Novalima
After seven years away, the Peruvian band Novalima is back in Europe, with a new album, La Danza, released in 2025. Novalima skilfully blends the rhythms of the Afro-Peruvian traditions with modern electronic music. The city of Lima on Peru’s Pacific coast is one of the westernmost homes of the African diaspora in Latin America. Novalima was founded in 2000 by four friends from Lima with a shared passion for Afro-Peruvian music and DJing. Having moved to different countries, they started out sending music files back and forth over unreliable internet connections, which is how they produced their debut album. Since then, they have continually evolved their music with their albums going platinum and receiving Grammy nominations while touring at clubs and festivals worldwide.

The Dhol Foundation
What sets The Dhol Foundation apart from other Dhol groups is their openness and love of experimentation. Charismatic drummer Johnny Kalsi founded the group in the UK in 1989 with two aims. On the one hand, he wanted to make the dhol drum world-famous. In India’s Punjab region, where his family come from, this two-sided, deep-sounding drum, often decorated in bright colours, is the musical backbone of many ceremonies and celebrations in the Sikh community. On the other hand, he wanted to explore its potential and use its sounds in rock, pop, drum and bass, and electronic music. As a member of Transglobal Underground during the 1990s, Kalsi played many major venues, and later joined Afro Celt Sound System, who delighted audiences with their sound that combines  dhol, kora, and guitar. Yet, The Dhol Foundation remains his favourite project: with several dhols, other drums, guitar, bass, and sometimes bhangra dancers, the group serves up a feast of rhythm that also blends in grooves from Brazil, Ireland, Morocco, and West Africa.

Harry Kalsi
After the concert, the next generation takes over on the dance floor: Harry Kalsi is the son of Johnny Kalsi, the founder and mastermind of The Dhol Foundation, who play as the main act on the roof terrace of the HKW. Harry Kalsi is just as passionate about music as his father and for this evening he presents a bhangra set.