The Wailing Souls will take the stage in Wingfield Park Wednesday, July 8th. Fusing the harmonies of Motown with the Roots and Dancehall sounds of reggae, The Wailing Souls have ridden the crest of Jamaica’s music for more than four decades. Their recording career has been nothing short of historic. Vocally trained by Bob Marley and the Wailers’ teacher, Joe Higgs, they also worked with legendary reggae producers and recorded several early tunes at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Studio. With more than 26 albums in their discography (some recorded as The Renegades) The Wailing Souls earned hits with classic roots reggae tunes including “War,” “Bredda Gravlicious” and “All Over the World” as well as No. 1 hits with songs including “Jah Jah,” “Old Broom” and “Shark Attack.” Outside of the world of reggae the three-time Grammy nominated group may be best known for their hits on the 1993 soundtrack to the Disney film “Cool Runnings,” an album that sold half a million copies worldwide.

A Portuguese-speaking artist, Lura, headlines on July 15th. Born in Lisbon in 1975 (the year of her country’s independence), she remains strongly attached to her family’s native land and the culture of Cape Verde. At the age of seventeen, she was already dancing and singing backing vocals for Juka, a Sao Tomé zouk singer. Giving up her swimming studies, she took the plunge into the musical deep end and soon acquired a reputation as a singer in her own right. In 1996, she recorded a first urban album of R&B and Afro-Portuguese zouk. However, Lura’s first major release didn’t come until 2004’s critically acclaimed “Di Korpu ku Alma,” which she recorded after several successful musical partnerships with fellow countrymen. Thanks to her, Cape Verde’s younger generations rediscovered their local musical heritage. They began to dance, fall in love and weep to the beats their parents and grandparents loved. Today, she lays firm claim to her Cape Verdean roots, as if all the better to transcend them. Growing up in the Creole quarter of Lisbon, Lura was surrounded by beats from the leeward and windward islands, as well as Portuguese pop, jazz, African music and American soul. Today, all these influences are to be found in her music.

On July 22nd, see Salsa Celtica perform. Not many Afro-Cuban salsa bands get their start in the bars and clubs of Scotland’s Edinburgh and Glasgow, but that’s exactly where Salsa Celtica launched their distinctive style of music. A novelty for many, the band has moved beyond their uniqueness to become one of the top party bands of Scotland. Meshing together the sounds of traditional folk instruments including violin, banjo and Celtic pipes with a brass section and congas, the eleven-musician band creates music that is as authentic and unpretentious as it is fun. Touring Scotland after their first release, “Monstruos y Demonios,” Salsa Celtica raised enough money to head to Cuba, hang out with salsa groups and soak up the culture and sounds in Havana and Santiago de Cuba. The experience enriched their music and led to three more albums including “The Great Scottish Latin Adventure,” “El Agua De La Vida” and “El Camino.” Their live shows have sold out venues, including the U.K.’s premier World Music venue Queen Elizabeth Hall, and can entice the entire audience to their feet for dancing throughout the entire performance.

Mariachi Sol de Mexico, performs on July 29th, returning to Reno for a second year. Band leader Jose Hernandez envisioned a mariachi ensemble to reflect the passion of the rich cultural heritage to which he belonged. His creation of Sol de Mexico in 1981 activated that vision and prepared the way to set the Latin musical world afire with new original rhythms, sounds and ideas. His fluency in the mariachi medium is unmistakably intense and his bands performances are culturally rich and inspirational. Hernandez has recorded with some of the most respected and recognized names in the music industry including Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, Selena, The Beach Boys, Jose Feliciano and Luis Miguel.

The World Music Series is held each Wednesday night at 7pm in Wingfield Park. Admission is a suggested $10 donation to benefit Artown.

Artown: World Music Series