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Robert and Helene Browning celebrate 50 years of presenting world music & dance. April 28th of this year marks our 50th anniversary of presenting concerts of music and dance from around the world - an incredible journey with more than 2,500 concerts in New York and tours throughout the US by artists from Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. These presentations have been under the auspices of the Alternative Museum (previously called the ACIA), World Music Institute, and Robert Browning Associates. It was on April 28, 1976 that we presented the Andean group Tahuantinsuyo at the Alternative Center for International Arts (ACIA) on East 4th Street in Manhattan. "Their work set into motion nothing less than a seismic shift in the cultural terrain of New York City and beyond. " - The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage |
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THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL SPRING 2026
PAST 2025-2026 CONCERTS
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
L. Shankar
with V. Selvaganesh, Amit Kavthekar & Swaminathan Selvaganesh
Indian Masters - Honoring Zakir Hussain
Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 8:00pm
Master violinist/vocalist/composer L. Shankar (aka Shenkar) is renowned for his deeply soulful performances of Indian classical music. Since playing his first solo concert at the age of seven, he has gone on to accompany many of South India’s leading vocalists and become a major soloist. In the 1970s, with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram and Ramnad Raghavan, he co-founded the legendary Indo-jazz group Shakti. In the 1980s, he introduced a 10-string double violin capable of covering the whole range of the orchestra’s string section from violin to double bass. MORE INFO...
L. Shankar
with V. Selvaganesh, Amit Kavthekar & Swaminathan Selvaganesh
Indian Masters - Honoring Zakir Hussain
Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 8:00pm
Master violinist/vocalist/composer L. Shankar (aka Shenkar) is renowned for his deeply soulful performances of Indian classical music. Since playing his first solo concert at the age of seven, he has gone on to accompany many of South India’s leading vocalists and become a major soloist. In the 1970s, with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram and Ramnad Raghavan, he co-founded the legendary Indo-jazz group Shakti. In the 1980s, he introduced a 10-string double violin capable of covering the whole range of the orchestra’s string section from violin to double bass. MORE INFO...
Diaspora Arts Connection
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
Kiran Ahluwalia
Diwali Celebration!
Friday, October 24, 2025 at 8:00pm
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, signifies a victory of light over darkness and deals with themes of justice, peace, and happiness. Vocalist-composer and two-time Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) winner Kiran Ahluwalia, who has been noted for “her soul-stirring voice” and “fascinating, newly revealed music” in the Los Angeles Times, presents a powerful concert that celebrates Diwali. Her program, highlighting music from her latest album, Comfort Food, is filled with songs rejecting injustice, songs filled with hope for a just society, and songs embracing joy. MORE INFO...
Kiran Ahluwalia
Diwali Celebration!
Friday, October 24, 2025 at 8:00pm
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, signifies a victory of light over darkness and deals with themes of justice, peace, and happiness. Vocalist-composer and two-time Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) winner Kiran Ahluwalia, who has been noted for “her soul-stirring voice” and “fascinating, newly revealed music” in the Los Angeles Times, presents a powerful concert that celebrates Diwali. Her program, highlighting music from her latest album, Comfort Food, is filled with songs rejecting injustice, songs filled with hope for a just society, and songs embracing joy. MORE INFO...
© Annie Diotte
WNYC GIG ALERT!
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
Le Vent du Nord
Music of Quebec: Celebrating the Launch of their New Album
Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 8:00pm
Known for its joyful and dynamic performances, Le Vent du Nord is a driving force of the Quebec progressive folk movement, as well as a leading group in the revival of traditional music in Quebec. Since its founding in 2002, it has performed more than 2,200 concerts on four continents, released 13 albums and received numerous prestigious awards, including a Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros (France), and two Juno (Canadian Grammy) awards. MORE INFO...
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
Le Vent du Nord
Music of Quebec: Celebrating the Launch of their New Album
Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 8:00pm
Known for its joyful and dynamic performances, Le Vent du Nord is a driving force of the Quebec progressive folk movement, as well as a leading group in the revival of traditional music in Quebec. Since its founding in 2002, it has performed more than 2,200 concerts on four continents, released 13 albums and received numerous prestigious awards, including a Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros (France), and two Juno (Canadian Grammy) awards. MORE INFO...
© Courtesy of the Artist
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
Oghlan Bakhshi
Journey Across the Steppes of Central Asia & Iran
Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 8:00pm
This concert features Oghlan Bakhshi in an entrancing program of Turkmen music – music that is rarely performed in the US. Oghlan Bakhshi, a virtuoso dutar (2-stringed lute) player and bard, trained under acclaimed masters and is the first indigenous Turkmen musician to present the rich Turkmen traditional arts to Western audiences. Recently he released his new album, Journey Across the Steppes, the first international release of Turkmen folk music in 30 years. MORE INFO...
Oghlan Bakhshi
Journey Across the Steppes of Central Asia & Iran
Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 8:00pm
This concert features Oghlan Bakhshi in an entrancing program of Turkmen music – music that is rarely performed in the US. Oghlan Bakhshi, a virtuoso dutar (2-stringed lute) player and bard, trained under acclaimed masters and is the first indigenous Turkmen musician to present the rich Turkmen traditional arts to Western audiences. Recently he released his new album, Journey Across the Steppes, the first international release of Turkmen folk music in 30 years. MORE INFO...
-Lotus Music & Dance in partnership with Robert Browning Associates present
WORLD DANCE FESTIVAL:
Dancing Across Cultural Borders
Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY
Saung Budaya
Trinayan Odissi Dance Collective
Kinding Sindaw
Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 4:00pm
This annual dance festival, now celebrating its 10th anniversary, highlights a culturally diverse spectrum of distinctive expressions through music and dance. The program features two exciting collaborations: “Hidden Faces and the Harvest” performed by the Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY led by Kevin Suzuki along with Saung Budaya led by Amalia Suryani performing Indonesian folk dances; and “Cross-Cultural Ramayana” performed by the Trinayan Odissi Dance Collective led by Bani Ray, along with Kinding Sindaw led by Potri Ranka Manis performing Southern Philippines indigenous and sultanate dances. MORE INFO...
WORLD DANCE FESTIVAL:
Dancing Across Cultural Borders
Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY
Saung Budaya
Trinayan Odissi Dance Collective
Kinding Sindaw
Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 4:00pm
This annual dance festival, now celebrating its 10th anniversary, highlights a culturally diverse spectrum of distinctive expressions through music and dance. The program features two exciting collaborations: “Hidden Faces and the Harvest” performed by the Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY led by Kevin Suzuki along with Saung Budaya led by Amalia Suryani performing Indonesian folk dances; and “Cross-Cultural Ramayana” performed by the Trinayan Odissi Dance Collective led by Bani Ray, along with Kinding Sindaw led by Potri Ranka Manis performing Southern Philippines indigenous and sultanate dances. MORE INFO...
© Marina Rodriguez
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette in partnership with Flamenco Festival present
Ángeles Toledano
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL
Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 8:00pm
Ángeles Toledano, a rising star in flamenco, brings her powerful voice and fearless artistry to New York, presenting a show that combines tradition with innovation and captures the essence of flamenco in its purest and most daring form. MORE INFO...
Ángeles Toledano
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL
Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 8:00pm
Ángeles Toledano, a rising star in flamenco, brings her powerful voice and fearless artistry to New York, presenting a show that combines tradition with innovation and captures the essence of flamenco in its purest and most daring form. MORE INFO...
Photo of Brian Prunka by Aidan Grant
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette in association with Brooklyn Maqam present
Brian Prunka & Ayman Asfour
Explorations in Arabic Maqam
Friday, March 13, 2026 at 8:00pm
This evening features two of New York’s most distinctive and compelling composers of modern music rooted in the Arabic maqam tradition: oud (lute) player Brian Prunka, whose music has been described as “intricate, anthemic” and “spellbinding” (NY Music Daily) and the award-winning Egyptian violinist Ayman Asfour. MORE INFO...
Brian Prunka & Ayman Asfour
Explorations in Arabic Maqam
Friday, March 13, 2026 at 8:00pm
This evening features two of New York’s most distinctive and compelling composers of modern music rooted in the Arabic maqam tradition: oud (lute) player Brian Prunka, whose music has been described as “intricate, anthemic” and “spellbinding” (NY Music Daily) and the award-winning Egyptian violinist Ayman Asfour. MORE INFO...
Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette in association with Sneh Arts present
Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers
Sufi Songs of Pakistan
Friday, April 10, 2026 at 8:00pm
Pakistan’s Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, grandsons of the revered Munshi Raziuddin, return to Roulette after their mesmerizing performances in 2019, 2024, and 2025! They have been acclaimed for their riveting interpretations of qawwali, the ecstatic improvisational Sufi vocal tradition made famous in the West by the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This award-winning ensemble represents the 26th generation of the seven centuries-old Qawwal Bachon ka Gharana of Delhi founded by Saamat bin Ibrahim, the first qawwal of the subcontinent and principal student of mystic Amir Khusrau. MORE INFO...
Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers
Sufi Songs of Pakistan
Friday, April 10, 2026 at 8:00pm
Pakistan’s Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, grandsons of the revered Munshi Raziuddin, return to Roulette after their mesmerizing performances in 2019, 2024, and 2025! They have been acclaimed for their riveting interpretations of qawwali, the ecstatic improvisational Sufi vocal tradition made famous in the West by the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This award-winning ensemble represents the 26th generation of the seven centuries-old Qawwal Bachon ka Gharana of Delhi founded by Saamat bin Ibrahim, the first qawwal of the subcontinent and principal student of mystic Amir Khusrau. MORE INFO...
Ara Dinkjian photo: Alena Soboleva
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette in association with Brooklyn Maqam present
ARA DINKJIAN
& THE NEW YORK GYPSY ALL-STARS
Friday, April 17, 2026 at 8:00 pm
Ara Dinkjian, one of the world’s top oud (fretless lute) players, is joined by the acclaimed New York Gypsy All-Stars in a program featuring compositions by Dinkjian that blend music of Armenia, the Balkans, and the Middle East with jazz. Dinkjian began his musical career by accompanying his father Onnik Dinkjian, a celebrated Armenian folk and liturgical singer; he later founded the Night Ark quartet, and in recent years has performed with The Secret Trio.
MORE INFO...
Arsen Petrosyan will not be performing on this date as previously advertised.
ARA DINKJIAN
& THE NEW YORK GYPSY ALL-STARS
Friday, April 17, 2026 at 8:00 pm
Ara Dinkjian, one of the world’s top oud (fretless lute) players, is joined by the acclaimed New York Gypsy All-Stars in a program featuring compositions by Dinkjian that blend music of Armenia, the Balkans, and the Middle East with jazz. Dinkjian began his musical career by accompanying his father Onnik Dinkjian, a celebrated Armenian folk and liturgical singer; he later founded the Night Ark quartet, and in recent years has performed with The Secret Trio.
MORE INFO...
Arsen Petrosyan will not be performing on this date as previously advertised.
© Yannis Psathas
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
Vasilis Kostas
Contemporary & Traditional Music of Epirus, Greece:
World Premiere of Léna
Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 8:00pm
Vasilis Kostas is a Grammy-nominated laouto (long-necked fretted lute) player, composer and educator from Epirus, a mountainous region in northwestern Greece known for music with strong melodic lines and slow rhythms. He is internationally recognized for reintroducing the laouto, one of the most demanding instruments in the lute family, as a leading melodic voice in both traditional and contemporary music, and for his work with master pianist Danilo Pérez and the late legendary clarinetist Petroloukas Halkias, with whom he recorded two albums under the title The Soul of Epirus. MORE INFO...
Vasilis Kostas
Contemporary & Traditional Music of Epirus, Greece:
World Premiere of Léna
Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 8:00pm
Vasilis Kostas is a Grammy-nominated laouto (long-necked fretted lute) player, composer and educator from Epirus, a mountainous region in northwestern Greece known for music with strong melodic lines and slow rhythms. He is internationally recognized for reintroducing the laouto, one of the most demanding instruments in the lute family, as a leading melodic voice in both traditional and contemporary music, and for his work with master pianist Danilo Pérez and the late legendary clarinetist Petroloukas Halkias, with whom he recorded two albums under the title The Soul of Epirus. MORE INFO...
© Maria Sakr
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette in association with Brooklyn Maqam present
Syrian Music Preservation Initiative
Music of Muhammed Qadri Dalal, Maqam Master of Aleppo
Friday, May 8, 2026 at 8:00pm
This program is dedicated to the music of Maestro Muhammed Qadri Dalal, the renowned oud (lute) virtuoso, composer, scholar, and iconic musical figure of Aleppo. Born in 1946, Dalal has performed with many of the most important traditional singers since the 1970s, including Sabah Fakhri, Sabri Mudallal, and Adib al-Dayekh. MORE INFO...
Syrian Music Preservation Initiative
Music of Muhammed Qadri Dalal, Maqam Master of Aleppo
Friday, May 8, 2026 at 8:00pm
This program is dedicated to the music of Maestro Muhammed Qadri Dalal, the renowned oud (lute) virtuoso, composer, scholar, and iconic musical figure of Aleppo. Born in 1946, Dalal has performed with many of the most important traditional singers since the 1970s, including Sabah Fakhri, Sabri Mudallal, and Adib al-Dayekh. MORE INFO...
© Mehdi Rostami
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
Amir Nojan & Pejman Hadadi
Persian Classical Music: “Whispers of the Dastgah”
Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 8:00pm
This entrancing program features two master musicians from Iran. Amir Nojan (setar – lute) studied with such eminent teachers as Dariush Talai, Jalal Zolfonoon and Mohammad Reza Lotfi, collaborated with renowned musicians Alim Qasimov, Shahram Nazeri, and Mojgan Shajarian, established the Nava Ensemble, and founded the Shiraz Arts Academy in California. Pejman Hadadi, one of the most innovative Iranian percussionists (tombak, def),is known for his work with Dastan and Zarbang, with which he made groundbreaking recordings ,as well as his performances with major artists from Iran and other cultures, including Ali Akbar Moradi, Hossein Alizadeh, Shahram Nazeri, Kayhan Kalhor, and Shujaat Khan. MORE INFO...
Amir Nojan & Pejman Hadadi
Persian Classical Music: “Whispers of the Dastgah”
Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 8:00pm
This entrancing program features two master musicians from Iran. Amir Nojan (setar – lute) studied with such eminent teachers as Dariush Talai, Jalal Zolfonoon and Mohammad Reza Lotfi, collaborated with renowned musicians Alim Qasimov, Shahram Nazeri, and Mojgan Shajarian, established the Nava Ensemble, and founded the Shiraz Arts Academy in California. Pejman Hadadi, one of the most innovative Iranian percussionists (tombak, def),is known for his work with Dastan and Zarbang, with which he made groundbreaking recordings ,as well as his performances with major artists from Iran and other cultures, including Ali Akbar Moradi, Hossein Alizadeh, Shahram Nazeri, Kayhan Kalhor, and Shujaat Khan. MORE INFO...
2023/24 CONCERT VIDEOS
SPRING 2024
All our Winter/Spring 2024 concerts are now viewable on Youtube:
Hamza Akram Qawwal and Brothers Sufi Chants
Antonia Jimenez Inma La Carbonera A Gaya - Flamenco Festival 2024
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba – Blues from Mali – return performance -by popular demand!
Ara Dinkjian, Arsen Petrosyan and String Quartet: Music of Armenia
Firas Zreik & Ensemble: New Journeys in Arabic Music
Shahid Parvez Indian Masters
Alam Khan - Indian Masters
Hamza Akram Qawwal and Brothers Sufi Chants
Antonia Jimenez Inma La Carbonera A Gaya - Flamenco Festival 2024
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba – Blues from Mali – return performance -by popular demand!
Ara Dinkjian, Arsen Petrosyan and String Quartet: Music of Armenia
Firas Zreik & Ensemble: New Journeys in Arabic Music
Shahid Parvez Indian Masters
Alam Khan - Indian Masters
SPRING 2023
Five of the spring concerts are now viewable on Youtube:
Nibal Malshi
Rafael Riqueni
gamin
Bassekou Kouyate
Sahba Motallebi
Nibal Malshi
Rafael Riqueni
gamin
Bassekou Kouyate
Sahba Motallebi
IN MEMORIAM
© NPR/Tiny Desk Concerts at Home
Abdullah Ibrahim
October 9, 1934 – June 15, 2026
The legendary jazz pianist/composer Abdullah Ibrahim, the elder statesman of South African jazz whose career spanned eight decades, was one of South Africa's most treasured cultural icons. Born in Cape Town, he performed professionally by the age of 15 and went on to inspire new generations of jazz pianists and become an ambassador of the anti-apartheid movement. At the beginning of his career he was known as Dollar Brand, but he changed his name in the '60s after he converted to Islam. Nelson Mandala hailed him as "our Mozart," and his famed "Mannenberg" work was an unofficial anthem of the struggle for freedom. In 2019, he was honored with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship in recognition of his lifetime achievement in jazz.
Under the auspices of World Music Institute, we presented him in March of 1999 in what turned out to be an amazing performance.
"...a vital force onstage." - New York Times
New York Times obituary by Giovanni Russonello
October 9, 1934 – June 15, 2026
The legendary jazz pianist/composer Abdullah Ibrahim, the elder statesman of South African jazz whose career spanned eight decades, was one of South Africa's most treasured cultural icons. Born in Cape Town, he performed professionally by the age of 15 and went on to inspire new generations of jazz pianists and become an ambassador of the anti-apartheid movement. At the beginning of his career he was known as Dollar Brand, but he changed his name in the '60s after he converted to Islam. Nelson Mandala hailed him as "our Mozart," and his famed "Mannenberg" work was an unofficial anthem of the struggle for freedom. In 2019, he was honored with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship in recognition of his lifetime achievement in jazz.
Under the auspices of World Music Institute, we presented him in March of 1999 in what turned out to be an amazing performance.
"...a vital force onstage." - New York Times
New York Times obituary by Giovanni Russonello
© Josh Pullman
Toto la Momposina
August 1, 1940 - May 17, 2026
Toto la Momposina was known as the "Queen of Cumbia," the hypnotic drum-based rhythm of Colombia. Celebrated throughout the world for decades for her joyful performances, she was a commanding ambassador of Afro-Colombian music who was dedicated to preserving roots music. One of the highlights of her career was performing in Sweden at Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Nobel Prize in Literature ceremony. She made many recordings, and, in 2013, received a lifetime achievement award from the Latin Grammy Awards.
In April 2002, under the auspices of World Music institute in collaboration with the Caribbean Cultural Center, we presented her in an unforgettable transfixing performance at Town Hall.
"...a true soul singer - in the present sense of the word." Time Out, London
"She always lit up the stage with her warmth, musicianship and that extraordinary voice." - Peter Gabriel
New York Times obituary by Sarah Goodman
August 1, 1940 - May 17, 2026
Toto la Momposina was known as the "Queen of Cumbia," the hypnotic drum-based rhythm of Colombia. Celebrated throughout the world for decades for her joyful performances, she was a commanding ambassador of Afro-Colombian music who was dedicated to preserving roots music. One of the highlights of her career was performing in Sweden at Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Nobel Prize in Literature ceremony. She made many recordings, and, in 2013, received a lifetime achievement award from the Latin Grammy Awards.
In April 2002, under the auspices of World Music institute in collaboration with the Caribbean Cultural Center, we presented her in an unforgettable transfixing performance at Town Hall.
"...a true soul singer - in the present sense of the word." Time Out, London
"She always lit up the stage with her warmth, musicianship and that extraordinary voice." - Peter Gabriel
New York Times obituary by Sarah Goodman