In 2023, John Burnett, a former NPR correspondent now based in Austin, started a world music series. It was a big success, with an average audience of about 200 members, and two sold-out shows. But he quickly found out that producing nine shows in nine months — in a venue that doesn't usually do concerts and with an educational twist, no less — was a bit much. This man is supposed to be retired.
This year, he's keeping the series going at a more sustainable clip. His World Music Encounters series continues at St. David’s Episcopal Church in downtown Austin with four concerts this time, featuring music from four continents. Although the number of shows is fewer, the depth is equal, if not greater.
Season Two of the series will take the same format, interspersing musical performances with Q&A sections led by the seasoned journalist, world traveler, and harmonica player. Although something could be learned from any musical performance, the onstage talks provide important context to ensure the series actually reaches the depth of education, rather than simply exposure.
San Antonio's Mariachi Las Alteñas played a sold-out show. This is good news for everyone, since Burnett says having more bodies makes the church sound better.Photo courtesy of World Music Encounters
"We have a loyal audience that just trusts us to put on a great concert by musicians that they usually haven't heard from, exposing them to music that they're not familiar with," says Burnett. "And we're going to continue that. Now this next season, we've got some really edgy concerts coming to expand our musical knowledge and educate folks."
This series is open to everyone, and the church — which offers the space for free, since Burnett and his wife are members — presents it as a "gift" to the city. The crew of around 20 volunteers per show wants as much of the ticket sales as possible to go to the artists.
"We welcome this intersection of church hospitality and world music in downtown Austin," said Father Chuck Treadwell in a press release.
Who's playing
Those concerts will showcase the skills and personal histories of the dance group A’lante Flamenco; the West African instrument builder Aboubacar "Abou" Sylla; the South American jazz group Javier Chaparro & Salud; and finally, a one-night-only group of three visiting Japanese musicians from the United States and abroad, Keisuke Zenyoji, Yoko Kimura, and Sumie Kaneko. Some of these musicians are based in Austin, but all have farther-flung roots.
The edginess Burnett promises is a literal one rather than one of shock value — musicians performing "world class" music around the musical fringes of Austin, effectively flying under the cultural radar. In 2023 Burnett was sourcing acts with help from KUTX's Michael Crockett, whose Latin music show kept him in the loop. But this year, some of the artists have appeared out of more organic connections, and not all of them are locally based.
Jose Manuel Tejeda plays guitar in Atash, the series opener last year; He introduced Burnett to A’lante Flamenco, another group he plays with, for Season Two. Another member of Atash is Abou Sylla of Bramaya, who's taking the reins for a solo show this time around. He plays five traditional African percussion instruments, and is practiced at educating audiences about them in a traveling series.
"It's the second dance company we're going to have at the church," says Burnett. "So it's going to be bunch of West African dancing, which will not be a very staid Episcopal worship service on Sunday morning, that's for sure."
Speaking of unstaid performances...here's Cuban pianist Victor Campbell.Photo by Will Van Overbeek
Javier Chaparro & Salud will bring their own excitement through virtuosity. The group is led by a Peruvian-born violinist who has spent more than three decades as Concert Master for the Brazos Valley Symphony; Burnett is familiar though playing harmonica with Chaparro "several times," noting "what a fantastic violinist he is." Finally, synchronicity brought together the Japanese masters.
"There's a shakuhachi [Japanese flute] festival in College Station, of all places, because there's a musical professor there who's one of the North American experts on traditional Japanese music," says Burnett. "He was looking for a more public-facing venue, and he found out about us, and he called. He said, 'Hey, would you like me to bring some traditional Japanese musicians over there?' And they are the world's finest."
Keisuke Zenyoji will play some long, meditative shakuhachi compositions before being joined by Yoko Kimura on the koto and shamisen, two string instruments. In the second half of the concert, Sumie Kaneko will offer her unique perspective, playing the same string instruments but interpreting them in a jazz context.
A world of difference
Besides making connections, the series has taught the well-traveled journalist things about the world that might not even have anything to do with music. Last year, Oliver Rajamani showed off Romani music and discussed where the term "Gypsy" is appropriate, and where it isn't. Burnett also heard from the Moroccan oud player Mahmoud Chouki, now based in New Orleans, about encountering racism on a yacht in South Carolina.
Although apparently a beautiful performance can't stop an obnoxious onlooker from asking if a musician is a terrorist, Burnett believes in the "soft power" of art to increase empathy toward other cultures, and reduce fear. (Don't worry about Chouki. His response to the goading question was, "Yes, but I'm on vacation.")
Mahmoud Chouki showed up in concert black with some additional cultural touches.Photo courtesy of World Music Encounters
"Some of these musicians are so proud to be from Nigeria, West Africa, or Morocco, North Africa, or even Ireland, and they consider themselves ambassadors of their home countries," says Burnett. "So this is how you get people unafraid of Morocco. It's not just terrorists and not just immigrants trying to cross the Mediterranean ... or [it's not] that African countries are all poor and underdeveloped."
"They're just these beautiful musicians who come from these places that make incredible music," he concludes. "And we want you to be open minded about about all these places on the globe that you know about. I think on a good night we achieve that."
Tickets ($15-35, $10 for students) become available on a rolling basis on Eventbrite.
