical era. He had the opportunity to encounter musicians from revolutionary bands like Os Kiezos and Os Merengues during that time, which had an impact on his later work. In the early 1990s, he... read full bio
Introduce yourself to Max & Heather Stalling, a dynamic duo of singer-songwriters from Dallas, Texas, who bring to the core of Texas and Americana music a distinctive fusion of vocals, lyrics, and fiddle playing. Max left behind a profession as a research scientist at Frito Lay to pursue his goals as a singer-songwriter, trading in his lab coat for a guitar... read full bio
Zane Williams, a seasoned troubadour with seven solo albums under his credit, assembled a carefully curated group of exceptionally gifted musicians from the Texas music scene to launch The Wilder Blue. They've drawn compared to early Eagles and Alabama in the 1980s with their first album Hill Country and follow-up The Wilder Blue, which both contain five-part harmonies woven within... read full bio
The musical journey of Amistat, a group of twin brothers named Josef and Jan Prasil, is a fascinating one that crosses boundaries and is based on an inexplicable and unsaid kinship. Their melodies are harmonic and have been influenced by a diverse range of cultures, telling a riveting story that is best experienced through their power. Josef and Jan were... read full bio
Originating from the thriving music scene of Guinea, West Africa, Natu Camara has become an international star because to her captivating presence and strong voice. Born in the heart of West Africa, she is a powerful singer and songwriter whose presence and music reverberate as a perfect fusion of iconic voices like Tina Turner, Tracy Chapman, Nina Simone, and Miriam... read full bio
