By William Farrington
Special to DNAinfo
MANHATTAN — As summer in the city returns, so does music from across the globe.
With performances everywhere from city parks to clubs, New York is a cultural musicologist's dream. Where else will a MetroCard swipe take you to Haiti or West Africa or Latin America? DNAinfo collected some of the highlights.
On Tuesday, Make Music New York celebrates the longest day of the year with more than 1,000 free concerts throughout the city. One of the highights will be the contemporary and classical sounds from the New York Arabic Orchestra in Bryant Park at 5:30 p.m.
SOB's is the place to hear irresistable Haitian kompa rhythms every Friday night. The peerless Djakout Mizik performs June 24. Also on the bill are Alan Cave and friends.
Vado Diomande, the drummer and dancer from the Ivory Coast, performs a new work "The Sorcerers and the Healer" with his dance company Kotchegna on June 25 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis High School at 120 W. 46th St.
The River to River festival has been bringing music to lower Manhattan since 2002. On June 25, Fula Flute and Theo Bleckman’s Future Quest perform Guinean traditional music at Pace University’s Schimmel Center for the Arts. That's just one of dozens of free shows downtown between June 19 and July 16.
Just announced are two shows by Congolese Soukous guitarist Diblo Dibala and his band. Dibala will perform music from his new album at Farafina Restaurant and Cafe June 25 at 1813 Amsterdam Ave. Shows start at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tickets are $20.
Youssou N’Dour's U.S. tour includes a stop in New York at Terminal 5 on June 26. The Senegalese superstar is releasing a reggae album, Dakar-Kingston, which explores the connection between Reggae and its West African roots.
At SummerStage in Central Park, jazz great Hugh Masekela and Freshly Ground will perform music from South Africa on June 25. Ugandan jazz vocalist Somi opens the concert.
The following week at Summerstage, RAM’s Haitian roots music headlines a July 3 show that also features Saharan rock from Group Doueh and African hip hop from Baloji. RAM also performs at SOBs later that night.
Also at Summerstage, Latin alternative music will feature Novalima’s Afro Peruvian electronica, Spanish rock group Jarabe de Palo, Mexican vocalist Ely Guerra, and DJ Mr. Pauer on July 6.
