Daily News Features Riot Artists at GlobalFEST

For the last 12 years, globalFEST has served as the ultimate tip sheet for those far-flung acts most likely to become known here. The show doubles as a confab for arts professionals, who comb the venue’s three stages to pick acts to book for the coming year. The latest line-up spans Europe, the U.K., Africa, the Middle East, the Asian subcontinent and even America.

Here’s the lowdown:

Emel Mathlouthi: One of the prime protest singers of the Arab Spring, Emel Mathlouthi sings in a voice of haunted outrage. The singer was born in Tunis, Tunisia — ground zero for the movement. That’s where she wrote such rallying cries as “Ya Tounes Ya Meskina” (Poor Tunisia) and “Kelmti Horra” (My World Is Free). While taking Joan Baez as an influence and singing her songs, Mathlouthi’s sound also features North African strings and progressive synthesizers.

Puerto Candelaria: Medellin used to be the murder capital of the world. Now it’s gaining renown for something more positive: music drawn from the indigenous Andean culture. Puerto Candelaria melds those folk strains with the loping rhythms of the cumbia.

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