Antibalas has announced a collaborative tour with Zap Mama, Marie Daulne’s international polyphonic vocal group, that will travel across North America in January and February 2015.
Antibalas, founded in 1998, evolved out of the same Brooklyn-based musical nucleus as Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and emerged onto the world music scene around 2000. After years of heavy international touring the band rose to greater prominence in 2007 for its role in the musical direction of the Broadway musical “Fela!.”
“I’ve been a fan of Zap Mama for twenty years. We’ve never had the chance to collaborate before, nor with any other group on this scale. This is a thrill and a privilege for us to be working together,” says Martín Perna from Antibalas. “I think the energies and talents of each group are complementary and really exciting things will happen when we get to perform.”
The 29-date Zap Mama / Antibalas tour, produced by Columbia Artists Management LLC, will be presented at performing arts centers around the country, as well as venues including the Fillmore in San Francisco, Park West in Chicago, and the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan. The tour begins at the University of Florida at Gainesville on Jan. 21, 2015 and concludes on Feb. 27 at the University of Texas, El Paso.
The concerts will feature a brand-new presentation, deeply combining the two groups into one show specially created for this tour. “Every time I do a tour, I want the show to have its own unique story arc which, even if it’s not explicitly expressed, still gives a certain flow or cohesiveness to the presentation,” says Zap Mama founder Marie Daulne. “I’m very excited to explore the intersections between our globally influenced vocal harmonies and the polyrhythmic rhythms of Antibalas. I’m sure it will be an exciting and fun journey.”
ZAP MAMA and ANTIBALAS on tour:
Date City State Venue
1/21/15 Gainesville FL Curtis M. Phillips Performing Arts Center – Mainstage
1/22/15 Tampa FL Ferguson Hall
1/23/15 West Palm Beach FL Michael and Andrew Gosman Amphitheatre
1/24/15 Cutler Bay FL Main Stage South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center
1/25/15 Lake Buena Vista FL House of Blues – Lake Buena Vista
1/27/15 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse
1/28/15 Richmond VA University of Richmond – Carpenter Theatre
1/29/15 Newport News VA Ferguson Center for the Arts Concert Hall
1/30/15 Washington DC The George Washington University Lisner Auditorium
1/31/15 Union NJ Kean University – Wilkins Theater
2/3/15 University Park PA Pennsylvania State University – Eisenhower Auditorium
2/4/15 Pittsburgh PA Byham Theater
2/5/15 Buffalo NY SUNY Buffalo – Main Stage – Center for the Arts
2/6/15 Detroit MI Music Hall Center for Performing Arts
2/7/15 Toronto ON Koerner Concert Hall
2/9/15 Brattleboro VT The Latchis Theatre
2/10/15 St Johnsbury VT Fuller Hall
2/11/15 New York NY Highline Ballroom
2/12/15 Storrs CT University of Connecticut – Jorgensen Auditorium
2/14/15 Chicago IL Park West Theatre*
2/15/15 Madison WI Wisconsin Union Theater
2/18/15 Chico CA California State University, Chico – Laxson Auditorium
2/19/15 Arcata CA Humboldt State University – John Van Duzer Theatre
2/20/15 San Francisco CA The Fillmore*
2/21/15 Santa Monica CA The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage
2/22/15 Solana Beach CA Belly Up Tavern
2/24/15 Scottsdale AZ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – Piper Theater
2/25/15 Tucson AZ Fox Tucson Theatre*
2/27/15 El Paso TX UTEP *
* = On sale date TBA
