Since founding TRACE in London circa 1996 with little more than a deep belief in Transculturalism, the Togo-born Claude Grunitzky’s word and philosophy have since grown into a global movement of tastemakers, culture stylers and — in a word — TRACERS.

But even as transculturals explode in music, politics and cultural cachet, shaping the world we live in a little more each day, you’ll still get two answers about what transcultural “is” if you ask two people.

So come hear it from Claude Grunitzky, the TRACE Chairman and Editor-in-Chief himself next Wednesday at the French Institute Alliance Française in New York, where he will be hosting a rare intimate conversation on Transculturalism for the World Nomads series.

More info here.

Wednesday, May 14th, 7:00 pm
French Institute Alliance Française
Le Skyroom
22 East 60th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues
New York, NY

Today marks the kick off of Washington D.C.’s Artomatic. Located in Northeast Washington D.C., Artomatic brings together visual artists, performers and musicians for a month-long multimedia arts event. Created in 1999 as a tool for bridging the gap between the arts and the public it has grown tremendously, and provides a place for artists to come together collectively and spread their talents amongst the D.C. community and those traveling from abroad.

What exactly happens at Artomatic? Well, the creators get an empty building and set up artists all over to perform and display their different art. Meanwhile, musicians and other performers are situated in the middle to set the mood. Artomatic showcases 2-D Visual and 3-D Stand Alone artists, poets, dancers, film, theater and much more. The biggest perk — besides experiencing amazing art and live performances, is that the entire event is completely free to the public!

This evening’s events will begin with a live performance by Avalon Parade and Stephaniesid at 6 p.m. It’s certainly an affair you wouldn’t want to miss. Artomatic lasts through to June 15th. For more information on how you can attend Artomatic click here.

Alex Cuba’s “Agua Del Ponzo” has been making the rounds since it released last year, but unlike most albums that have weathered being a summer iPod staple, it’s showing few signs of wear. Even now, listening to the teasingly soulful “Si Pero No” still makes folks groove like they’re beachside in the mid-30s C.

Cuba left Cuba and a respectable bass career to find his, well, voice as a vocalist in Canada. Along the way, he also found a hip pair of bellbottoms and a banging afro, which have become like a trademark to his ’70s-inflected sound.

Now, Cuba has left Canada for the U.S., at least temporarily. Check him out on tour now with a stop in New York tonight at Joe’s Pub or catch him back in Toronto mid-June.

Tickets here and more tour stops and sounds here.

TRACE: Coming from a family of Cuban musicians and then finding your own voice in Canada, have you found different ideas of music — and what it should do — in different countries?
Alex Cuba: Maybe people are more open to experimenting than what I remember from Cuba. There, everybody knows what a trio is and what it should sound like. Here, people will experiment with different instruments and genres.

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Sunday’s in Brooklyn are like food for the soul. Music on the streets, garage sales filled with vintage treasures and collectable vinyl and the smell of life fills the air, from sun up ’til sun down. In search for the perfect way to take it all in? Habana Outpost in Fort Greene is the destination to sit back, relax and bathe in the sun. Known for its huge outdoor seating area, green friendly tactics, cheap mojitos and seasonal schedule, this eco-eatery will serve as home (at least on Sundays) for Dj Dhundee and Dj Don Cuco.

While Dhundee has a solid repetation in NY for keeping you dancing all night to some funky swing-head boopin’-soulful house-broken beat classic’s, Don Cuco embraces his debut to Brooklyn carrying crates of electro cumbia-bossa soul-salsa-dancehall-riddim’s.

The kick off was last Sunday with Don Cuco, and it will continue to rotate every Sunday between the two until the summer calls it quits. This week, be sure to swing by for some Cuban- and Mexican-accented latin food, music by Dhundee from noon-6 and the movie of the week projected outside that follows.

To see production and more gigs by the Dj’s, check out their sites! Here for Dhundee and here for Don Cuco.

Ten years ago, sisters Helene and Celia Faussart glided onto the French musical landscape with their first album, the beat of a drum and their jazz-tinged voices setting the tone for the their brand of sumptuous soul.

The French-Cameroonian sisters were Africa and Europe. They were Afropean. While embracing an identity shared by many, they were also their own movement. Picking up where Sade left off and trailing close behind Zap Mama, they redefined a souljazzreggaeafro sound. When you listened to them sing, you could feel them opening their arms to embrace you at the same time, as if to whisper in your ear or to turn your face towards theirs so you could meet them face-to-face and understand. The sisters Faussart knew what they were doing and have won fans the world over with their smooth sound and messages of peace, love and strength.

Les Nubians will perform at the Blender Theater tonight as part of a week long U.S. tour so get ready to be embraced and feel the love all over again.

They are set to release an album late 2008 and have collaborated with U2 on tribute/benefit album released in April, covering their hit, “With or Without You”. Concertgoers can expect what they know and be treated to something new. Check it out.

Les Nubians at Blender Theater
127 East 23rd Street
Corner of Lexington Avenue
New York

For tickets, click here and for more on Les Nubians, click here.