Songwriter

Arbër Salihu

Besjan Heri is a Tirana-based drummer and percussionist. A member of the popular Albanian band All In, Besjan is a rising star in Albania’s creative music scene, with his diverse skills in  jazz, funk, electronic, and traditional balkan music. At 19, Besjan already has a very impressive resume which includes multiple appearances on Albanian national TV. This year he’s launching a solo project (as of yet untitled) that merges various traditional Albanian musical styles with experimental hip hop.

Nina Marie Fernando

Nina Marie Fernando is a Washington D.C.-based vocalist and community organizer. After graduating from University of Redlands with a self-designed degree in “Social Change through Music”, she was named a LankaCorps Fellow, a program supporting young leaders of Sri Lankan heritage. Nina currently helps to manage the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, a project combating bigotry and discrimination against American Muslims. A talented singer, she has brought her music to rallies for numerous labor groups including Port Truck Drivers, and Hotel Workers, as well as several immigrant rights groups. Nina’s diverse range of music projects include the experimental funk-influenced group Colombo 00200 Kinesthetics, which she joined while living abroad in Sri Lanka.

Nonku Phiri

Nonku Phiri is a Johannesburg-based vocalist and songwriter. Her music blends contemporary production styles with vintage Afropop influences, such as Kwaito, as well as drawing inspiration from oral folk tradition. Since launching her career at 17, Nonku has built up a prodigious collaborating resume including artists like South African supergroup Mahotella Queens, Hawaii-based Mad Decent signee Mr Carmack and Portuguese producer Branko. After releasing a string of buzz worthy online singles (and track features), Nonku is currently prepping her debut full length album to be released by her self-founded independent label.