Alzaymir

Turkey

Despite today’s tendencies toward nationalism, the world of popular music is increasingly displacing traditional songs Turkey as well. Five young musicians from Istanbul hope to change that. They have dusted off almost forgotten tunes – and accompany their vocals with instruments old and new.

Anewal

Niger

World music from the Nigerian desert: Alhousseini Anivolla, lead singer of the legendary band Etran Finatawa, will be on the roster with his trio Anewal. They combine traditional African idioms with sounds of today, while Anivolla accompanies his relaxed vocals with his breath-taking guitar playing: desert blues at its best!

Meduoteran

Turkey/Serbia/Armenia

After growing up in Turkey and Serbia, they joined together as a duo at the Zurich Academy of Music: Taylan Arikan and Srdjan Vukašinovič unleash unexpected sounds from their instruments, accordion and bağlama. Providing the necessary groove is the Armenian percussionist Rob Haçaturyan.

Schänner Blech-Füfermusig

Switzerland

In parts of eastern Switzerland, brass band dance music was once what made the hits. Some groups even became so popular, that they were already producing records in the early 2th century, like the ländler music of Fuchs aus Schänis. 100 years later, the Schänner Blech-Füfermusig reawakens this rich legacy anew.

Ssassa

Switzerland/Macedonia/Turkey/Serbia

Take a  sweeping journey through the fascinating world of Roma music. This quintet combines the widest variety of music traditions with a joy in playing and enormous virtuosity, setting off intercultural fireworks produced by saxophone, trumpet, vocals, percussion, and oud.

Talike Trio

Madagascar

Madagascar is multifaceted – that’s true not only for the flora and fauna of the Red Island. Eighteen different ethnic groups are officially recognized, each with its own treasury of melodies and rhythms. Talike Gellé comes from the south of Madagascar and performs around the world as a musical ambassador of her homeland.

Unavantaluna

Sicily

After meeting up by chance in Rome, they decided to go in search of their roots together. Performing on such Sicilian instruments as the friscaletto, zampogna, and tambourine, this  quartet plays tarantellas and working and folk songs, as well as pieces they compose themselves – with untrammeled spontaneity.

Wooonta

Taiwan/France/Japan

A Taiwanese musician who has devoted himself to the Chinese violin known as the erhu. A French cellist who mostly focuses on free improvisation. A Japanese sitar and surbahar player who studied these instruments in India. It sounds like an adventurous combination, and yet this Trio has found a multifaceted identity of its own.