Since 1998, composer and multi-instrumentalist Eblis Álvarez has been at the center of his musical outfit Meridian Brothers, a kaleidoscopic and imaginative Colombia-based group that explores a variety of diverse Latin American sounds.

In their performance for Global Spin, the group delivers a dizzying, fast-paced performance of "Metamorfosis," a tapestry of salsa dura, guaracha, and classic Cuban rhythm montuno that offers a lively percussion line and a mesmerizing, danceable beat.

The music is a backdrop for an equally immersive story. "'Metamorfosis' explores transhumanism through its main character who imagines waking up in Kafka-esque fashion to find himself turned into a robot," Alvarez said of the song's themes in a press release.

Meridian Brothers perform as a five-piece band in this iteration of "Metamorfosis," wearing matching outfits — patterned orange-and-white shirts and blue pants — as they careen their way through their uptempo performance of the song, which pairs a piano line against pulsing rhythm guitar and sharp percussion. At the center of it all is Alvarez' charismatic vocal delivery, with its focus on magnetic storytelling, which invites listeners to dive into the world the band is creating in song.

"Metamorfosis," which the group released earlier this spring, is the lead single off the band's forthcoming album, Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento, out Aug. 5. As the song reflects, the album will be filled with the same amalgam of musical styles and evocative, mythical storytelling. New York City-based label Ansonia Records, which focuses on promoting Latin music in the Latin diaspora as well as across Latin America and the Caribbean, is returning from a 32-year hiatus to release this new Meridian Brothers project.

Watch Meridian Brothers' hypnotic performance of "Metamorfosis" above, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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When British-Ghanaian rapper ShaSimone started posting freestyles on Twitter during the height of the pandemic, she never anticipated the platform would skyrocket her love of music into a career. After a whirlwind two years, ShaSimone went from working as a hairstylist to featuring on fellow British rapper Dave's sophomore album, We're All Alone In This Together, and creating her first EP, Simma Down.

In this episode of Global Spin, ShaSimone performs "Top 5," the intro to her debut project that explores the ups and downs of her newfound fame.

ShaSimone stands in front of a microphone, accompanied by a live band, as she contemplates the lost relationships and the bittersweet satisfaction of achieving her dream. "Pray for better days/ Man, forgettin' that the journey to destination are gonna be some of my best days," she raps at the end of the track.

Though ShaSimone's passion is found within the music, her purpose runs deeper. "I want to inspire girls that look like me. I want to show people that you can be confident, look different from what's out there, and still love yourself," she said in a press release.

Press play on the video above to watch ShaSimone reflect on her journey to stardom in this powerful performance of "Top 5," and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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Andy Allo is all smiles, holding her acoustic guitar under a small, wooden roof in the verdant climes of South Cameroon. There's no amplification; she has no band. But she does have radiant backing — via the Baka women of Bifolone, who augment her performance with their exultant vocals.

"As long as you're here/ Might as well say/ Don't be afraid/ I'm going away," Allo sings. "The one you knew/ Bid adieu/ Somewhere a long time ago." As the singer/songwriter's rendition of "Back to Africa" picks up steam, so do her accompanists, who lift up this exuberant performance with their claps and counterpoint.

In this episode of Global Spin, watch this feel-good performance straight from South Cameroon. Therein, the throng sing in exultation as they deliver this ode to the precious continent.

Allo already commands a sizable legacy. In her twenties, she was a guitarist and vocalist in Prince's band; the Purple One also co-wrote several songs with Allo and served as executive producer on her second album, Superconductor.

In her thirties, she is one of the two stars of "Upload," a Prime Video series helmed by Greg Daniels from "The Office"; the show returns for its second season on March 11.

Watch Allos' humanistic performance of "Back to Africa" above, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of Global Spin.

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If you ask Pretoria musician Focalistic how to define himself, he would say "focalistic-cataclism" — a term his cousin coined that describes a "focused person who's going to change the world and how people view things."

As the budding artist continues to rise in popularity, he's doing just that, spreading awareness about the sphere of South Africa and amapiano music.

In this episode of Global Spin, Focalistic delivers a glowing performance of "SJEPA," the lead single from his latest album, Ghetto Gospel. Stationed center in a dark, empty room, only accompanied by the illumination of pink neon strobes, Focalistic's simplistic staging spotlights the singer's bouncy lyricism and sharp vocal cadence.

Ghetto Gospel is Focalistic's third studio album and collaboration project with fellow Pretoria music duo Mellow & Sleazy, helmed by additional appearances from other leading South African performers, such as Sjava and DBN Gogo.

This era of Focalistic, really, is all about uniting creatives around the continent: "The saying is 'collaboration over competition,' so you'll notice a feature in many of my songs. We're at a point right now with African music where it's about showing the true spirit of Ubuntu," he told GQ in 2022.

Press play on the video above to watch Focalistic's captivating performance of "Sjepa," and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com every Tuesday for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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Moroccan pop singer Manal never expected to have a full-time career as a performer. She balanced her appearance on the Lebanese reality competition series Star Academy with her business and finance studies before eventually pursuing a Master's degree and a Ph.D.

But after a whirlwind few years of posting covers on YouTube and independently releasing music, Manal signed with Sony Music Middle East and skyrocketed to fame with her major label debut single, "Taj," in 2018. She's since released her first album, 360, in 2021, and was featured in the 2022 FIFA World Cup soundtrack.

In this episode of Global Spin, Manal enters her next chapter with a premiere of her newest release, "7iya." Clad in traditional jewelry, she pays homage to her Moroccan heritage as she simultaneously sings in her native language, Arabic. The simplistic set allows Manal's vocals to take center stage as she dances slowly around an empty white room.

"7iya" is the second single from Manal's upcoming second studio album, following the release of "3ari" in March 2022.

"My second album is even more important to me than my first one," she teased in an interview with L'Officiel Arabia. "You're going to be able to get to know another aspect of my personality in this project."

Press play on the video above to watch Manal's exclusive performance of "7iya," and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com every Tuesday for more new episodes of Global Spin. 

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