International Bands

This is just a sampling of the International Bands we work with.  For more info on each band and a sound clip please click on the band name to visit their bio page.

Rare Combination

Diversity and talent…spirited and enjoyable program for all ages!” has described the steadily emerging Irish-Celtic folk band “Rare Combination”.

The four musicians from SW Michigan regularly perform with over a dozen instruments. Their repertoire includes lively traditional dance tunes, pub tunes, love songs, and aires mainly from the British Isles. The band’s skills are demonstrated in the blended four-part vocal harmonies and the well integrated instrumental arrangements. Margery Dusek, a music therapist who performs on a number of instruments with Rare Combination said, “We perform a diverse collection of Irish-Celtic traditional music in an enthusiastic way…everything from pub fare to classical harp pieces and in-between”. Margery and Thor McMillen (who plays standing bass) do most of the arranging for the group.

Fonn Mor

Driving Fiddle…Explosive Percussion…Electric Sitar…
New Dance Music from the Old Traditions

Whiskey Before Breakfast

Whiskey Before Breakfast performs Irish traditional dance music: jigs, reels, hornpipes and all manner of toe-tapping tunes and songs.

Hot Club of Detroit

More than seven decades after the innovations of the Quintette du Hot Club de France, featuring guitar virtuoso Django Reinhardt, combos called Hot Clubs carry on the gypsy jazz sound around the globe-in Tokyo, San Francisco, Seattle, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and many other locales. None, however, offers a fresher take on the tradition than does the Hot Club of Detroit, led by fast-fingered Reinhardt disciple Evan Perri.

Zebula

Zebula Avenue hails from the Metro Detroit area, but actually they are citizens of the world village. Their infectious world beat music is based on a variety of multi-ethnic influences and dialects that suggest a global music heritage steeped in tribal and ritualistic traditions. Yet this is not a traditionalist or purist folkloric ensemble, but instead rooted in American rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Think Santana meets the Buena Vista Social Club meets King Sunny Ade

Kevin Collins and Nairobi

Kevin's musical spectrum includes all forms of music, Jazz, Blues, Big Band, Latin and Caribbean Styling.

Big Daddy and LaDeeDas

polka music

Tropidelic

The music is Latino based world music with jazz and American influence

Chinese Music Ensemble

Kalamazoo Chinese Music Ensemble was founded in 2008 by musicians with professional experience on performance, teaching and composition. The goal of our group is to introduce Chinese culture to the western world, promote Sino-American friendship, and enrich life of people in mid-western Michigan.