CaboCubaJazz Quinteto

In an inimitable way, the international ensemble blends the melancholy of the Cape Verdean Islands with a generous portion of Cuban rumba, salsa and adventurous jazz. The result: CaboCubaJazz Quinteto. Both the listener and the dancer are taken on a journey where desire, passion, subtlety and musical fire alternate. CaboCubaJazz has performed in Cuba, Cape Verde, Canada, Thailand, Germany, Finland, Austria, Belgium, Bahrain, Malaysia, Romenia, Luxembourg, Norway and in The Netherlands. Performance highlights include the Havana Jazz Festival, Kriol Jazz, and North Sea Jazz Festival. CaboCubaJazz’ debut album Rikeza y Valor was awarded best World Music album by Dutch journalists, selected twice for a Grammy award and was nominated at the Cabo Verde Music Awards. The band’s most recent album is Corason Africano, and they are expected to release another in 2026!

Farah Siraj

Named Jordan’s Musical Ambassadress, Jordanian virtuoso Farah Siraj balances a career that spans the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Farah has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious stages, and additionally, Farah represents Jordan annually on United Nations World Peace Day. As a humanitarian, Farah focuses on raising awareness about the consequences of war and violence, and advocates for women’s rights, refugee rights and animal rights. In recognition of her humanitarian efforts, Farah was invited to perform at the United Nations Humanitarian Awards, and her music was played before the United Nations Security Council before passing a legislation regarding the genocide in Darfur. Farah approaches music as a medium for peace and a way to amplify the voices of people around the world who need to be heard. Farah currently leads an ethnically diverse quintet of world-class musicians from the Middle East, Europe, the United States and South America, including music from all four regions. Farah and her band have toured the Middle East, India, Europe and the United States and South America with sold-out concerts in all four regions.

Killabeatmaker

With more than 18 years in the music industry Hilder brando Osorno a.k.a. Killabeatmaker is a Colombian music producer, who combines Colombian rhythms with Afrobeats, Amapiano and Cumbia. His knowledge of South American traditional Indigenous music has allowed him to bring global club music to a vast fan base. Killabeatmaker is not only an accomplished DJ, but also has a vibrant live band that performs globally in Europe and the Americas. The show is energetic, grooving and mystical performance featuring a variety traditional Colombian instruments. The live band is made up of three musicians, Guadalupe Giraldo (drums, Colombian gaita, vocals), Julian Ramirez (percussion, backing vocals) and Killabeatmaker (enhanced beatbox, rap, vocals and electrifying Akai beats). The EP Matiela Suto from early 2021, was featured in 2023 Apple TV+ series Echo 3. In the past five years, Killabeatmaker has toured Europe five times and performed in more than 43 cities.

Yasser Tejeda

Yasser Tejeda, the award-winning Dominican composer, guitarist, vocalist, and producer, passionately advocates for new generations to explore, promote, and enrich their cultural heritage. With a diverse musical portfolio, Yasser has established himself as a prominent figure in the conversation about Afro-Dominican roots music and its fusion with jazz, rock, and Caribbean rhythms. Mezclansa, his first album, was dubbed one of the 100 essential recordings of Dominican music by the Dominican National Association of Art Writers (Acroarte). His second album, Kijombo, received six awards from the Dominican Republic's Premios Indie, including Best Album, and his latest album, La Madrugá, earned him a nomination for Best Alternative Artist at the 2024 Premios Soberano in the Dominican Republic. 

Yasser's music has captivated audiences globally. Most recently, he appeared as a guest artist at the 2024 Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., honoring the great Arturo Sandoval. Tejeda has performed at esteemed festivals such as Isle of Light (Dominican Republic), Latinxt (Chicago, IL), and the Afro-Latino Fest (Washington, DC).

Mireya Ramos

Mireya Ramos is a Latin Grammy winning, multiple Latin Grammy and Grammy nominee, vocalist, musician, composer, producer, arranger and the founder of Flor de Toloache - NY’s only all women mariachi band. Mireya embodies all her musical influences whether classical, mariachi, salsa, merengue or hip-hop. She is always creating a unique and refreshing sound. Her versatility, natural improvisational skills and beautiful tone has made her one of the top Latin artists in New York City. Mireya has graced the stage with her singing and violin at many prestigious venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Heineken JazzFest (Puerto Rico), Sundance Film Festival, and many more. She is currently promoting her upcoming album featuring the Poor Choices, Sin Fronteras, which will be released on September 15th .Throughout the album, Mireya and her musicians deftly blend ranchera and country, sprinkling in pop, jazz, and R&B along the way.

64KSANA (at Division 88)

64ksana is an alternative electronic music band from South Korea, blending vibrant techno rhythms with the raw intensity of Korean shamanic traditions. Formed in 2022 they craft immersive performances that transcend genres and cultural boundaries.

Since their debut at the CINARS Biennale in Montreal, they have captivated audiences at major festivals including, Pique and Sunfest (Canada), and leading Korean festivals such as the Ansan Street Arts Festival and Chuncheon Mime Festival. Their work reinterprets ancient Korean rituals through pulsating electronic beats and live traditional instruments, inviting audiences into a transformative experience of trance and release. With their innovative stage productions and cross-cultural sound, 64ksana continues to push the boundaries of contemporary ritual and electronic music, forging new paths for global dance communities.

De Mar Y Rio

De Mar y Río De Mar y Río is the ambassador group of youth and traditional marimba music, as they are the winners of the first place at the 2024 Petronio Álvarez Festival. This powerful musical ensemble has been active for seven years, ever since its members — ten young percussionists and singers from different territories of the Pacific, such as Timbiquí, Cali, Guapi, Ladrilleros, El Charco, Iscuandé, and López de Micay — crossed paths in Cali within a well-known generational renewal process.

Under the guidance and direction of their long-time mentor, Felipe Amú—a young actor, lawyer, and cultural manager—they graduated and became De Mar y Río, a name reflecting their origins. Since then, they have achieved numerous successes, building extensive experience on prestigious stages such as: Petronio Álvarez Festival (2022 Finalists 2024 Winners), Colombia al Parque Festival, Festival de Festivales (Santa Marta), Batata III Festival (2023 Winners), Top Show Colombo Bogotá Music Market (BOMM), Cali and Medellín Fair, among others. Recently, they toured Ecuador, offering a preview of ‘Bailen y Gocen’, their first studio album, released on March 1, 2024. With this production, they aim to continue making their mark in the global music industry. Their upcoming tour destinations include Mexico, Canada, and São Paulo, Brazil, as their elaborate performance proposal is recognized for bridging tradition and dernity in each of their shows.

Antonio Monasterio Ensamble

Antonio Monasterio Ensamble is a boundary-pushing Chilean group that blends jazz, chamber music, and global rhythms into a deeply emotional and cinematic sound on flugelhorn, electric guitar, oud, drums, bass, and piano. Led by composer and multi-instrumentalist Antonio Monasterio, the ensemble creates rich musical narratives that reflect both the intensity of modern life and the introspection of the natural world. Known for their intricate arrangements and dynamic live performances, the group has toured extensively across Chile and internationally, including acclaimed shows in Asia. The band’s first album Centro y Periferia was released in 2018 and resulted in a nomination for Best Jazz and Fusion Artist at Chile’s 2020 Pulsar Awards. Their most recent recording, Las Furias y el Mar (2023), explores themes of identity, memory, and transformation, cementing their place as one of the most innovative projects on Chile’s contemporary music scene.

PS5

PS5 is led by Pietro Santangelo who was born, lives and plays in Naples. As a saxophonist and composer, he released five albums with Slivovitz, one with his PS3 trio. He is a former member of Nu Guinea (Nuova Napoli Band) and is involved and engaged in the Italian scene of radical improvisation. Two-and-a-half-years after the release of Unconscious Collective (2021), Pietro Santangelo and his PS5 ensemble returned with the album Echologia (2024). The compositions are inspired by the idea of natural biodiversity as an expression of contamination, coexistence and balance. In the same way as the biological agents contribute to the life of a certain ecosystem, seemingly distant musical languages act as elements of balance in a fertile and blooming musical system. Multiculturalism becomes coexistence. Suggestive saxophone textures intertwine on a solid rhythmic equilibrium and move naturally along an imaginary line highlighting the ancestral connection between Africa and the Mediterranean Sea.

Diyet & The Love Soldiers

Diyet was born in a tent and spent her childhood on the ancestral lands of the Kluane First Nation people in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Coming from a family rooted in traditions but tempered with a good sense of adventurous hippie attitudes, Diyet has created a musical presence that is as diverse as her Southern Tutchone, Tlingit, Japanese and Scottish heritage. Diyet’s third album: Diyet & The Love Soldiers released in 2018 received nominations for: “Folk Album Of The Year” at “The Indigenous Music Awards”, “Indigenous Artist Of The Year” at the “Western Canadian Music Awards” and “Indigenous Songwriter Of The Year” at the “Canadian Folk Music Awards.”

Diyet & The Love Soldiers is alternative country, folk, roots and traditional with catchy melodies and stories deeply rooted in Diyet’s Indigenous world view and northern life. Diyet sings in both English and Southern Tutchone (her native language) and plays bass guitar. She is backed by The Love Soldiers: husband and collaborator, Robert van Lieshout (acoustic guitar, drums, percussion) and Juno Award winning producer, Bob Hamilton (electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin).

Empanadas Ilegales

Vancouver-based psychedelic cumbia and salsa ensemble Empanadas Ilegales delivers contagious cumbia rhythms, hypnotic guitar melodies, and experimental salsa trumpet lines to create a Latin surf-rock/free-jazz fusion. Their latest full-length album, Creepy Mambo, pays homage to cumbia cult classics infusing a vintage vibe with contemporary synth, slinky dub grooves, and feverish percussion departures. Empanadas Ilegales has performed alongside such acclaimed acts as Helado Negro, LALOM, Sonido Gallo Negro, and Meridian Brothers. With members representing diverse Latin backgrounds, the band cultivates an immersive experience that takes any audience on an unforgettable journey. The band has delivered electrifying performances at Vancouver International Jazz Fest, Calgary Folk Fest, Tofino Jazz Fest, Kensington Market Jazz, Lula Lounge and Global Toronto (Small World Toronto), and now it’s Sunfest’s turn to revel in the infectious beats and unique sound of Empanadas Ilegales.

Víík

Norwegian powerhouse Elisabeth Vik has established herself as an unrivaled live  act on the contemporary Nordic music scene. Mythical figures emerge in flesh and  blood, and you can practically smell the primeval Norse landscapes as you are  swept away by VÍÍÍK's music. This is true folk music authenticity with a nerve and an  uncanny ability to breathe life into rich Nordic traditions with a devil-may-care  charisma.

La Chiva Gantiva

Born in Brussels, Belgium, La Chiva Gantiva is a one-of-a-kind band founded by Colombian musicians and enriched by talents from diverse backgrounds. Since its debut, La Chiva Gantiva has transcended cultural boundaries, blending diversity and creativity into an explosive musical fusion.

The band is celebrated for its ability to transform every stage into a full-blown party, captivating audiences with its raw energy. Prestigious festivals such as Roskilde, WOMAD (UK, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Russia), and the Paleo Festival have all borne witness to their electrifying performances.

In 2025, La Chiva Gantiva celebrates 15 years of traveling the world, sharing their vibrant energy and festive music. This milestone also marks the release of their new album, EGO, a project that promises to amplify the group’s soul and unique identity.

Gonia

Gonia is a unique ensemble featuring a percussionist and vocalist deeply rooted in Korean traditional music, alongside a guitarist and bassist with extensive experience in jazz. While their combination may seem simple and obvious, the music they create is far more surprising and captivating than expected. The exciting interplay of bass over the intricate rhythms of the janggu—a traditional Korean percussion instrument—combined with dazzling guitar improvisation and the compelling stage presence of a traditional vocalist, has captivated audiences not only in Korea but around the world.

Gonia has already gained outstanding reviews domestically and they aré expanding their career internationally. They’ve showcased their music in several international showcases such as the English Folk Expo (UK), Visa for Music (Morocco), Fluvial (Chile), and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival (Denmark). This summer, they are heading a tour to New York, Lincoln center and they are ready to present the audiences K-jazz!