CONCERT WITH LUBIANA & Warm Up by Chris Assaad
We are incredibly excited about this very special event highlight featuring the great LUBIANA – singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and bearer of an unmistakable spiritual energy.
The Belgian-Cameroonian artist weaves soul, Afro-pop & jazz with the gentle sounds of her kora, a West African harp. Her voice touches – warm, deep, and full of heart.
Lubiana sings in several languages, yet her music speaks universally. She tells of freedom, connection, self-love, and the power of being authentic. On stage, she unfolds a magnetic presence – powerful, tender, real.

3:30 PM Doors open
4:30 PM Start

ECSTATIC DANCE with DJane Caroline S’Jegers
Caroline is a pioneer of the European Ecstatic Dance movement, a mentor for embodied leadership, and a poet in motion.
In her sets, gentle depths and wild heights, pulsating rhythms and whispering silence merge. She invites you not just to dance – but to be whole.
Her music opens spaces where transformation occurs – through presence, breath, rhythm, and devotion.
Every event with her is an invitation to return: To the body. To the breath. To the truth.

7:00 PM Doors open/start
10:00 PM End

Tickets: from 35 €
Ticket link: www.biletto.eu
Early Bird Combination Ticket (Concert + Ecstatic Dance): 50 € (limited contingent)
Children's tickets: directly from the organizer → Anjali@TogetherWeRise.de

An evening full of music, movement & heart-opening.
A space for freedom, connection & pure liveliness.
We are looking forward to seeing you! 💛

When Megaloh incorporated his Nigerian roots into his music with the banger "Oyoyo" in early 2016, the sound was still absolutely new in Germany. An Afrotrap wave followed in this country, and worldwide, the takeover of the Afrosound. By now, since Peter Fox's "Zukunft Pink," the clubs here have understood this sound. It wants to be danced to!

Megaloh - who now produces under the pseudonym Oga Beats - continues his endeavor to give his identity the fitting sound and releases his 5-track strong EP just in time for summer.

"Shango" is a cool and energetic tune for the club and guarantees dance floor escalation.

"Klar" is an uptempo track whose melodically traditional flavor invites both dancing and listening to Megaloh's motivating lyrics, as he candidly shares his reality and once again manages to give a positive outcome to his crises.

"Diana" tells of an encounter with a femme fatale capable of shaking one's world and is a wink toward Michael Jackson's iconic almost eponymous tune.

"Alodu" is an ode to the good vibes in West African sound from Highlife to Afrobeat to Afrobeats. The grind has never sounded so easy!

And lastly, "Gar Nix Mehr Sagen" is an extremely danceable amapiano-sprinkled vibe that works with few elements and captures the societal zeitgeist in its content.

Overall, Megaloh's or Oga Beats' joy in producing in this genre, with its many nuanced subgenres from Lagos to Soweto, is evident, which is why the name Afrovibes is well chosen, as it clearly indicates where the inspiration comes from and opens a door to another musical journey that we are eager to accompany this exceptional artist on.
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megaloh
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/megaloh

19:00

After a successful autumn tour through Europe with her new band, "Canada's Blues Darling" Layla Zoe will return to the stage in March 2026 to create magical moments and fire at every show of her "Forgotten Songs Tour." With Wick Hayen (NL) on guitar, Dave Warmerdam (NL) on Hammond organ, Kjelt Ostendorf (NL) on bass, and Tijs Kulker (NL) on drums, she returns to the stage to perform original songs from her extensive discography that have rarely or never been played live, as well as carefully selected cover songs from artists who inspired her on her musical journey, including Pink Floyd, Tom Waits, and others. Don't miss the chance to hear and see this unique show featuring songs Layla has never performed before. Don't miss the "Forgotten Songs Tour" in spring 2026!

Layla Zoe has been singing since she was four years old. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she was inspired by her father's record collection. Her true love and passion for the blues can be felt and heard in every performance. Performances in school musicals, bar bands, and a year of jazz singing at the Malaspina College Music Program in Nanaimo, British Columbia, where Diana Krall also studied, are just a few of her early successes. Layla currently lives with her husband in the Netherlands and has released 18 albums, toured through Europe and North America, won awards for songwriting and singing, and shared the stage with legends such as Jeff Healey, Sonny Landreth, John Mayall, and Henrik Freischlader.

Wick Hayen is a guitarist from Amsterdam who played in the alternative rock band Munks and composed original tracks with edgy riffs and emotional hooks. As a session guitarist on tour, he has collaborated with various artists and projects, including indie artist PYN and the rock and soul formation Harlem Lake, bringing his signature mix of sharp and melodic guitar playing.

Dave Warmerdam is a keyboardist specializing in the Hammond organ, with musical roots in traditional blues. He began playing blues at the age of 10 and first performed professionally at 14, sharing the stage with Dutch and international artists before later founding the renowned band Harlem Lake.

Kjelt Ostendorf, born in 1995 in Leiden, Netherlands, has been playing bass guitar since he was ten years old and later enrolled at the Conservatory of Haarlem, where he graduated in 2017. Over the years, he has played in numerous bands, from energetic cover acts to jazz and cabaret. He toured through Europe with the band Harlem Lake and works as a session bassist in the Netherlands. His style is described by others as solid, clear, driving, and virtuosic.

Tijs Kulker has emerged as an outstanding drummer in the Dutch indie rock scene and plays with bands like St. Solaire and Port of Call, as well as the blues rock band Wick and the Wavekings and blues guitarist Bram van den Brekel in the Netherlands. His drumming is characterized by a unique blend of creativity, power, and sensitivity, adding energy and nuances to every performance.

https://www.layla.ca
https://www.instagram.com/laylazoemusician
https://www.facebook.com/laylazoemusic
https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/1vbOVLkD5jGOkMKyYBqzwU?si=WDnNBs8PT5agp8DF26REgg

Doors open at 7:00 PM

Youssou N’dour Bio
Throughout his decades-long career, Youssou N’Dour’s roots in Senegalese traditional music
and griot storytelling have remained the hallmark of his artistic personality. A daring innovator
and staunch protector of the unique “Dakar overgroove,” N’Dour and his high-energy Super
Étoile manage to fashion a sound that is both characteristically Senegalese and outward-
looking, a contagiously exciting synthesis of musical languages. Rolling Stone calls N’Dour’s
stunning tenor “a voice so extraordinary that the history of Africa seems locked inside it,” and
Super Étoile has been lauded in The Village Voice as “the greatest band in the world.”
Album Description from Mido Sow / Morocco
From https://ze-africanews.com/
The icon of Senegalese music Youssou N’dour hit again hard for this end of the year, he has
just put on the market on November 12, 2021, a new Album whose title is Mbalax. From words
to images, from images to words, the planetary star won his bet, he succeeded once again to
dazzle his audience. After two years of absence from the national and international scene, he
has just made his mark through the songs for this album of twelve tracks.
The vocal leader of the Super Étoile de Dakar, both businessman, and politician, has
approached from several angles different themes as well societal, economic, environmental as
political of this new album. This new production is for him a cry of the heart that plunges us into
a cultural diversity to a swan song for our Africa, especially our very dear Senegal where he tells
the present and hopes for a better African future.
According to Youssou, the title of the album mbalax comes from the sabar (drum language of
Senegal) which is of Senegalese root, therefore from the pure “made in Senegal”. Its
internationalization made it undergo a meeting between the traditional and the modern through
an opening to the world thanks to the mixture of musical instruments of other countries. In this
article, we will look at the twelve tracks that make up this new album.
The song “Corona” is the pandemic that ends up shaking the world. It emphasizes barrier
actions and taking vaccines to prevent or mitigate the risk of contamination and spread.
“Thione Seck, Ballago Ndoumb Yatma”, is emotionally unqualified. A vibrant tribute was paid to
another baobab of Senegalese music who died on March 14, 2021, as a result of a short illness,
(peace to his soul!). Very normal, and very logical, the lyricist of Senegalese music went away
forever.
“Zero waste”, our environment, the living environment, civics, citizenship education, humanism
make it possible to take better charge of our environment and space. Make the community
beautiful and clean.
“Da-fa-laa”, trust is the basis of sincere and lasting love. Mutual respect, communication is a
guarantee of real love, in a global way, in any relationship, whether friendly or in love, trust
should be the basis for the consolidation of the fabric of love.
“Tatagal”, This song is for fans and music lovers of Youssou Ndour’s music. He pays them a
vibrant tribute through a message of thanks throughout his musical career of more than fifty
years. The fanfare at the beginning and end of all the successful contests of the artist, without
them, the artist is not the king of Mbalax.
“Fay Bor”, paying his debts, as in literal transcription. It’s not just financial, but it’s social and
cultural.
“Good neighbours”, to ask forgiveness, to help one another, these values of solidarity, of living-
together, of social cohesion, for a harmonious society.
“Ndox”, water! The source of life. Indispensable to the life of human beings. Even if access to
water poses a real debate in the countries of the Third World, this source of rare life is becoming
increasingly rare, especially since we are in a world where capitalism has finished taking over
the social aspirations of the most vulnerable strata.
“Wax-ju-bari”, the controversy of too many. The current societies, where the enslavement of
social networks have finished dehumanizing man. In a context of tension, especially in third
countries, linked to the inactivity of youth, left to its fate, a helpless and desperate youth, in the
quest for a better living environment. Very flexible reactions force the governments of certain
countries to review their copy with regard to youth and the sovereign people.
“Gaggantiko”, This song is about rehabilitation, not correction. A form of education with much
more warmth, in order to transmit virtues and values that transcend the life of the individual.
Because it could have an impact on the psychology of the person. Education, as noted by the
French sociologist, Durkheim as he believed schools would play a central role in forming
modern societies. Though the need for different forms of education may exist in a society. For
example, the Diola in its way of educating, serene and that of the Soninke.
The French version of “Mama Africa” is the enhancement of our identity. Africa, is a land of
integrity, natural resources, minerals, oil, and gas. Paradoxically this continent does not move
one iota. A notorious lack of will to aspire to change from all angles, and an imprescriptible and
inalienable need.
“The Solution”, is a life lesson to be brief in this intonation. To forgive oneself and to one’s
neighbor, whatever the degree of disillusionment. In this case, to have height, to be indulgent, to
take a step back would be the sum of the attitude to adopt for a world much more humanized.
“Moll”, fishermen in French, this time to sing in an atmosphere of celebration, of joy, while
leaving a message of encouragement, of motivation with the sole purpose of boosting them in
what they do, because being of indescribable usefulness.
The Mbalax album, in a fluid and stylish language, plunges us into our deepest quest for self,
confronts us with our most angelic tears and our most diabolical laughter. I believe that we are
music lovers first of all because listening to music is a pleasure and it is measuring the sweat of
its author who, through comforting, anguishing, serene words, reveal to us the mirror of our
uncertainties and worries.
Quotes
“N’DOUR has created a musical context that’s as large with possibilities as his sinuous, spine
tingling singing.”
Rolling Stone
“The kind of world pop in which the blend of Western pop and African tradition sounds so
organic that to talk about the different elements is to miss the whole.”
Washington Post
“African rock’s great global star, he has found the most graceful and purposeful balance
between the local and the international.”
The New York Times
“Youssou N’DOUR has been called ‘the African voice of the century” and “one of the world’s
greatest singers.” That may suggest a whiff of hyperbole, but not in the case of N’DOUR, who
has been thrilling audiences with his contemporized versions of Senegalese mbalax music for
nearly three decades.”
Los Angeles Times
“The Senegalese global music icon’s scintillating, soaring, and serpentine vocals have
epitomized Afropop to the ears of the world.”
The Boston Globe
Einlass: 19:00 Uhr

Michal Zak (PL) & Synnøve Brøndbo Plassen (N)

Synnøve Brøndbo Plassen: Vocals
Michal Zak: Flute, Clarinet

Synnøve Brøndbo Plassen and Michal Zak are heirs of the musical traditions of their home countries. They have inherited the repertoire and performance practices of their ancestors and embarked on new musical paths together in 2024. Synnøve is an expert in traditional Norwegian singing styles, and Michal Zak is a virtuoso on flute, clarinet, saxophone, and traditional woodwind instruments.

The two combine improvisation with old melodies they have encountered through years of collaboration with artists in rural areas. Their duo creates free, expressive compositions: the result is rich sonic textures that one can immerse oneself in. Shepherd songs, wedding, and funeral music from Poland and Norway - all this can be heard in their performances. And the best part: the music transcends geographical boundaries. Plassen and Zak are travelers who convey melodies across instruments, voices, and cultures, just as their ancestors once did.

Both musicians have already been guests at folkBALTICA. We are very much looking forward to experiencing them together on stage in 2026!

Baltic Sisters (EST, LT, LV)

Laurita Peleniute: Vocals
Vineta Romäne: Vocals
Marion Selgall: Vocals
Liene Skrebinska: Vocals

The Baltic Sisters are a cross-border folk ensemble with four singers from all three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The musicians偶were introduced by chance at a folk music festival in Lisbon. They immediately connected in their shared passion for "Sutartines," Lithuanian multipart songs.

Their debut album "Värav/ Varti / Vartai" ("The Gateway") features Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian folk songs, both individually and interwoven. "Our first album is like a portal into the realm of traditional Baltic folk songs. And in the way these songs sound in our interpretation. We got to know each other's songs and made them our own," says Liene Skrebiska.

"We represent three states by the Baltic Sea. We are very different, but we have even more in common: a shared historical past, a jointly fought-for freedom, and a common habitat by the sea. We have rich cultures and ancient languages. When we engage with the old folk songs, we find even more similarities and discover what truly makes our Baltic heritage," write the four musicians.

Admission: 13:30 // Current information & changes regarding the concert at http://www.folkbaltica.de

The singer, songwriter, and self-proclaimed optimist Claire Kelly is on a mission with her music to spread positive vibes everywhere she performs. From concerts in living rooms to renowned festivals – she has already performed as a support act for artists like Colbie Caillat, Anderson East, and 49 Winchester. At songwriting events such as Backstage Nashville and Bluebird on 3rd, she has also shared the stage with legendary songwriters from Nashville like Shane McAnally, Josh Osbourne, and Tony Arata. When she’s not on tour, she writes songs in Nashville with other artists, regularly performs at the Bluebird Cafe, and leads songwriting workshops at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In an often dreary world, Claire Kelly sings about gratitude, love, and kindness – and Nashville is excited to take note. Her song “Tapestry,” about people who positively influence you, won the Bluebird Golden Pick Songwriting Contest in 2022. “Drunk Girls,” a cheerful anthem about kindness to strangers, made it into the Top Ten of the NSAI Songwriting Contest in 2024. With the songs “Dandelion Wine” and “Running Out” from her album “The Scenic Route” (2022), she was a finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Songwriter Serenade, and the International Songwriting Competition.

Her new album “Can’t Start Loving You Again” (October 2024) features the song “Together Again,” which was used in the trailer for the Sundance award-winning film “I’ll Be Your Mirror.” Her music has also been featured on ABC Network, Max, Hallmark TV, at the Miss Universe Pageant, and in the Netflix series “Love is Blind.” To celebrate the release of her album, she embarked on a European tour through Germany, Poland, and Denmark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW4Kpt4G54U&list=RDFW4Kpt4G54U&start_radio=1