|
contents | world | |||||||||||||
| Global Mashup Concerts Return to Queens - Big and Festive as Ever! May is for music—and specifically, global music— at Flushing Town Hall. The Smithsonian Affiliate's most popular series, the Global Mashups, returns for the first time in three years. To celebrate, Flushing Town Hall is packing three fabulous mashups into one month: Global Mashup: Colombia Meets Klezmer on May 6, Global Mashup: Ireland Meets Mexico on May 19, and Mini-Global Mashup: Stride Piano Meets Guinea on May 21. And that's just to start—a new Global Mashup concert will follow each month throughout the summer. The Global Mashup concert series presents a different pairing of bands each month. Starting with dance lessons from each band, both ensembles play a set, showcasing traditional music from their distinct country or culture, and then they jam together for a third, collaborative, and spontaneous set—to the delight of audiences. The popular series regularly sold out in pre-pandemic years, so excited audiences are encouraged to purchase tickets soon—and come prepared to groove, for the Flushing Town Hall dance floor is open once again! "It has been a long time coming, but we are thrilled to finally welcome the Global Mashups back to our stage, " says Ellen Kodadek, Flushing Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director. "Queens is the world's borough where you can find more language and diversity than anywhere else on the planet, so it is only right that we are the go-to destination for great, global music." GLOBAL MASHUP #1: Colombia Meets Klezmer (Saturday, May 6) The Colombia Meets Klezmer concert will feature the Cumbia River Band and Klezmer all-star band Di Shikere Kapelye, known in English as The Inebriated Orchestra. Cumbia River Band's music draws from a festive repertoire of Colombian Cumbia and Riverside music. Their sounds take listeners back to the golden years of Cumbia and inspire them to dance and contemplate the joy and energy that the Cumbia River brings. The band delivers a captivating performance that honors both traditional and contemporary sounds, featuring tuba, accordion, clarinet, percussion, guitar, and voices. Di Shikere Kapelye, commonly referred to as Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars, performs high-energy Eastern European party music appropriate for all occasions, from concerts and festivals to parties and parades. The group comprises Frank London on the trumpet, Michael Winograd on the clarinet, Ron Caswell on the tuba, Ilya Shneyveys on the accordion, and Aaron Alexander on the drums. The group has released five acclaimed recordings and the pandemic-era live concert film, The Rooftop Concert. The band has collaborated with artists, including Yiddish singers Eleanor Reissa, Lorin Sklamberg, Sarah Gordon, Michael Alpert, Joshua Nelson, klezmer clarinet legend Margot Leverett, and more. They are often featured at the HONK NYC Festival and have toured internationally. GLOBAL MASHUP #2: Ireland Meets Mexico (Friday, May 19) Ireland Meets Mexico will feature Irish musician Cillian Vallely, who will bring the pipes and whistles of the Emerald Isle to the stage, and Mexican band Jarana Beat. Cillian Vallely plays the uilleann pipes and low whistle with the renowned Irish band Lunasa, described as "The hottest Celtic band on the planet" by the Irish Voice. With Lunasa, he has performed at The Hollywood Bowl, Glastonbury Festival, Womad Aledaide, and Edmonton Folk Festival, in addition to multiple tours of Asia, Australia, the United States, and Europe. In recent years, he has played and recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Merchant, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Tim O'Brien, and Riverdance, as well as as a guest on over 50 albums. Jarana Beat is a 10-piece band incorporating music and dance into its vibrant live performances. Jarana Beat blends Mexican folk and Afro-Amerindian musical traditions with the percussive footwork of dancers performing in traditional costumes to create an irresistibly spirited and uplifting cross-cultural sound. Led by composer/producer Sinuhé Padilla-Isunza, the band gathers professional performers from Mexico in collaboration with artists from all over the world, drawing on elements and percussive footwork from styles such as Son Jarocho, Son Guerrerense, Son Huasteco, Salsa, Cumbia, Samba, and Rumba, taking New York's (and the world's!) scene on a journey through Afro-Amerindian culture. MINI-GLOBAL MASHUP: Stride Piano Meets Guinea (Sunday, May 21) Stride Piano Meets Guinea will feature renowned jazz pianist Anthony Coleman and the globally recognized balafonist Famoro Dioubaté. Anthony Coleman's musical odyssey has taken him through many cultures and led him to wear many hats as a composer, improvising keyboardist, and teacher. Coleman joined the NEC faculty in 2006, returning to a school where he studied in the 1970s, during the birth of NEC's Contemporary Musical Arts program (then called Third Stream). In addition to his work as a studio teacher and ensemble coach, Coleman works with NEC's Contemporary Musical Arts students to organize a departmental concert each spring. Famoro Dioubaté is recognized as one of West Africa's most talented and graceful balafonists. Hailing from Conakry, Guinea, Famoro comes from a long family lineage of griots (or jeli in Malinké), African oral historians, and musicians, a sub-culture dating back to the 13th century. The balafon is a 23-key wooden xylophone on a diatonic scale, crafted by hand in the Guinean countryside. The music forms delightful, looping cross-rhythmic melodies that shift shapes as Famoro emphasizes different notes. Dioubaté's balafon style is primarily traditional and mixes well with everything from a classical duo to a jazz band. Dioubaté stands out from the rest because of his absolute confidence and utter grace in his playing style. How he delicately, yet firmly places the notes around the (often unplayed) beat is mesmerizing. write your comments about the article :: © 2023 Jazz News :: home page |