Sonic Pluriverse Festival: Bass Culture - Novalima, The Dhol Foundation

In the organizer's words:

Novalima

After a seven-year absence, Peruvian band Novalima are back on European stages with their new album, La Danza, released at the beginning of 2025. As always, Novalima skillfully mix the rhythms of Afro-Peruvian traditions with modern electronics. Located on the Peruvian Pacific coast, the city of Lima is one of the most westernized places of the African diaspora in Latin America. Novalima was founded in 2000 by four friends from Lima with a shared passion for Afro-Peruvian music and DJing, who had moved to different countries in the meantime and initially sent music files back and forth via what were then still shaky internet connections. This is how they produced their first album together. Since then, they have been constantly working on developing their music, their albums have earned them Grammy nominations and platinum sales, and they play on stages at clubs and festivals all over the world.

The Dhol Foundation

What sets the UK's The Dhol Foundation apart from other dhol groups is their openness and willingness to experiment. Johnny Kalsi, a charismatic and celebrated drummer, founded the group in 1989 with two goals in mind: Firstly, he wanted to make the deep-sounding, usually colorfully decorated, two-sided dhol drum world-famous. In Punjab in northern India, his family's homeland, it forms the musical backbone of many ceremonies and celebrations in his Sikh community. He also tried to explore its sonic possibilities and use it in rock, pop, drum and bass and electronic music. With Transglobal Underground, Kalsi was already a guest on all the big stages in the 1990s, followed by his Afro Celt Sound System project, which thrilled audiences with its sounds of dhol, kora and guitar. Nevertheless, The Dhol Foundation remains his favorite project: with several dhols, other drums, guitar, bass and sometimes bhangra dancers, a rhythmic firework is ignited, in which grooves from Brazil, Ireland, Morocco and West Africa also resonate.

Novalima

After seven years away, the Peruvian band Novalima is back in Europe, with a new album, La Danza, released in 2025. Novalima skilfully blends the rhythms of the Afro-Peruvian traditions with modern electronic music. The city of Lima on Peru's Pacific coast is one of the westernmost homes of the African diaspora in Latin America. Novalima was founded in 2000 by four friends from Lima with a shared passion for Afro-Peruvian music and DJing. Having moved to different countries, they started out sending music files back and forth over unreliable internet connections, which is how they produced their debut album. Since then, they have continually evolved their music with their albums going platinum and receiving Grammy nominations while touring at clubs and festivals worldwide.

The Dhol Foundation

What sets The Dhol Foundation apart from other Dhol groups is their openness and love of experimentation. Charismatic drummer Johnny Kalsi founded the group in the UK in 1989 with two aims. On the one hand, he wanted to make the dhol drum world-famous. In India's Punjab region, where his family come from, this two-sided, deep-sounding drum, often decorated in bright colors, is the musical backbone of many ceremonies and celebrations in the Sikh community. On the other hand, he wanted to explore its potential and use its sounds in rock, pop, drum and bass, and electronic music. As a member of Transglobal Underground during the 1990s, Kalsi played many major venues, and later joined Afro Celt Sound System, who delighted audiences with their sound that combines dhol, kora, and guitar. Yet, The Dhol Foundation remains his favorite project: with several dhols, other drums, guitar, bass, and sometimes bhangra dancers, the group serves up a feast of rhythm that also blends in grooves from Brazil, Ireland, Morocco, and West Africa.

Price information:

https://tickets.kbb.eu/hkw.webshop/webticket/shop?event=15144&language=de