Blitz the Ambassador, Lido Pimienta, The Chamanas

This eclectic triple bill celebrates musical artists who defy conventional notions of nationality and genre, whose innovative sounds and perspectives represent a more global culture made possible by those of us who occupy the spaces between borders.

International hip-hop artist and filmmaker Blitz the Ambassador blends classic hip hop break beats with West African highlife and global rhythms of the diaspora, gaining him fans from his native Ghana and around the world. His latest release, Diasporadical, explores themes of immigration, spirituality, nostalgia, and love, all reinforced in an accompanying 15-minute short film called Diasporadical Trilogia, which will also be screened as part of BRIC OPEN: Borders – Friday.

Colombian-Canadian winner of the 2017 Polaris Music Prize Lido Pimienta jumps back and forth from electronic beats, analog synths, and Afro-Colombian rhythms to out-of-this-world chanting. The release of her first album, Color LP, opened the gate for several collaborations with artists in Canada and around the world, making her one of the most prolific songwriters and lyricists, and improvisation virtuosos of her generation.

With members from Ciudad Juarez and El Paso and their Fronterizo indie pop fusion, The Chamanas highlight the distinctness of border culture. The group has been invited to perform their border music all over the United States and Latin America, and have collaborated with artists as varied as Portugal. The Man, Enjambre, and Beach House.