A-WA

Doors at 6:30pm | Showtime at 7:30pm For any wheelchair or ADA needs, please contact the Box Office in advance of the performance at (202)-769-0122. Critically acclaimed Yemenite-Israeli trio A-WA—Tair, Liron, and Tagel Haim—defy genre boundaries with a delightful union of rap-style beats, high-energy electronic propulsion, hypnotic harmonies, and mainstream resonances. They made international headlines with their proper debut single “Habib Galbi” (Love Of My Heart). Shot in the desert, the music video went viral and amassed a staggering 11 million-plus views. The group’s 2016 full-length debut, Habib Galbi, uprooted the traditional folk chants of Yemenite women and reassembled them as a pastiche of rich electro, indie rap attitude, and unexpected pop appeal. Attracting tastemaker praise, NPR claimed, “Instead of earnestly reconstructing the music of their cultural ancestors, A-WA has catapulted this roots material into new terrain.” Recognized as international style icons, Vogue delightfully asked, “Who are these women in high top sneakers and djellabas, and where have they been all their lives?” Between packed shows, Pitbull even jumped on an Official Remix of “Habib Galbi” as they amassed millions of global streams. On their second full-length album, BAYTI FI RASI [S-Curve Records], they translate the journey of their great grandmother from Yemen to Israel during the Post-WWII “Operation Magic Carpet” into fourteen undeniable anthems. Sung in Yemeni Arabic dialect and backed by indigenous instrumentation, swaths of electronic orchestration, and gritty hip-hop bounce, it’s all introduced in cinematic videos along with the single “Mudbira."