New York City has long been one of the best locations to hear international music — whether it’s buzzing talent from overseas or local bands paying homage to the music of faraway places. It’s a city where talent and messages have the power to transcend borders, genres and languages, to connect with many different audiences.

This year, 10 such artists will be showcased in sparkling sound at the newly renovated David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center when globalFEST returns to NYC on Jan. 14. 

For the past 21 years, globalFEST has been an exceptional opportunity for people to see and hear some of the most acclaimed and interesting musical acts from around the world. GlobalFEST artists usually play folk or non-Western classical music — or create a fusion of the traditional and the new. Previous GRAMMY-winning performers include Angelique Kidjo, La Santa Cecilia, and Lila Downs, and GRAMMY nominated acts such as Fatoumata Diawara and Antibalas. 

The proceedings fill an important niche for the music industry as well: GlobalFEST serves as a showcase for underrepresented international talent in the U.S. It coincides with the Association of Performing Arts Professionals yearly conference, which creates an opportunity for artists to be seen and heard live by concert bookers and other music industry professionals in the U.S. 

"Often, the type of music that we present is almost an afterthought with a lot of presenters," says GlobalFEST co-founder and co-director Isabel Soffer told GRAMMY.com in 2022. "The more interesting stuff — which is often what we are bringing — takes a lot more work to sell tickets and for those shows to reach new communities.”

While the festival plays a vital role in the live music ecosystem, organizers have always had their eyes on a higher purpose. "GlobalFEST began following the dark days between 9/11 and the start of the Iraq War," festival co-directors Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer, and Shanta Thake said in a statement. "Now in its 21st year, as the world faces new conflicts and the horrors of war are all around us, we remain devoted to encouraging cultural awareness through musical discovery."

At globalFEST 2024, 10 acts will take over three Lincoln Center stages. Artists range from celebrated legends, with mantles creaking under the weight of their awards, to musicians breaking fresh ground as they find new connections between deep-rooted culture and tradition with contemporary approaches to making music. Here are five that are not to be missed.

Thandiswa Mazwai

Thandiswa Mazwai, rose to stardom in South Africa in the '90s as the lead singer of pioneering kwaito group Bongo Maffin, ushering in the sound of a new era of freedom in the country. As a one-name solo artist, "Thandiswa" combines influences from the traditional Xhosa music with kwaito, gospel and jazz. This soulful blend is as uplifting and immediately accessible as it is utterly unique.

Balaclava Blues

In the music of Canadian Ukrainian group Balaclava Blues, folklore twists and stretches into eerie shapes, blurring the line between timeless and futuristic. Electronic production that evokes the darkest side of dubstep seamlessly coexists with traditional Ukrainian melodies to form the surreal bedrock for emotional musical explorations.

The project of husband and wife Mark and Marichka Marczyk, Balaclava Blues' songs deal with themes of struggle, survival and a very universal yearning for peace and freedom. Their 2022 album Let Me Out especially reflects the impact of the war in Ukraine while being an unapologetic statement of Ukrainian identity. 

The Villalobos Brothers

The Villalobos Brothers have become an international touring sensation for the virtuosic skill that they bring to the folk music of Mexico, particularly the stirring son jarocho of their native Veracruz. Their original compositions and arrangements often lean into jazz and their classical violin training. 

It’s a winning combination: in 2023, the album Fandango at the Wall Live in NYC, which they collaborated on with Arturo O’Farill and the Conga Patria Son Jarocho Collective, won a GRAMMY for Best Latin Jazz Album. 

Karsh Kale

Karsh Kale might be one of the world’s most famous tabla players. The Indian American drummer is world renowned for his innovative fusion of electronic music with classical Indian drumming. 

His tabla reverberates through several albums, including Breathing Under Water, a collaboration with Anoushka Shankar, as well as film work, such as the score for the 2019 Bollywood film Gully Boy. 

Bab L’ Bluz

Moroccan French rockers Bab L’ Bluz have their own take on North Africa’s desert blues, folding Gnawa spiritual trance music, Chaâbi, and other sounds into a heady, sometimes heavy, psychedelic mix. The title of the band’s 2020 debut album Nayda! references the youth movement that celebrates traditional aspects of Moroccan culture. 

Though their sound is refreshing, it has profound links to the history and people of the Maghreb. Lead singer Nousra Mansour sings in Darija, the local Moroccan-Arabic dialect, and the members make their music using the Gnawa stringed instruments the gimbri and the awicha.

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