New York, NY– City Parks Foundation is proud to announce the 2016 season of SummerStage, New York City’s largest free performing arts festival, bringing more than 100 free performances to Central Park and 15 neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs. With performances ranging from American pop, Yiddish Soul, and Taiwanese music to dance, comedy and theater, SummerStage will feature more than 200 unique artists, filling a vital niche in New York City’s summer arts landscape, ensuring that New Yorkers will have access to exceptional cultural experiences, free of charge. Since its inception 31 years ago, SummerStage has benefited more than six million people from New York City and around the world.
This season, SummerStage will showcase a wide variety of Latino artists and arts organizations as part of its goal of offering audiences arts and culture from around the globe and locally. This summer, fans can see freestyle legend, George Lamond; Argentinean reggae band, Los Cafres; hip-hop star Fat Joe; Mexican alternative rocker, León Larregui; a jazz tribute to the Latino jazz legend, Dave Valentin; salsa legends Johnny Rivera, Tito Rojas and Tony Vega in addition to Brasilian samba band, Monobloco. Additionally, SummerStage has partnered with leading Latino arts organizations such as the acclaimed Nuyorican Poets Café to showcase some of the best Latino spoken word artists and Full Circle Souljahs, the famed breakdancing company headed by famed Latino dancers Ana “Rokafella” Garcia and Gabriel “Kwikstep” Dionisio. These are just some of the large variety of artists that fans of the festival can enjoy for free.
“At City Parks Foundation, we believe culture should be convenient and affordable for everyone. Our SummerStage festival removes the barriers to culture, bringing world-class artists, topical and popular, to neighborhood parks across all five boroughs, free of charge,” said Heather Lubov, Executive Director of City Parks Foundation. “SummerStage brings together New York’s diverse communities in authentic and meaningful ways, making high quality performing arts — from music to spoken word, circus and contemporary dance — truly accessible. We are thrilled to bring another season, filled with exceptional artistry, to communities across the City.”
“The SummerStage festival celebrates the rich cultural fabric of New York City,” said Erika Elliott, Executive Artistic Director of City Parks Foundation. “This year, we’ll celebrate the 100th anniversary of jazz, with both emerging and master musicians, who will highlight the long legacy jazz has in the city and its continued impact on New Yorkers.”
“Capital One is proud to once again support SummerStage as it celebrates New York’s artistic energy and creativity,” said Michael Slocum, President, Commercial Banking and Northeast Regional President, Capital One. “The arts build communities and enrich lives, and this remarkable festival embodies our commitment to investing for good in the diverse communities where our associates live and work.”
The complete SummerStage schedule follows. For the most up-to-date scheduling and line-up for all SummerStage programming, follow SummerStage via the below links and visit www.SummerStage.org for festival information.
Twitter: @SummerStage
Instagram: @SummerStage
Facebook: SummerStage NYC
Tuesday, July 12
Johnny Rivera / Joan Català hosted by George Nenadich
St. Mary’s Park, BX
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Johnny Rivera is a Tropical/Salsa recording artist and producer with more than 35 years of singing experience. After graduating from high school in the South Bronx, Rivera moved to Puerto Rico where he began a successful singing career. In 1993 Johnny recorded the production Cuando Parara La Lluvia, which featured three hit singles: “Cuando Parara La Lluvia,” “Por Eso Esta Conmigo,” and “Voy a Conquistar Tu Amor.” Cuando Parara La Lluvia earned platinum accolades shortly after its release, and made a worldwide impact. Rivera made a name for himself at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, during two “Combinacion Perfecta” concerts and the popularity of this live performance has contributed to the overall success of his musical career. Today Johnny continues traveling around the world as a Tropical/Salsa sensation, appearing at special music events in Puerto Rico and in Latin America
A proposal that eliminates the boundaries between dance, circus, theatre and performance; between audience and spectator. A natural review of artisan techniques and ones own memories. A sample changing, only as a result of the interaction with the Viewer. A work that is born from the observation of craft work, the study of the body, that highlights the beauty of movement when working. A sense of community, an ephemeral ritual, a dialogue with nature and the individual, an experience that creates complicity and magnetism. Pelat is silence, expectation, strength, tension, and magical, spontaneous participation. Pelat is body poetry. Pelat is ritual, movement and collective action. The first solo show by this young multidisciplinary creator, Joan Català, trained in the plastic arts, theatre, circus and dance, with an extensive international curriculum that includes the companies: Circo Klezmer, Daraomaï, Mudances, Mal Pelo, Circo Sincler, Bolna Kist, La Fura dels Baus and Sarruga, among others.
Wednesday, July 13
Joe Bataan meets SETENTA / Joan Català
St. Mary’s Park, BX
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Joe Bataan, the “King of Latin Soul,” helped coin the phrase “Salsoul” in 1974 lending the name to his first album. Bataan was influenced by two musical styles: the Latin boogaloo and African American doo-wop. Bataan recorded three albums and several singles for Salsoul Records and the Latin subdivision of Salsoul Records, Salsoul Leyendas. Titles include SalSoul, Rap-O-Clap-O, Joe Bataan II, Afrofilipino and a new compilation of his greatest hits titled Tropical Classics: Joe Bataan, which features the early 1979 hip-hop hit “Rap-O-Clap-O” and additional classic titles he performed for the Salsoul Leyendas label.
A proposal that eliminates the boundaries between dance, circus, theatre and performance; between audience and spectator. A natural review of artisan techniques and ones own memories. A sample changing, only as a result of the interaction with the Viewer. A work that is born from the observation of craft work, the study of the body, that highlights the beauty of movement when working. A sense of community, an ephemeral ritual, a dialogue with nature and the individual, an experience that creates complicity and magnetism. Pelat is silence, expectation, strength, tension, and magical, spontaneous participation. Pelat is body poetry. Pelat is ritual, movement and collective action. The first solo show by this young multidisciplinary creator, Joan Català, trained in the plastic arts, theatre, circus and dance, with an extensive international curriculum that includes the companies: Circo Klezmer, Daraomaï, Mudances, Mal Pelo, Circo Sincler, Bolna Kist, La Fura dels Baus and Sarruga, among others.
Thursday, July 14
Tito Rojas hosted by George Nenadich
St. Mary’s Park, BX
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Puerto Rican born Tito Rojas began his career singing with Pedro Conga and his International Orchestra before joining the Fania All-Stars in 1978. In 1990, Rojas went solo, recording a number of albums before charting the Latin Billboard list with 1995’s Por Propio Derecho, which earned him critical acclaim. Rojas has released over a dozen albums since then, including 2014’s El Viajero.
Friday, July 15
Felix Hernandez’s Rhythm Revue / Screening: We Like It Like That
St. Mary’s Park, BX
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Felix Hernandez created and hosts Rhythm Revue, New York’s first and longest-running radio show dedicated to classic R&B and soul music. Now in its 30th year, Rhythm Revue has been broadcast by WBGO-FM, WBLS-FM, 98.7 KISS-FM, Sirius Satellite Radio and WTJM (Jammin 105). Felix was also part of Sirius/XM’s first team of programmers for five years, where he developed several music channels. In 1991, Felix launched the Rhythm Revue Dance Party in New York City. This event has taken place at Roseland Ballroom, the Highline Ballroom, the Hornblower yachts, and numerous other venues throughout New York and the region. For 25 years, Felix’s dance party draws over 20,000 people each year for sold-out events.
Saturday, July 16
Full Circle Souljahs presents From The Streets To The Stage/Behind The Groove / Master Class: Kwikstep and Rokafella
St. Mary’s Park, BX
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
If you’ve been to block parties and park jams in NYC you know the vibes are contagious and the talent is undeniable– comparable to a NYC heat wave! “From The Streets to The Stage” will showcase some of newest up and coming choreographers, dancers and more from local NYC neighborhoods and beyond. This dance concert will give you a sample of the creative energy these artists share as they make their way to the next level! The lineup for this showcase is sure to move your soul regardless of age. So grab a seat and witness some of NYC’s rising talent as the host La Roka takes you on a journey “from the street to the stage”! Also open to the public will be a free dance workshop preceding the concert! Taking you on a Funky Musical Journey will be DJ’s KS 360 and DP One of “Behind The Groove” providing those beats to get you up on your feet and “Behind The Groove” playing those joints that make you move through the past, present and into future!!!
Sunday, July 17
Paulo Flores / Herencia de Timbiquí / Monsieur Periné / DJ Greg Caz / DJ Manny
Central Park, MN
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Paulo Flores is a legendary Angolan singer-songwriter keeping the flame of semba music alive in the 21st century. Semba is the elegant, earthy, African ancestor of Brazilian samba — and the root of today’s kuduro and kizomba dance crazes. Flores’ poetic compositions focus on everything from love and life to history and politics, tapping the roots that make semba the repository of decades of Angolan wit and wisdom. In a country where the deep wounds of civil war are plastered over with new oil money and a beachfront building boom. Paulo Flores keeps a nation’s conscience and memory alive.
While Colombia is often synonymous with Cumbia, the music from the Pacific Coast, like that of Herencia de Timbiquí, remains largely unexplored. Herencia de Timbiquí works to preserve the ancestral roots of the marimba de chonta, and traditional instruments such as the bombo, cununos and the guasá and combines them with a powerful band, including energetic vocals, brass, keyboards, and guitar. The currulao ensemble features exceptional hand percussion on drums that resemble West African djembes, beautifully honoring traditional regional music styles. The Afro-descendant Herencia de Timbiquí caught the attention of USAID, and featured the group in a 2014 documentary highlighting not only what the artists represent to the Colombian music scene, but also the social challenges faced on the Colombian Pacific coast where the town of Timbiquí is located. Herencia brings together exceptional artistry and a strong commitment to social issues, offering workshops and outreach to benefit underserved populations in Colombia. The ensemble has performed throughout South and Central America, in Europe and at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Monsieur Periné is one of the leading bands in Colombia‘s thriving new music scene. The group won a Latin GRAMMY award for “Best New Artist” in 2015, and their latest album Caja de Musica was produced by Eduardo Cabra, aka Visitante from the groundbreaking Puerto Rican group Calle 13. The album features vocal guests like Ruben Albarran from Mexican rock legends Cafe Tacuba and Dominican star Vicente Garcia. Rooted in gypsy jazz music and celebrating Django Reinhardt, Monsieur Periné‘s fresh style adds a variety of Latin elements to the mix. While incorporating genres like cumbia, son, bolero, tango and samba, the band performs traditional South American instruments like the charango, bandoneon and Latin percussion. Monsieur Periné‘s airy yet virtuosic instrumental foundation connects 1930s Paris with the youthful spirit of modern Bogota. It is the perfect backdrop to showcase Catalina Garcia‘s sugar-sweet, sunshiny vocals at the very center of their signature “swing a la Colombiana” style. With the help of the illustrator Jose Arboleda and their own fashion designer, the band has created a world of their own, that comes to life in their music, their artwork and of course their performances.
DJ Greg Caz has been spinning around New York since the early 1990s. He made a name for himself during his long stint at Black Betty (R.I.P.) in Williamsburg, where he co-hosted Brazilian Beat Sundays – a raucous DJ night of 1970s Brazilian dance music that inspired two mix CDs, Baile Funk, Vols. 1 & 2. Caz caught the “sweet sickness” of record collecting at a young age and owns crates and crates of funk, soul, rare grooves, reggae, jazz, golden-era hip hop, Latin music, ’70s soft rock and African music. He has long been a resident DJ at Nublu in the East Village, and recently provided lyric translations for the reissue of four Marcos Valle albums on Light in the Attic records. He has appeared in London, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Scotland, Ireland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, Montreal and elsewhere.
A passion for music, sound and rhythm are just a few of the reasions that led DJ Manny to mixing and blending various genres of music. Using house, reggae, hip-hop, compas, zouk and more, his aim is always to entertain and take people worries away when they come to hear one of Manny’s sets. In December 2012 was when he first heard the sound that he would come to know as kizomba. Intrigued by the music and the dance, Manny followed the sound, the rhythm, the way it transformed me and never looked back. He has a special place for kizomba. Over the last three years, Manny has expanded his knowledge of semba, Afrohouse, kuduro and more. He says, “I am in a different place when on the ones and twos and seeing everyone on the dance floor, ‘just flow,’ priceless. The funny thing is you can ask everyone, “Where were they when they first heard kizomba?” and guarantee, they will remember, just like that first kiss.”
Friday, July 29
Nuyorican Poets Cafe: Paolo Javier and Maria Lisella host a night of Queens poets
Queensbridge Park, QN
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Paolo Javier‘s musical collaboration with Listening Center (aka David Mason) will appear as a limited edition book, Ur’lyeh, and cassette, Aklopolis, published by Flugschriften in spring 2016. The former Queens Poet Laureate (2010-14), he is the author of four full-length collections of poetry, including Court of the Dragon (Nightboat Books, 2015), and lives with his family in Sunnyside, Queens.
Native New Yorker and Queens-born and -bred, Maria Lisella is the sixth winner in the competition for Queens Poet Laureate 2015-2018 and the first Italian American to win that competition. She is the author of the collection Thieves in the Family (NYQ Books), and two chapbooks (Amore on Hope Street, from Finishing Line Press, and Two Naked Feet, from Poets Wear Prada). She co-curates the Italian American Writers Association’s readings and is a charter member of Brevitas. She is an award-winning travel writer and editor who is currently USA TODAY’s New York expert.
Sunday, July 31
Rock Steady Crew 39th Anniversary with Nice & Smooth / Bahamadia and more
Central Park, MN
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Nice & Smooth was an East Coast hip hop duo from New York that consists of Greg Nice (Greg Mays) and Smooth B (Daryl Barnes). The duo released four albums from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. Their first collaborate appearance was on the song, “Pimpin Ain’t Easy” by Big Daddy Kane on his album, It’s a Big Daddy Thing in 1989. Nice & Smooth’s biggest radio fame came from “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow…,” from the group’s second album, Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed, released in 1991. The song was a moderately somber rhyme with introspective lines about poverty, AIDS, and drugs that was set to the guitar loop from Tracy Chapman’s hit “Fast Car.” In the summer of 1992, the music video received heavy rotation on MTV. “Hip-Hop Junkies,” which featured a sample from The Partridge Family’s ” I Think I Love You” was also a hit, and it was once performed live on Keenan Ivory Wayans’ comedy/variety TV show, In Living Color. The duo is known for its humorous rhymes and catchy hooks. They often appeared as guest emcees on albums by the Beatnuts, Gang Starr, and Tony Touch among many others. They were represented by Reggie Osse. Another notable song by the group is “Funky for You”, off of their self-titled debut album.
Born Antonia’ Reed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bahamadia was first introduced to Hip Hop culture as a DJ spinning at local house parties in the 80’s. A writer at heart, Bahamadia honed her skills as a poet and emcee with superior rhyme and delivery skills. Her work has been featured in electronic, progressive, jazz and experimental genres. Bahamadia’s eclecticism secured her rise to prominence on the hip hop and world music scene in the 90’s. In 1993 her regional hit, funk vibe (co-produced by DJ Ran of Power 99) caught the attention of G.U.R.U of the iconic rap duo Gangstarr. Bahamadia became his protégé and she was soon signed to his Ill Kid Productions where she recorded her follow-up single, Total Wreck which led to a recording deal with Chrysalis/Emi/Capital Records. In 1995 Uknowhowwedo the lead single to her classic debut Kollage was released. Kollage LP followed in 1996 and solidified Bahamadia’s place in world music’s history as the premier emcee for females in hip hop culture globally. Bahamadia returned to recording with appearances on golden era standards with artists such as Rah Digga, Talib Kweli, Jedi Mind Tricks, Lauryn Hill, The Roots, and more. In Spring 2013 Bahamadia released her self-produced project titled Dialed Up. Dialed Up is the first ever music project created entirely on a handheld mobile device (smart phone) AND recorded in a car—further evidence to support why Bahamadia is deemed a highly respected artistic visionary and forerunner of tomorrow’s music. Currently Bahamadia is finalizing her next project titled Here; slated for 2016 release on her B-Girl Records LLC imprint. She is also a creative ambassador and an active member on the Universal Hip Hop Museum’s Women’s Advisory Board.
Saturday, August 6
Monobloco / Cabruêra / Boogarins / DJ Luiz Santos, in association with Brasil Summerfest
Central Park, MN
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
4:00 PM – Pre-Show Panel
Acclaimed for incorporating diverse rhythms and styles into the samba beat, Monobloco was created in 2000 by C.A. Ferrari, Celso Alvim, Mário Moura, Pedro Luís and Sidon Silva (members of the band Pedro Luís e A Parede) as a result of a percussion workshop. Nowadays, the group performs in a yearly parade that closes the carnival festivities and is followed through the streets of Rio de Janeiro by half a million people. Its founders also created Monobloco Show, a smaller group of 17 musicians that performs all over the country and abroad, playing an average of 10 shows per month.
Cabruêra is a band showing the other side of Brazil’s rich music scene beyond Bossa and Samba. Based in the dry and barren region of Northeast Brazil, Cabruêra spices up the rural rhythms with all the urban styles you love to groove to. Considered as the “…coolest underground group in that crazy wonderful country.” this band is a journey to an undiscovered music continent. Ball pen guitars, pulsating bass lines and electronic percussion tides up with the Brazilian Cliché.
Boogarins’ Fernando “Dino” Almeida and Benke Ferraz began playing music together as teenagers in the central Brazilian city of Goiânia – creating psychedelic pop in their parents’ gardens, filtering their country’s rich musical history through a very modern lens. By the time the group’s home-recorded debut LP, As Plantas Que Curam, was released on Other Music Recording Co. in late 2013, the band had recruited a proper rhythm section and were developing a name around Goiânia. Soon after, the now-expanded group was booking regular gigs in São Paulo and across the country. The last couple years have seen Boogarins on the road continually – headlining clubs and playing festivals from London to Paris to Barcelona to New York, and performing alongside many great artists around the world. Released at the end of 2015, the band’s latest album, Manual, finds Boogarins taking their psychedelic rock in even more thrilling, expansive directions.
Born and raised in Brazil, Luiz Santos began collecting records at age ten, first purchasing Iron Maiden’s Life after Death and moving to a wider repertoire that now spans from Afrobeat to Tropicalia. He moved to New York in 1997 and delved into the nightlife scene, attending parties and becoming active in the Downtown and Brooklyn scenes. He perfected his own DJing skills at Trophy Bar and the annual Carnival party in Williamsburg, spinning a signature mix of vintage Brazilian beats, rare African grooves, Tropical bangers and Slow Disco.
Thursday, August 11
Tony Vega
East River Park, MN
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Puerto Rican singer Tony Vega got involved in music while participating in a teenage rock band called City Trash. Nevertheless, the young artist was finally captivated by Afro-Caribbean rhythms, especially tropical music, joining Raphy Levitt’s la Selecta and working along with Willie Rosario soon afterwards. In 1986, Tony Vega moved to New York, teaming up with Louie Ramírez and making an album called Super Banda; he later performed alongside Eddie Palmieri. After signing up to RMM, Yo Me Quedo became his solo debut album. In 1996, Tony Vega participated in Tropical Tribute to the Beatles, featuring “Hey Jude” and “Come Together.”
Wednesday, August 17
DJ KS 360 & Full Circle Souljahs Presents: Behind The Groove / Soul Connected / Raphael Xavier
Central Park, MN
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
The “Behind The Groove/Soul Connected” concert will showcase some of NYC’s legendary choreographers, dancers and performers to create an evening of soulful vibes moving seamlessly through genres such as African, Salsa, Funk, House and Hip Hop with a dance video montage and colorful backdrops transporting the crowd to a true park jam as they get out of their seats and “Behind The Groove”! Behind The Groove is a NYC City based non-top-40 dance event/party known for playing funky classics that provides the local and international dance community a place for social exchange — past, present and future! On the turntables will be “Behind the Groove” resident DJ’s KS 360 and DP One, hosted by La Roka with featured Recording artists The Legendary Ladies of Skyy performing their classic dance hits, “Here’s to You,” “Call Me” and “Let’s Celebrate.”
Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Raphael Xavier is an award winning artist based in Philadelphia. A self taught Hip Hop dancer and Breaking practitioner since 1983, Raphael has forged an exceptional approach to improvisation. As an Innovative Movement Conceptualist, he creates new ways to expand the vocabulary of the dance form. He not only draws from the culture, but also from his visual background as a Hip Hop magazine photographer and musical artist. Point of Interest is Raphael’s new piece that challenges the art form of Breaking and the viewer’s perspective of hip hop. Xavier explores the notion of sustainability within Breaking – something that is extremely important to him, yet missing from the form. As a movement practitioner who has been breaking for 32 years, he would like to be an example for intelligent and consistent practice in this highly physical dance form that is culturally and societally associated with youth.
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The 2016 SummerStage festival is presented by Capital One Bank. Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, Ommegang, Downeast Cider, Red Hook Winery, Bai Beverages, Lyft, MetroPCS, Disney, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and JWT are all official SummerStage sponsors. Generous private support is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation, Horace Silver Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, J.E. & Z.B. Butler Foundation, The Shubert Organization, and the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, Council Member Rosie Mendez, Council Member Debi Rose, and Council Member Helen Rosenthal.