Lotus Live

Through a partnership with Lotus World Music and Arts, we are able to bring selected Lotus artists from all over the world and put them on your FM radio dial. On September 29th, Sahba and Naghmeh took part in our Lotus Live sessions by playing their music and interviewing with us. In their session, they discuss their instruments, Persian music, …

WFHB Lotus Live Session March 20, 2017 Iraqi oud musician and composer Rahim AlHaj combines traditional Iraqi maqams with contemporary styling and influence. Virtuosically playing on an instrument that spans 5,000 years, Rahim’s music represents a unique voice that speaks passionately to contemporary listeners of every musical background. Deftly combining traditional Iraqi maqams with contemporary stylings and influences, AlHaj seeks …

Recognized as the world’s premier pipa virtuoso and leading ambassador of Chinese music, Wu Man has carved out a career as a soloist, educator and composer giving her lute-like instrument—which has a history of over 2,000 years in China—a new role in both traditional and contemporary music. Through numerous concert tours, Wu Man has premiered hundreds of new works for …

Multi-instrumentalist Anna Roberts-Gevalt and ballad-singer Elizabeth LaPrelle honor Appalachian artistry with a repertoire collected from archives, elder musicians, and their contemporaries among the old-time renaissance in the U.S. In haunting ballads, lilting lullabies, and songs of grace and redemption, the duo showcases arresting vocal harmonies that seem both very old yet fresh and raw.  Roberts-Gevalt and LaPrelle also create and …

This trio of Patagonian women write and sing diverse songs in exquisite harmony to deliver an unforgettable theatrical stage performance. Hailing from the tiny mountain town of San Martin de los Andes, Fémina is made up of two sisters and their best childhood friend: Sofia “Toti” Trucco (vocals, guitar, ronroco), Clara “Wewi” Trucco (vocals, percussion), and Clara Miglioli (vocals, guitar). They mix …

Double BBC Folk Award nominees Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker infuse ageless stories of love and loss with their exquisite command of many instruments.  Josienne was born in Sussex and Ben, in Evesham; it was after studying in London, and utterly by chance, that they met in July 2009. Together they have resolutely forged their own path through traditional music. …

The Afro Roots sound of Ghanaian musician and social activist Rocky Dawuni has been influenced by the soulful music of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and the positive messages and deep grooves of Bob Marley. Rocky’s songs straddle musical boundaries between Africa, the Caribbean and the U.S. Infectious grooves pair with stirring anthems meant to unite generations, and cultures. Songs performed: “Jammin’ Nation”, …

The Israeli band Baladino offers fresh, authentic interpretations of unique Mediterranean music and tradition rooted in Ladino culture, singing in a Spanish-Jewish dialect spoken by Sephardic Jews. Singer Yael Badah. Badah’s collection of Ladino songs, many of which belonged to her ancestors, form the core of Baladino’s repertoire. Tradition is a departure point for the musicians, who often improvise Mediterranean-Gypsy …

September 17, 2016 My Larsdotter and Bubba Tomasdottir make soulful, sensual, unhurried music that’s as playful as it is powerful. The sparse songs sometimes feature a cappella, body percussion, or simple acoustic arrangements. The lyrics are deceptively simple, sounding at times like found poetry.  “With just a guitar and vocals, they are mesmerizing in their softer-than-soft, lilting songs,” writes Amos …

Our final day of Lotus Live sessions brings us Karolina Cicha & Bart Pałyga! Karolina Cicha’s impassioned, compelling interpretations of the old songs of the Kresy (the Polish Eastern Borderlands) mix folk tradition, rock and pop, and performance art. Cicha sings in the languages of the Kresy—Polish, Belorussian, Ukrainian, Russian, Lithuanian, Tatar, Romani, Yiddish, and even Esperanto — and while her …