MORY KANTE (Guinea)
With his new show, MORY KANTE, the "electric griot", returns to his ancestral roots and to the traditional sounds and rhythms of the Mandingue. The repertoire, invites us to discover the musical instruments that are part of West African traditional music and poetry - such as: the arc, balafon, bolon, daro, djembe, doun doumba, fe doun doun, flute, kora, n'gony, talking drums… MORY KANTE sings and masterfully plays his kora for us - opening our minds and ears to new and unexplored horizons...(New acoustic-traditional show

MANU DIBANGO (Cameroon)
The global fusion that Manu Dibango created in the 1950s made him an African world-music pioneer. Manu Dibango is Cameroon's, and perhaps Africa's, best-known jazz saxophonist. Starting in the 1950’s, world attention came to Dibango with the release of Soul Makossa in 1972. Dibango's output has been prodigious and multi-faceted.

WALDEMAR BASTOS (Angola)
With the open heart and clear eyes of an exile, Waldemar Bastos writes songs that beautifully entwine elements of African guitar pop — from Zaire to South Africa — with Brazilian and Portuguese influences. Sweet melodies whisper through the heat of sub-Saharan grooves, a longing for reconciliation soothes a righteous anger... rage and calm, innocence and experience, darkness and light... Blacklight... PretaLuz.

TANIA MARIA VIVA BRAZIL QUARTET (Brazil )
Tania Maria is a generous spirit. More enlightening and passionate than ever before, its at the origin of this inspiration of hers that has always existed, which brings Tania Maria to comeback with VIVA BRAZIL, an album full of explosive and generous emotion which we notice from the first measures. Tania Maria accomplishes the union of the two Americas: warm rhythms, samba and chorinho of the south, nostalgic jazz and blues of the north. Tour with the Viva Brazil Quartet!

OTIS CLAY (US)
Hailed as Chicago's deep soul king. From a city overflowing with legendary blues artists, OTIS CLAY is the proud standard-bearer for Chicago's enduring soul tradition! His voice has a clarity and force few singers attain in their careers. He is often lauded as one of the most powerful and soulful voices of our time.

CAMEO (US)
The World’s Best Funk Band! CAMEO’S worldwide breakthrough with the WORD UP shook things up in 1986! This platinum-selling album was an international smash! The album was Grammy nominated for the “Record of the Year.”

GOLDEN GATE QUARTET (France/US)
On their first European tour in 1955, they discovered a brand new market for their music. They were so popular there that they moved their headquarters to Paris in 1959, still today under the guidance of tenor Clyde Wright (a member since 1954) and baritone Paul Brembly (a member since '71) they create the trademark Golden Gate Quartet sound, and are still extremely active in touring and recording. In 2004 the Quartet will tour the world to celebrate their 70th anniversary.

FRED WESLEY FUNK BAND (US)
I am very proud and grateful for the things that I have learned from my association with James Brown, George Clinton, Count Basie and the scores of other great artists and musicians with whom I have worked. The music is the culmination of the education I have received from my many and various associations.

OMAR (UK)
Over the past 10 years, Omar has received massive critical acclaim both in Europe and the U.S. He is the only British artist to be unanimously recognized as a major influence to an entire generation of black American acts including D'Angelo, Maxwell, Gill Scott Erykah Badu and even Stevie Wonder.Omar has always been hailed as "the originator of nu-classic soul". A decade on and Omar is still the best by far.

SEVEN ELEVEN (Holland)
Funk, hit me now! You don’t have to be black to be a funkateer! This Dutch band has been cooking up a storm in P-Funk territory for quite some time now, but maybe international distribution by the likes of the Dutch jazz, funk & soul label JJ Tracks, might earn them a place on the international scene, normally reserved for Afro-American bands.
SEVEN ELEVEN is considered thé European formation in the field of funk, jazz and hip-hop crossovers.

SLAPBAK (US)
Slapbak is a seven piece funk band from Orange County. They blend a high energy live performance with a tight and heavy downbeat. Add a good sized portion of bottom end with plenty of junk in the trunk, and you got a recipe that will knock you to your knees! Nobody plays funk like this band does!

THE JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET (UK)
The James Taylor Quartet are synonymous with the sound of classic Acid Jazz. Formed in 1985 they had instant success with the release of "Blow Up" which stayed in the indie charts for 13 weeks and appeared in John Peels Festive 50 charts for 3 years running. Over the years JTQ have gigged relentlessly. Their concerts are legendary experiences with their emphasis on live "dance" music becoming the prominent key to the band's success, enabling them to establish a solid relationship between them and their fans.

TASHA’S WORLD (HOLLAND)
Her name is Tasha's World (TW). She is conquering Europe, America, Asia and Africa along with her 10-piece band, delivering very exciting "Hip Soul" to her audiences. Her new album
"Tasha's World" has been a top pick for radio stations, good DJs and fans across the world since it was released in 2003.

ALEXI TUOMARILA TRIO (Finland/ Belgium)
I first heard Alexi last summer when our bands shared the stage in a concert in Avignon, France last summer. I was immediately drawn into his performance. What struck me first was his sound on the instrument. He gets a clear tone out of the piano that makes you focus on what he's playing. His playing 'cuts through' the other instruments, demanding your attention, and never gets ambiguous or unclear. Even when he's playing only single-note melodies, they have an authority to them that draws you in as a listener. (Brad Mehldau )

DEAN BROWN BAND (US)
This much sought after guitarist has toured extensivel with David Sanborn, the Brecker Brothers, Roberta Flack, George Duke Bob James, Marcus Miller Project w/Lalah Hathaway and Joe Sample, Billy Cobham, Bill Evans, Steve Smith (drummer with Steps Ahead and Journey), Tiger Okoshi (Tiger's Baku), Kirk Whalum, and various groups led by Dean Brown.

ALPHONSE MOUZON BAND (US)
With his furiously propulsive drumming Mouzon brings jazz poly rhythms to a rock pulse.
After freelancing for some time he played with with Weather Report in 1971, McCoy Tyner (1972-73), Larry Coryell's Eleventh House (1973-75) and in a trio with Albert Mangelsdorff and Jaco Pastorius. After that Mouzon again freelanced until he joined Herbie Hancock in the late 70s.

MELVIN LEE DAVIS BAND
Los Angeles native Melvin Lee Davis was discovered at the tender age of 16 by Buddy Miles, when a horn player from Buddy Miles' band heard Melvin playing in a local club. Buddy Miles flew Davis to New York to audition for his band and immediately hired him. He has toured and recorded with Chaka Khan, the Pointer Sisters, Lee Ritenour, Bryan Ferry, David Benoit, Larry Carlton, Patti Austin, Gladys Knight, and many other top acts. A must for bass freaks!

OCTURN (Belgium)
Unpredictable. Such are Octurn, who have, over ten years, swum so many musical currents and absorbed myriad influences, yet never at the expense of their searching, inventive brand of originality. The arrival of Octurn on the Belgian scene coincided with the emergence of a new and passionate generation of musicians, but at the heart of their musical adventure from the beginning, seemed to be a new orchestral concept.

BZZZ PUK (France/Belgium)
An original formula based on poly-rhythmic structures, broached in a generous, coherent, intuitive and deep manner. Its interest in rhythm and proportions is evidenced in compositions stemming from original concepts. Linley Marthe (bass) brings his magnificent tone, deep groove, natural ease so rare on his instruments, and the combined influences of Jazz and African music – elements that make him an extraordinary musician to discover without fail. Geoffroy de Masure is developing a generous and dense playing style, expanding the expressive palette of the trombone, conferring on it a place of choice. And on drums we have Stephane Galland. This trio kicks ass!!!

GERARD PRESENCER (UK)
Gerard Presencer is universally recognized as one of the best trumpet / flugelhorn players in his field. He was first noticed on the world stage at the age of 18, for his work with Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who he continues to work with; writing, producing and playing. However he is probably best known for his solo work on the 3 million selling album by US3, Hand on the Torch on Bluenote. It is Gerard's' trumpet that is featured so heavily on the big hit of that CD, Cantaloop.

PRAFUL (Holland)
Born and raised in Germany, but operating from Amsterdam, Praful managed to be in three different Billboard charts recently. The album One Day Deep by the sax and flute player simultaneously was charted in Billboard's Contemporary Jazz (peaking at number 7), Electronic and Dance charts. New single Let The Chips Fall will come out this week.

ELLIOTT CAINE QUINTET (US)
Inspired by '60's "Blue Note" style jazz, The Elliott Caine Sextet is dedicated to soulful, honest and swinging music. The repertoire of the group ranges from original melodies from within the group, to songs penned by the "greats", such as Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Hank Mobley, et al; from straight-ahead to Latin to funk grooves and soulful ballads. The sextet has recently recorded its second CD of irresistible original melodies.

ZIMAR (Palestine)
One of the most important goals of the group is to create instrumental music that does not essentially depend on lyrics, as much in the historical Arabic music that developed through singing and not through playing music. The composed music is nourished from the heritage of the old historical Arabic music, the new compositions of the group do not distort that heritage but rather it has its origins from it and develops it.

STUDIO PAGOL (Belgium)
Despite widespread influences, this is certainly no odd job and the mix of Techno, Pop, Oriental, even Cocktail music is guaranteed to enrapture its audience. But who stands behind the musical output of this piece of recording ? The main culprits are MABOUL. Two experienced musicians having "survived " some flimsy line ups and latest to date, a whimsical yet talented individual called Mustapha LARGO (also the name of their previous band) who left MABOUL to go solo.

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