1st Annual Gala featuring Angélique Kidjo
On April 06, 2024, we presented the inaugural Global Arts Live Gala. This festive evening featured the incomparable Angélique Kidjo, a true icon in the realm of global music, as well as other signature Global Arts Live artists. This event marked a significant milestone in our growth as an organization. Thank you to those of you who came out and celebrated what it means to be a thriving global arts community. Together, we raised over $240,000 for Global Arts Live's mission.
2024 Gala Committee
Sarah Delaney, Nagesh Mahanthappa, Rima Hyder, Drita Protopappa, Edith Joyce, Sarah Rhee, Eric Klotch, Purnima Thakre, Holly Laurent,
Connie C. Chin and Maure Aronson
Schedule of Events
Sponsor Soirée
5:30PM, Crystal Ballroom
Sponsors and their guests started the night with an exciting pre-party. Sponsors mingled with fellow global arts fans while enjoying live music and indulging in delicious food with an international flair. We were honored to host Subject:Matter as surprise performers at the soirée.
Angélique Kidjo in Concert
7:30PM, Somerville Theatre
Angélique and her band headlined the event and concert-goers experienced an incredible and soul-stirring performance that took us on a journey through a tapestry of global music.
Gala After-Party featuring Mokoomba
9:30PM, Crystal Ballroom
We kept the celebrations going at the electrifying after-party featuring Mokoomba.
The Sponsor Soirée and After-Party were catered by Comfort Kitchen, a highly acclaimed restaurant that celebrates the flavors and ingredients from the African diaspora. Some of the event's favorite bites were yassa chicken sliders, jerk duck rillettes with cranberry aioli and pickled vegetables, and roasted spice cauliflower bites with piri piri. Comfort Kitchen is one of Boston Magazine's Top 50 Restaurants and a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. It is proudly Black-owned, immigrant-owned, and woman-owned. Comfort Kitchen believes that food is an essential aspect of community building.
You can still support the Gala and donate today.
Angélique Kidjo Bio
We are thrilled to have Angelique Kidjo headline this special evening. Since 1994, we’ve been honored to have presented Kidjo 11 times, most recently at CRASHFEST in 2019. Now a five-time Grammy-winner, Kidjo has been called “Africa’s greatest living diva” by NPR, one of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World by The Guardian, and one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine. Her eclecticism blends the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, and influences from Europe and Latin America. Kidjo has inspired countless artists with her ingenuity, dedication to advocating for children around the world, and boundless creative spirit.
Mokoomba Bio
From Zimbabwe, Mokoomba is one of Africa's most exciting bands. The group is influenced by sounds from South Africa, Congo, and Mali—delivering a knockout live show laced with international styles from soukous to soul.
We celebrated our 25th anniversary season with our members at a Mokoomba performance back in 2016. Since then, we have presented them four times, including a livestream during the pandemic and a rockin' CRASHFEST performance at the House of Blues.
