Cha Wa Announced For Carnegie Hall Citywide Series

Friday, July 26 at 6pm Part of Carnegie Hall Citywide Series FREE at Bryant Park Cha Wa's high voltage music fuses fat funky beats with New Orleans-style brass and Mardi Gras Indian spectacle. Lead singer J'Wan Boudreaux's gritty vocals are steeped in the Crescent City's legendary Mardi Gras tradition where African-American men march in Native American dress inspiring a vibrant street music. While Cha Wa honors the tradition with pulse-quickening and foot stomping rhythms, they also add a socially conscious element with songs addressing injustice. You'll move to their intoxicating groove and imagine yourself part of a jubilant New Orleans second line parade.

As part of the Carnegie Hall Citywide series, Carnegie Hall offers five free concerts at Bryant Park featuring outstanding classical, folk, Afro-Brazilian, Latin, Celtic, funk, and gospel artists. Tapping into the pulse of the city, these performances bring New Yorkers together to share in the joy of music.

"For more than four decades, Carnegie Hall has partnered with community organizations in all five boroughs, offering free performances by renowned main stage artists and rising musical stars in New York City neighborhoods, bringing together local residents and people from all over to share in great music," said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall's Executive and Artistic Director. "As part of this commitment to community, we are thrilled to return to Bryant Park this summer, presenting five fantastic concerts, kicking off next season's Carnegie Hall Citywide series."

As well as this performance, others include: Ray and Vivian Chew's Night of Inspiration, featuring Anthony Brown & group therAPy and The String Queens (July 19); exciting classical music and stunning virtuosity from Harlem Quartet (August 2); and, the finalé of the series, Carnegie Hall Citywide Night, with Matuto, Eileen Ivers, and Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas (August 9).

This event is part of Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America, a series of world-class music, theater, and dance performances in Midtown Manhattan. All Picnic Performances are free to the public and designed to be enjoyed casually - no tickets required. At each show, the park lends out 250 free picnic blankets for audience members to relax on while enjoying the show on the Lawn.

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), a private not-for-profit company, was founded in 1980 to renovate, finance and operate Bryant Park in New York City. BPC is funded by income from events, concessions and corporate sponsors, as well as an assessment on neighboring properties, and does not accept government or philanthropic monies. In addition to providing security, sanitation, and horticultural services, BPC offers restaurants, food kiosks, world-class restrooms, and a wide range of free events throughout the year. The Midtown Manhattan park is visited by more than 12 million people each year and is one of the busiest public spaces in the world. BPC's website, bryantpark.org, offers more detailed information and a schedule of upcoming events