Diplomats of Sound is a creative & independent booking agency, driven by a desire to push the boundaries of new music and trusted to provide music with passion & integrity. We work on interesting and unique musical projects with bespoke strategies & solutions covering artist representation, event production, event programming and talent buying.
New Artists
Ozomatli
The 23-year history of Ozomatli notably contains many firsts for culture and music at large. The two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Los Angeles six-piece consistently breaks boundaries with an uplifting and uniquely multi-cultural American, Latino and world style. Among many historic firsts, Ozo stands out as “the first band to visit Burma,” “the first contemporary western band … Continue reading Ozomatli
Bombino
“The singer and guitarist Bombino emerges from the dunes of the Sahara with his desert folk dancing in the flames. Absolutely magical.”- Les Inrockuptibles (France) ” It wasn’t a guitar hero’s display of technique for self-glorification; it was terse bits of guidance and exhortation, sharp nudges, a few glints of steel shown as necessary. It was … Continue reading Bombino
Vieux Farka Toure
“The son of the late Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure, inherited his dad’s dazzlingly fluid phrasing but clearly also digs the fiery African blues rock of bands like Tinariwen. Here, he joins American peers for a crossover set that slays” — Rolling Stone “…original guitar music of such fluidity, technique, rhythmic invention, and passion, that … Continue reading Vieux Farka Toure
Stanley Clarke
With over 40 albums, four-time Grammy® Award-winner Stanley Clarke has attained “living legend” status. Born in Philadelphia, Clarke has been a constant force of nature in American music since the early 1970s with the success of the jazz-fusion group Return To Forever. During his 45+ year career, he has collaborated with Quincy Jones, Stan Getz, Art … Continue reading Stanley Clarke
Sly5thAve
“Sly5thAve keeps on delivering”— THE FADER “He’s transformed Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” and even Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” into lush instrumental versions” – NOISEY “Tall, gallant and bittersweet, Sly and his ClubCasa Chamber Orchestra once again tease out depth and nuance from pop glitz.”—INDIE SHUFFLE “He’s … Continue reading Sly5thAve
Sister Nancy
Sista Nancy is known to the world as the first female dancehall DJ and was described as being a “dominating female voice for over two decades” on the dancehall scene. Sista Nancy’s 1982 hit Bam Bam is arguably the most sampled and remixed Reggae track of all time and celebrated it’s 35th anniversary in 2017. Sista Nancy has … Continue reading Sister Nancy
Spragga Benz & Friends
Born Carlton Grant, Spragga Benz hails from Jamaica and has been an icon of the local dancehall culture since the early 90s. He made his first appearance onto the scene as an assistant DJ for Ricky Villa and the La Benz Sound System. It didn’t take long before he had the chance to put some … Continue reading Spragga Benz & Friends
MEUTE
The Techno Marching Band MEUTE fills in a gap you never knew existed: combining hypnotic driving techno and expressive brass band music, freeing electronic music from the DJ desk and overhauling the image of marching bands. Just drums and brass, no computers involved, this is all they need to revolutionize techno music and bring it … Continue reading MEUTE
Madison McFerrin
An “understated, compelling testament to the power and dexterity of the human voice.” -Pitchfork, May 2018 Madison McFerrin is a singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY. In December 2016, her solo debut EP, Finding Foundations: Vol. I, introduced her soulful take on a cappella to the world. Critics and crowds quickly took note. Leading up to … Continue reading Madison McFerrin
Szun Waves
Sometimes in improvised music there can be a distance between listener and players, a sense you’re sitting back and admiring their interplay and abstraction – but with Szun Waves’ second album, you’re right in there with them, inside the playing, experiencing the absolute joy the three musicians feel as they circle around each other, exploring … Continue reading Szun Waves
No BS! Brass
Richmond, Virginia’s NO BS! Brass take the traditional New Orleans brass ensemble into uncharted territory, fearlessly combining elements of James Brown, John Coltrane, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin. Trained in the conservatory and hardened in the garage, No BS! Brass have performed at Ottawa Bluesfest, Festival d’Ete, NYC Winter JazzFest, Nelsonville Fest, Lockn, Ohio River … Continue reading No BS! Brass
Brass Against
Remember when Rage Against the Machine released the “Sleep Now in the Fire” music video in 2000 that predicted Trump as president? Turns out, Rage Against the Machine’s music is more relevant now than ever. That’s why we’ve formed Brass Against the Machine, a NYC-based brass band covering rage and other protest music — because … Continue reading Brass Against
Les Amazones d’Afrique
The first all-female supergroup of West Africa, the collective Les Amazones d’Afrique, is an event for world music. Whether they are undisputed stars or well-kept secrets, the musicians involved in this project are all among the most acclaimed voices in West African music: Kandia Kouyaté, Mamani Keita, Rokia Koné, Mariam Doumbia (of Amadou and Mariam), … Continue reading Les Amazones d’Afrique
Musical Youth
“This Generation Rules the nation with version” The year was 1982 and with these triumphant words, five school kids from Birmingham named Dennis, Michael, Kelvin, Patrick and Junior launched themselves on an unsuspecting public and into pop and reggae history as ‘Pass the Dutchie’ surged to number 1 in the UK within two weeks of … Continue reading Musical Youth
Dizraeli
THE UNMASTER Entirely self-produced, part-recorded at pioneering culture hub the Total Refreshment Centre (Jazz Re:freshed, We Out Here) and steeped in the vibrant London experimental music scene in which Dizraeli moves, The Unmaster was mixed by Dilip Harris (King Krule, Mount Kimbie) and features heavy synth work from Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming) as well as … Continue reading Dizraeli
Maisha
Spiritual jazz is a tradition that’s leaden with its own traditions, histories and stories. Maisha carve out out their own style through that weight of expectation: they take stock of that history, channelling the greats like Pharoah Sanders, while filtering their own influences – which range from jazz to Afrobeat – through every part of … Continue reading Maisha
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