July 15 - 17 - Check the Hamilton World Music Festival website for daily schedules


From Newfoundland’s traditional songs to a very contemporary take on British folk, from eclectic global fusion to contemporary southern African jazz, this year’s line-up for the Hamilton World Music Festival once again brings the music of the world to our city’s doorstep.

This year, the Festival will proceed rain or shine, with the use of a new staging system that allows us to eliminate any weather delays.

For 2016, we have expanded our programming of world music artists from our own doorstep, including performers and groups who hail from Hamilton and the rest of Canada, and dynamic international artists who represent the very best of contemporary world music.

The festival will begin each afternoon with a selection of entertainment that will include music and dance from a variety of cultural groups and backgrounds. As always, festival goers can expect a variety of foods, crafts and artisan work on sale and a family area with lots to do for the little ones.

The main stage programming will begin at 4pm each day.

The Main Stage Line-up at a Glance:

Alysha Brilla
Born Alysha Mohamed, Alysha Brilla is an Indo-Tanzanian-Canadian Juno-Nominated singer, songwriter, producer, yoga instructor, part-time clothing designer and social justice advocate. Her sound incorporates a fusion of global styles with socially conscious lyrics that tell evocative stories about what she calls “the politics of people”.

Bonnie Hamilton
Bonnie’s music reflects her diverse heritage that is part-East Indian mixed with Portuguese, Persian and African roots by way of Guyana to Canada. All those influences can be found in her music as a solo artist, now based in Hamilton.

Bumaranga
Bumaranga is a group of seven musicians offering up a typically Colombian mix of percussion and flutes with a modern touch courtesy of the guitar and electric bass. The result is a fusion of sounds true to the roots and essence of Afro-Colombian music.

Cardboard Fox
With a focus on original songs with a strong pop sensibility and energetic live shows, this is a group of four exciting young musicians who are grounded in bluegrass, folk and other musical traditions.

Hunter’s Corners
This duo consists of Bill Nesbitt on concertina, harmonica, vocals & jaw harp and Brad McEwen on citterns & vocals. Together they explore the traditional songs and tunes from Newfoundland and the traditional folk music of the British Isles, including Canadian variants of British Isles ballads and songs from Canadian history.

Ivan Mazuze
The Ivan Mazuze Quintet presents progressive African jazz at its very best. Their sound blends a southern African background with West African contemporary drumming and jazz harmonies, led by saxophonist Ivan Mazuze.

Kareyce Fotso
Kareyce Fotso constructs her repertoire as if it were Cameroon itself: a place of harmony, a hub of encounters and love between peoples. She sings in eight different languages that resonate naturally.

Mother Tareka
Mother Tareka and the Rebel Funktion is a 9-piece band of powerhouse musicians that blend elements of hip hop, funk, and Middle Eastern infused Afrobeat with politicized lyrics that get crowds moving and brains thinking from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Riddim Riders
Riddim Riders – Acoustic Side – The “steeltown reggae sound” of the Riddim Riders is well established from over ten years of live shows and recording. Acoustic Side is a more recent incarnation – an acoustic soul, rock, folk/pop mix, with only occasional flourishes of reggae material done in a stripped down, acoustic style.

Scantily Plaid
Canadian Celtic Roots Rock – the exciting music of Scantily Plaid is a remarkable fusion of Canadian, Celtic and Roots music – traditional and original, old and new and based in Hamilton, Ontario.

Taluna
Taluna – Italian “space folk” with a sound that ventures from Morocco to Flamenco passing through jazz.

Sérgio Pererê
Multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Sérgio Pererê is one of the leading exponents of MPB or Música Popular Brasileira – Brazilian urban pop music.

“In keeping with our goals, Matapa is always looking to expand the connections – musical, artistic and otherwise – between Hamilton and the rest of the world,” notes Festival Artistic Director and Executive director of Matapa Music and Arts Organization, Filimone Mabjaia. “Our city’s people come from all corners of the globe and we all call Hamilton home. The Hamilton World Music Festival brings us all together in an enjoyment that we can all understand – music.”

For the full line-up, show times, and other information visit http://www.hamiltonworldmusicfest.com