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Multi Kulti: International Music
A Big Corner of the World In a Little Corner of New York's Village.
Nestled in a slender space on Thompson Street in New York’s Greenwich Village, Multi Kulti, is a cheap alternative to a trip around the world! A world music shop, Multi Kulti is a small, easy to miss, but incredibly far-reaching and special place.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, a selection of Aboriginal Australian songs floated through the store over the voices of customers speaking in French, Italian and a variety of West African languages. Its casual, unassuming, village environment offers a veritable feast to the eyes as well as to the ears. Sculptures and artifacts from around the globe are stategically placed throughout the store and watched over by the numerous African musicians whose photos adorn the walls.
Multi Kulti offers customers the rare opportunity to listen to its collection. Stools and individual headsets plugged directly into the wall every few feet give visitors the chance to settle down and venture into the varied selection.
The collection of CDs spans the globe. One finds such diverse choices as South African “braai-vleis” songs in Afrikaans, a compilation of Afro-Peruvian vocalists, German and Hindi collaborations, Eartha Kitt doing Jazz, Parisian Ambient Techno collections and much, much more.
Multi Kulti is also a place to find out what music, art and performance activities are going on around town. The front window is always stocked with flyers and invitations to concerts, films, lectures and performances by local and international artists. Customers and friends are also invited to peruse the collection of music magazines from around the world — none of which are for sale but are meant solely for the enjoyment of the store’s visitors.
Owner Ayo (pronounced I-O) pictured above, originally from Nigeria, explains that he wants his store to be a place where people “don’t just come in, buy, and go out. I want it to be a comfortable place to hang out, to learn about music and other cultures. I want them to stay!”
The store will soon feature a small coffee bar, and Ayo says, “I want people to feel like they can come by and listen to music and have a cup of coffee, and if they have money that day perhaps buy some music. A lot of people would say that is no way to run a business, but I’m definitely not in this to become a millionaire!” He continues, “I want people to be able to come here and just revel in humanity. To let go of some of their preconceptions, and just be human.”
Ayo says his “cultural politics” and creative predisposition, “require” him to be in this business. After having spent years doing a combination of studying (in England and the U.S.), travelling (Brazil, Tanzania, and Israel to name a few), and promoting world music and musicians, running a world music shop and hangout spot was a natural blend of his interests. “I always dreamed of a little place of my own, where people from all over the world came to visit and learn from one another.”
Formerly located in SoHo, the store has been in the Thompson Street location for nearly one year. The very simple layout of the store is the result of Ayo’s desire to have a place where, if he wanted to, he could “swing!” “I wanted to be able to dance in the middle! I wanted this space to be free,” he says,”Like many people, I am bored with restrictions, and I don’t believe a store has to look or feel a certain way in order to be pleasant and successful. And this is what I wanted.”
“Multi Kulti is the result of my political and artistic expression. And my mission is to bring people into my world, and let them see the similarities it has with their world.”
Multi Kulti is located at:
218 Thompson Street
(between Bleecker St. and West 3rd St.)
New York, NY 10012
212-979-1872
Monday - Sunday: 1:30pm to 10:00pm
This website: Copyright © 2000 Studio Q Int'l Inc / Urban Mozaik Magazine. All rights reserved. This website/publication, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher or the previous publisher of original republished materials. |
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