Live In Concert from NPR's All Songs Considered Folgen

Composer and guitarist Aurelio Martinez is one of the leading singers of Garifuna music from Central America. Martinez was added to globalFEST at the last minute after a Cuban group had visa trouble; he also played without his own band and had to put together a pickup group quickly. Despite all this, Martinez was a delight. He has been studying under the the legendary African singer and bandleader Youssou N'Dour — an important connection in his life since the Garifuna community descends from escaped African slaves. The culturally endangered Garifuna song forms such as paranda ballads find new life as the Honduran musician complements them with his melancholy yet hopeful singing.

This was one show everyone wanted to catch. Magic happens when Ballak? Sissoko and Vincent Segal perform. This night at globalFEST was no exception. When the kora and a cello sit side by side, there's a clear cultural juxtaposition of African and European musical tradition. But despite the striking contrast, when the Malian kora player Sissoko and French cellist Segal sit down together, nothing sounds more natural. Sissoko plucks sweet harp-like sounds from the 21-stringed kora, while Segal draws unexpected sounds from his cello, sometimes evoking woodwinds. The acoustic pairing and cultural combination has become an exciting new sound in chamber music.

This was my globalFEST surprise. Imagine a New Orleans street band playing Indian Bollywood tunes with a go-go beat — you can't? Then just listen, because your day is about to get better. Red Baraat is the only bhangra brass band in North America. Hailing from New York City and formed in 2008, the group uses their improvisational sound to blend the dhol, a double-sided, barrel-shaped North Indian drum, with brass funk. It's a crazy blast of fun.