Event

Tuelo & Her Cousins

Tuelo & Her Cousins are a New York City-based band who share a kindred love for music that rocks the soul. Formed by singer/songwriter Tuelo Minah in 2013, the band continually plays to packed houses at some of New York's most famed institutions including The Apollo Music Cafe,Tavern on the Green, the Metropolitan Opera, and Lincoln Center. Their unique take on rock and roll combines driving beats and catchy hooks with Tswana-Bushmen rhythms to tell dreamlike tales of struggle and triumph. No matter where they play, the cousins always get audiences singing, clapping, and shaking their bones to the call of Tuelo's booming voice.

Tuelo Minah is Tswana from South Africa. Since moving to New York City several years ago, she has sang backup for Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela, Lebo M (Lion King composer), and Angelique Kidjo. As a member of Angelique's band, she can be heard on two of her most recent albums, Djin Djin and OYO. Tuelo has performed at Central Park Summer stage, Carnegie Hall, Late Night with David Letterman, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and many other venues in and around the city. As a soloist she has performed with renowned Ethel String Quartet, the South African All Stars, and Juxtapower South African Song and Dance.

Though her songs are primarily in English, Tuelo often breaks into her native tongue, Setswana - blending African melodies with American soul in a way that puts her unique and powerful voice on prominent display. Along with her musical cousins, she has created a unique genre that is best heard and felt, not described.