BELONGÓ Announces New Season of Afro Latin Jazz Nationwide

Belongó has announced a new season of programming centered on Afro Latin Jazz, with plans to bring performances to stages, schools, and communities across the country.

Belongó is a New York City-based non-profit cultural institution founded by pianist/composer and GRAMMY Award-winner Arturo O'Farrill in 2007 that is dedicated to performing, teaching, and preserving the music of the Americas rooted in African and Indigenous traditions through jazz. While its state-of-the-art cultural hub and future home, Casa Belongó, is built in East Harlem, Belongó continues to lead and inspire as it provides free music education to thousands of NYC public school children, an educational residency for incarcerated youth at Riker's Island, and a pre-professional youth orchestra for aspiring musicians known as the Fat Cats. Belongó is also widely celebrated for programming a remarkable slate of world-class concerts and cultural events each year.

Belongó announced its new season of concerts and impactful community programming, including a robust schedule of events from August into January of 2027 at festivals, beloved cultural centers, and venue stages nationwide. A number of New York City events feature O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), including a weekly residency at the new jazz club The Pocket, Brooklyn's BRIC Jazz Festival in October, and Jazz at Lincoln Center in January. O'Farrill will also bring the cultural legacy and joy of Afro Latin jazz music to California as the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at Segerstrom Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

See below for a detailed schedule of Belongó's upcoming season.

Weekly Live Jazz at The Pocket

Every Tuesday - New York, NY

Belongó presents Arturo O'Farrill & the ALJO's ongoing residency at The Pocket, New York City's newest jazz club in Times Square. The celebrated orchestra performs from their deep repertoire of Afro Latin jazz from across the Americas every Tuesday, with sets at 7 and 9PM. ALJO's residency is now in its 29th year, and has become a key part of the cultural fabric of the city.

Afro Latin Jazz Music Exploration at Harlem Library

Monthly - New York, NY

Belongó presents Afro Latin Jazz Music Exploration, a free, monthly educational series for school-age children (ages 6–12) at the Harlem Library. Held one Saturday each month from 12–1 PM, the interactive program offers live music, hands-on participation, and joyful opportunities to explore the rhythms, instruments, and stories of Afro Latin jazz. The series continues on August 29, with additional sessions on September 26, October 24, November 21 and December 19.

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at Flushing Town Hall with Vincent Hsu

August 15 - Flushing, NY

Belongó presents O'Farrill & ALJO with acclaimed Taiwanese-born bassist Vincent Hsu at Flushing Town Hall. Led by O'Farrill, the GRAMMY Award-winning orchestra joins Hsu—leader of the Soy La Ley Afro Cuban Jazz Band—for an evening exploring the connections between Afro Cuban, jazz, and Taiwanese musical traditions through original compositions and improvisation.

Photo Credit: Nir Arieli

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