A globe-trotting multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and visual artist, Zena Carlota has spent years immersing herself in the oral traditions, rituals and songs associated with the kora, a lilting West African harp, including a recent trip to Paris studying with Malian master Toumani Diabaté. In her own Afro-folk music she combines her love of Appalachian roots styles, Delta blues, 1960s British folk rock, and American R&B. Composed on kora and ukulele, her debut EP Beautiful News features a cycle of original songs with string quintet arrangements that explore the realms of classical music, chamber pop, and folk traditions of the African diaspora.

Circus Bella – Out of Line! (2 shows)