In East Harlem, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance (ALJA) in partnership with Lantern Organization and Mega Development, announce today, along with the New York City Department of Housing Development and Preservation, plans to bring a new 16,000 square feet Afro Latin Music & Arts Center along with 330 affordable housing units to East Harlem.
The project, Timbale Terrace, will construct a new mixed-use development on the east side of Park Avenue between East 118th Street and East 119th Street (formerly a NYPD 25th Precinct Parking Site) with a performing arts center operated by the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance.
Timbale Terrace will offer housing to low-income families while the Afro Latin Music & Arts Center will provide community programs, music and technical production training, after-school programs, free arts education classes, community event spaces, world-class live performances, and more.
“East Harlem is the community that best represents the mission of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, to use music as an entry point for service to the community and to reflect back to that community the beauty and ingenuity of its citizens”
Arturo O’Farrill, Founder and Artistic Director of ALJA
For the last two decades, ALJA has served as a well-renowned cultural institution in NYC preserving the music and heritage of Afro Latin jazz. The Timbale Terrace will allow the organization to expand their performance and educational programming. They currently are enriching over 1,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in underprivileged NYC schools. 50% of the affordable units will be given a community preference status for residents who live in East Harlem (or served by the Community Board district of the project, Manhattan CB #11).
Along with Lantern Organization and Mega Development, ALJA is eager to work with essential local arts and cultural groups such as Art For Change, the Association of Hispanic Arts, El Museo del Barrio, La Casa de la Herencia Cultural Puertorriqueña, Speaking In Rhythms, Taller Boricua PR Workshop, and many others.
For more information regarding ALJA, please visit: afrolatinjazz.org
Update: August 20, 2021 – Due to the likelihood of severe weather expected from Tropical Storm Henri, Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage will postpone the Common / Rapsody / Pete Rock show scheduled for Sunday, August 22 at 7 PM in Central Park.
Sunday, August 22, Capital One City Parks Foundation will be presenting SummerStage with two upcoming ticketed benefit performances in Central Park. The performance on the 22nd will feature academy award, Emmy, and Grammy-winning artist, Common with support from grammy-nominated rappers Rapsody and Pete Rock. Then two days later Lake Street Dive will be performing to a sold-out crowd with Allision Russell and Zia Victoria.
With dozens of roles over the past two decades (American Gangster, John Wick 2 just to name a few.), Common is as much of a movie star as he is a rapper. The Chicago-bred MC secured his legacy as a pillar of hip-hop with classic LPs like Resurrection, Be, One Day It’ll All Make Sense and Like Water for Chocolate—few performers have balanced both worlds with such aplomb. He’s joined by Rapsody, the MC from North Carolina who’s widely acknowledged as one of the rap game’s preeminent wordsmiths who signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. The show will be opened with a DJ set by Pete Rock, one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth, who helped pioneer the fusion of jazz, funk, and soul with rap, and is responsible for some of the most iconic productions in New York hip-hop.
Brooklyn’s Lake Street Dive have spent the last 16 years wielding classical chops to craft a sound that’s equal parts pop, rock, jazz, folk, and funk. The group formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, but each of its members—lead vocalist Rachael Price, guitarist/trumpeter Mike “McDuck” Olson, bassist Bridget Kearney, and drummer Mike Calabrese, and their newest member, keyboard and vocalist Akie Bermiss—have been singing and/or playing instruments since the third grade. Now seven albums deep into their recording career, they were recently featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series, performing tracks from their latest, Obviously.
Both shows will begin at 7 pm with doors opening at 6 pm, and unlike most shows during the concert series tickets will be needed. A full list of the concert series will be listed below. Tickets can be bought at cityparksfoundation.org for any ticketed shows.
30 for 30: Once Upon a Time in Queens World Premiere, presented by ESPN Films & Rooftop Films
Central Park
Aug-27
Friday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Jazzmobile and the City Parks Foundation Present: Bird at 100: Featuring Gary Bartz, Vincent Herring & Bobby Watson, with Dave Kikokski, Yasushi Nakamura and Carl Allen / Special Performance by Antonio Hart (quartet) with Miki Yamanaka, Alex Ayala, and Vince Ector
Marcus Garvey Park
Aug-28
Saturday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Go Brooklyn! Stetsasonic & Friends – 40th Anniversary Show
Coney Island
Aug-28
Saturday
4:00PM
6:00PM
CPJF – Charlie Parker with Strings: The Donald Harrison Quartet and The Harlem Symphony Orchestra
Marcus Garvey Park
Aug-29
Sunday
4:00PM
6:00PM
CPJF – Willie Jones III – A Charlie Parker Centennial Celebration featuring Sarah Hanahan, Godwin Louis, Justin Robinson, Erena Terakubo with Donald Vega and Endea Owens in association with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Marcus Garvey Park
Aug-29
Sunday
5:00PM
7:00PM
INVINCIBLE: A Glorious tribute to Michael Jackson / DJ KS 360
Coney Island
Sep-1
Wednesday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Yo La Tengo / Mountain Movers Rooftop Films Presents: “Date. Interrupted”& “Sousaphone”
Central Park
Sep-4
Saturday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Dom Salvador Samba Jazz Sextet / Screening: “Dom Salvador & Abolition” / DJ Nyack & Eduardo Brechó in association with 25th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival Rooftop Films Presents: “The Orphan (O Órfão)”
Central Park
Sep-11
Saturday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Erica Campbell / The Walls Group / Lena Byrd Miles / Jason McGee and Choir Rooftop Films Presents:“A Ship from Guantanamo,”“Miss Panama,”& “Spiritual First Aid”
Central Park
Sep-12
Sunday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Valerie June / Hollywood Anderson Rooftop Films Presents: “More Happiness,” “The Criminals (Les Criminels),”& “To Know Her (母 • 緣)”
Central Park
Sep-13
Monday
6:00PM
7:00PM
Machine Gun Kelly “Tickets to My Downfall” Tour with jxdn and KennyHoopla
Central Park
Sep-15
Wednesday
TBD
TBD
Reggae Gold meets Soca Gold in association with VP Records
Coney Island
Sep-17
Friday
6:00PM
7:00PM
Dawes with special guests Bonny Light Horseman & Erin Rae
Central Park
Sep-18* *NEW DATE
Saturday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Antibalas Rooftop Films Presents: “Excuse Me,Miss, Miss, Miss”& “Red Taxi”
Restless World Music returns with the first of 5 songs to be released over the rest of 2021 and into 2022. “I No Go Play” was released on all streaming platforms July 24.
The new song perfectly represents Restless World Music’s brand of writing songs that combine different cultural influences and musical genres by combining Afrobeats, Reggaeton and R&B. Here’s the recipe for “I No Go Play”: start with an Afrobeats musical base. Add a chorus inspired by Nigerian slang. Sprinkle some pop and RnB in the bridge and a dash of reggaeton in the verse melody. Top off with a brilliant West African vocalist, and you have Restless World Music’s latest single. Listeners who like artists like Mr. Eazi, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Davido, and Wizkid will like the romantic, energetic, and confident vibe of “I No Go Play.”
Earlier songs from the artist include “Precipice”, “Cyclone, “Ashes”, and “Stratosphere” with often collaborations with Candance XYZ. The follow up to the debut tells the story of complicated love. Whereas the theme of the earlier songs was natural elements and how they relate to human emotions this new track takes a more direct approach to discussing topics.
The name “Restless World” Music is inspired by the world around us, in which an ever-moving ocean of events, people, and beliefs shape each day. Songs can tell this story, and in telling it, can take us on a journey through joy, sorrow, and a thousand emotions in between. Just like the constantly evolving mix of different cultures in the world around us, songs by Restless World Music blend different musical elements, styles, and genres. Additionally, in Restless World songs, melody resides not only in musical notes, but in the sounds, syllables, and shades of meaning of each word in the lyrics.
For more information visit the Restless World Music website.
Editor’s Note/Update: Due to concerns over Covid-19 Delta Variant, theSound Waves concert with Sxip Shirey at White Feather Farm is being rescheduled from August 5 to September 9.
Sound Waves at White Feather Farm is a new global music series that will be held Thursdays, from August 5 – September 23, at Broken Wing Barn in Saugerties. The open-minded line-up will present world-class artists in genres ranging from Gypsy jazz and Afropop to Latin Boleros and Native and African-American folk, soul and gospel.
The Sound Waves series is being produced by Saugerties-based Isabel Soffer of Live Sounds and globalFEST and Olivier Conan of Barbés Brooklyn, in partnership with White Feather Farm, the site of the acoustically-resonant, 280 year-old Broken Wing Barn. The Sound Waves line-up includes:
August 5 – The World of Sxip Shirey
Sxip Shirey tests the edge of music using his vast imagination to create playful and mischievous songs using familiar objects, mutant instruments and reconfigured sounds. he acoustic beauty. “Sxip Shirey’s imagination for sounds, sound combinations and textural color makes him one of the most curious combinations of composer-sound designer-performer meets storyteller-curator.” — CD Baby “Eclectic and original” – NPR’s Fresh Air.
August 19 – West Africa Dance: Mandingo Ambassadors
The Mandingo Ambassadors was founded by griot-guitarist Mamady Kouyaté in 2005. A veteran of the great orchestras of the golden age of Guinean dance bands in West Africa, Mamady is a living library of musical science inherited from his ancestors and from a half century of experience as an arranger, band leader, accompanist and soloist. Representing a musical tradition that stretches back hundreds of years, Mamady plays with a melodic virtuosity that pulls in listeners. “Dazzling vocal and guitar patterns over a rhythm section that is like a perfect system” – NYTIMES.
August 26 – Martha Redbone: Native American and African American Soul, Blues and Gospel Martha Redbone is a Cherokee-Choctaw and African-American singer-songwriter, composer and educator known for her unique gumbo of folk, blues, and gospel fused with elements of traditional Native American music from her childhood in Harlan County, Kentucky and infused with the eclectic grit of pre-gentrified Brooklyn. “Americana’s next superstar”– Village Voice.
Wrembel may be the foremost interpreter of Django Reinhardt in North America. Whether sticking to the French master’s arrangements or taking the music into new territory, Wrembel has always treated Django like a classical composer rather the cliché paragon of swing and speed the master guitarist has often been portrayed as. In addition to Wrembel’s work as a film composer and performer (he wrote the theme song to Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and scored Allen’s last movie) Wrembel has delved into the study of Django’s “Improvisations” – the solo pieces that Django recorded throughout his life which were precisely scripted and more akin to classical preludes than jazz improv. Wrembel painstakingly transcribed and memorized the entire cycle, highlighting the influence of Ravel and Debussy on the music, as well as the original compositional approach. Wrembel released the album Django L’impressionniste back in October 2019 – a stunning work, which he premiered at the prestigious Lyon Opera house, in France. “A revelation” – Rolling Stone Magazine.
Sept 23 – Miramar: The Golden Age of Latin American Boleros
Miramar draws its inspiration from the golden age of romantic music, primarily that of the Latin American genre known as the bolero which was made popular by Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican combos of the 1950’s. Also referred to as “trio music,” the term bolero became synonymous with various slow to medium grooved Latin American dance rhythms. As the popularity of the bolero thrived, it also expanded and fused with other musical styles to create sub-genres of bolero-rock, jazz and disco. Miramar simply furthers expands the tradition through their own interpretations and exploration through new compositions with hopes to enrich a new audience that may be previously unaware of the genre. “Turn the lights down low, clear out the living-room carpet and find your dance partner for this one”—NPR Music
Limited tickets are available for Sound Waves. Please consider carpooling as parking is limited. Doors open at 7, show at 8, hang out with us after the show! Ticket buyers must show a vaccination card or negative covid test within 72 hours to attend without a mask, otherwise a mask is required.
Creative Concerts is excited to help bring live music back to Baldwinsville this summer, presenting Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime on Friday, August 13th at Paper Mill Island.
Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime – The phenomenon known as Sublime, arguably the most energetic, original and uniquely eclectic band to emerge from any scene, anywhere, ended with the untimely death of lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Brad Nowell in May of 1996. But encompassing the sense of place and purpose long associated with Sublime’s music, Badfish, a Tribute to Sublime continues to channel the spirit of Sublime with a fury not felt for some time.
What separates Badfish from other tribute bands is that they have replicated Sublime’s essence, developing a scene and dedicated following most commonly reserved for label- driven, mainstream acts. Badfish make their mark on the audience by playing with the spirit of Sublime. They perform not as Sublime would have, or did, but as Badfish does! Doors open at 6pm with music starting at 7pm. This is a rain or shine event.
While there is no public parking on Paper Mill Island, there is plenty of parking within walking distance. Public parking is available near the intersection of Oswego Street and E Genesee Street. Once you are parked the venue is a quick walk across the bridge.
This is a general admission show and all ages are welcome. Tickets for Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime at Paper Mill Island are on sale now at CCTix.com, at $20 in advance and $25 day of show.
The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene will present A Yiddish Renaissance this summer. In recognition of this resurgence in interest, the 107-year-old will bring together more than 140 actors and musicians from here at home and across the globe. The two-hour event will showcase some of Folksbiene’s most memorable musical numbers, but also celebrate the life of its Artistic Director, Zalmen Mlotek.
The benefit concert – debuting on July 26th at 2:00 PM (ET) and available to view through July 30th at 2:00 PM (ET) – will feature some of the most memorable hits from NYTF’s critically acclaimed and award-winning productions as well as sneak peeks of upcoming productions. Stars from across the United States, Israel, England, Germany, Scotland, and the Netherlands will share the screen together.
A Yiddish Renaissance: A Virtual Concert Celebration will pay tribute to Mlotek in celebration of his 70th birthday and 50-year career dedicated to Yiddish music and theatre. As he developed new productions and introduced young actors and singers to Yiddish theatre, Mlotek has brought NYTF to new heights as one of New York’s premiere off-Broadway theatre companies and to international recognition, including bringing Joel Grey-directed Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish to life at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, and then moving it uptown to Stage 42 Off-Broadway.
Presenting hits from Award-Winning NYTF Productions, featuring casts from Fiddler Afn Dakh (Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish), Di Goldene Kale (The Golden Bride), On Second Avenue, Di Yam Gazlonim (Yiddish Pirates of Penzance), Amerike The Golden Land, Soul to Soul, Kids and Yiddish, and more.
The event is produced by NYTF’s Associate Artistic Director Motl Didner, creator of the hit online show “15 Minute Yiddish.” The full cast of presenters and performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Registration is required at and you can visit the website for more information about all participants.
Singer-songwriter, guitarist and drummer Rene Lopez has just released his new single, “Flamingo”. A master of cross-genre work, Lopez’ single features Caribbean roots, rhythmic Jamaican ska drum loops, Cuban son montuno with cha-cha-chá influence. “Flamingo” stands as a direct reflection of Lopez’ multicultural upbringing in New York City, where he resides today.
Son of the famed Puerto Rican salsa musician and trumpet player René López, Rene embraces the traditional roots of his father while incorporating his own unique musical influences, including soul, jazz, funk, and rock.
An audience can audibly hear this melding of genres- with the fusion of Latin rhythms and instruments like timbales, congas, cowbell, flute, trumpet, Cuban tres and melodies similar to the pop musical soundscape today.
It just feels so right to incorporate my roots into my songs.
Rene Lopez
Dubbed “a one-man song factory” by Félix Contreras of NPR’s Alt.Latino, Lopez takes a personal approach to songwriting.
There is also a story that I tell in each song that is basically my own way of dealing with stuff going on in my life [and it] helps me face myself when I sing it out loud.
Rene Lopez
Lopez’ ability to write a autobiographical discography that melds Latin music, funk, rock, doo-wop, and soul is what keeps him hitting the mark with these catchy songs. Throughout the course of his work, Lopez’ music has only continued to become more Latinized, invoking a thematic otherness as an immigrant or being from a certain urban ethnic neighborhood. Keeping his songs close to home has reflected an authentic, nostalgic sound that shows listeners Lopez is “being completely honest with who I am, and a big part of that is my Latin roots,” as well as telling stories of personal relationships and experiences in an unflinching way.
Written as an ode to a “special woman” Lopez fell in love with after he got divorced, “Flamingo” bears Lopez’ vulnerability. He successfully transformed a situation he dubbed “extremely difficult and heartbreaking” into a beautiful tribute to the experience. Simultaneously graceful and outlandish, the flamingo serves as the perfect metaphor to quantify his unattainable love.
The title of the single then alludes to the doomed romance due to the lovers’ star-crossed circumstances. Beautiful and tragic, the song is a Latin lullaby of love and healing. The poetic lyrics serve as the perfect gateway into Lopez’ self and coupled with the personal roots of his past, “Flamingo” serves as a testament to Lopez’ past. And evidently, the song is yet another incredible hit to add to his collection of singles, keeping his growing audience waiting for the future.
The single is streaming on Soundcloud and does not disappoint!
The Bronx Music Heritage Center held a percussion discussion on June 16, part two of El Tambor Arabe. The musicians participated in a live discussion on Facebook about what they enjoy the most about Arabic music.
The event started with a performance from the band followed by an interview that was conducted by NY-based drummer Bobby Sanabria. Each of the musicians shared their stories on how they got interested in Arabic music. Zafer Tawil is from Palestine and has worked at many pop records and movie soundtracks. He fell in love with music and instruments at an early age.
Michael Burdi is from Brooklyn and grew up in an Italian and Syrian family. He grew up listening to hip hop and rock music and played guitar. He developed an interest into heritage music and eventually started to play music with Tawil. Philip Mayer grew up in Miami and didn’t grow up listening to Arabic music. It wasn’t until he was in his 20s when Mayer moved to New York and became interested in Arabic music.
The artists also spoke about the drums that they use and how they are used to play music in many other cultures. They also spoke about the difficul parts in playing the drums.
The Bronx Music Heritage Center provides musicians from other cultures to speak about how music has influenced society. You can check out more information about other events on their website.
You can also watch the discussion at the Bronx Music Heritage’s Facebook page.
The event, which starts at 6:30 PM ET has already sold out (due to limited capacity in the theatre) but will be presented via livestream on the Museum’s website and Facebook page for audiences unable to attend. You can stream it here.
The series continues outdoors on Thursday, June 24, at 6:30 PM (ET) in Wagner Park with The Beary Brothers Featuring Psoy Korolenko, Zisl Slepovitch, And Ilya Shneyveys. The eclectic trio explore a diverse background of cultures, musical styles, and languages, from Russia to the Maghreb, as well as Renaissance music to modern.
The next installment of the Music of the Jewish Diaspora takes place on Sunday, July 11, at 3:30 PM (ET) with The Noga Band Featuring Avram Pengas. New York musician Avram Pengas is a virtuoso guitarist and singer whose music is rooted in the Mediterranean tavernas of Athens. His career began in Athens performing in clubs, leading to his arrival in New York City in 1970. A popular performer in the local Greek, Sephardic, and Mizrachi communities, Pengas and his Noga Band bring a mixture of rhythms and modes spanning Greece, Turkey, Armenia, and more.
Tickets to the Music of the Jewish Diaspora series are free with a suggested donation. Limited tickets for in-person attendance to Sarah Aroeste with Shai Bachar: Ladino Music from Yesterday to Today will be available for $20 for the public and $10 for museum members. Tickets to attend any event virtually are $10 for the public and free for museum members.
To find out more information about the summer concert series, visit mjhnyc.org/current-events.
The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio will reopen to live audiences for the first time since the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic with a performance by the Paa Kow Afro-fusion Orchestra on Saturday, June 19 at 8pm.
Ghana born drummer and composer, Paa Kow, blends rhythm and artistry from his home with jazz and African roots creating his own Afro-Fusion sound. Dubbed “Ghana’s most artistic drummer” (Modern Ghana), he plays a custom, hand-carved, traditionally inspired Ghanaian drum set that is the only one of its kind in the world, guaranteeing an extraordinary cultural and musical experience. Paa Kow has toured internationally, sharing stages with both African and American luminaries including Kojo Antwi, Amakye Dede, and Victor Wooten.
Growing up in the small village of Enyan Denkyira near Cape Coast in Ghana, West Africa, Paa Kow is widely recognized as one of the most remarkable drum set players to tour in Africa, Europe, and America. Paa Kow’s deep groove and prodigious talent reveal a unique ability to speak to listeners with his drums, inspiring a profound spiritual conversation and fulfilling his vision to spread the music and culture of his homeland by touring the world with his Afro-fusion Orchestra.
With his albums such as Hand Go Hand Come, Ask, and Cookpot, Paa Kow has spread his creativity and his culture all across the world. His newest album, Nkwa Na Ehia, released in April of this year, heavily features Paa Kow’s native language of Fante. The rhythmic songs will be a great way to celebrate the reopening of The Linda.
A restricted quantity of seats will be available to maintain social distancing guidelines. Fully vaccinated patrons will be allowed to attend maskless and unvaccinated patrons will be encouraged to wear face masks. Seating and common traffic areas will be socially distanced. Additional live concerts and performances at The Linda will be announced in the next few weeks.
Tickets for the Paa Kow Afro-fusion Orchestra are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show. Advanced tickets are available through The Linda’s website.
For more information and updates regarding The Linda: WAMC’ Performing Arts Studio visit The Linda’s website. To stay updated follow their Facebook and Instagram.
