City Parks Foundation's SummerStage Can't Miss Latin Shows in July
By: Macon Prickett Jul. 03, 2018
The City Parks Foundation SummerStage Concert Series presents over 100 shows in all 5 NYC Boroughs throughout the Summer. The best part? Almost every show is free and curated specifically for the neighborhood it's presented in. Throughout July, can't miss shows from Latin artists like Gabriel Garzón Montano, Jorge Drexler, Systema Solar, Tito Rojas, Charlie Aponte and more will be hitting stages across the city.
Brooklyn native, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, who is both Colombian and French, writes intoxicating jams that blur the edges between R&B, funk, and cumbia musical traditions. He'll be joined by several other voices integral to the musical diaspora of Latin America, including Nicola Cruz, an Ecuadorian and French producer, Tomasa de Real, the iconoclastic Chilean reggaetón star, and Latin Bitman.
Who: Gabriel Garzón Montano, Tomasa Del Real and Latin Bitman
When: Wednesday, July 11th from 6-10PM
Where: SummerStage in Central Park, Manhattan
Systema Solar/ Very Be Careful/El Freaky
This celebration of Latin American music and culture, presented with LAMC, marks the first all-Colombian lineup to come to Queens. This incredible double bill includes the stylings of the dance music collective Systema Solar, whose work is informed by Caribbean soundsystems, and their mesmerizing audiovisual performances. Very Be Careful, who create vallenatos (a traditional form of cumbia), will also bring their riveting sounds to Queens. The evening will begin with an opening DJ set from Colombia's El Freaky.
Who: Systema Solar, Very Be Careful and El Freaky
When: Thursday, July 12th from 7-9PM
Where: SummerStage in Queensbridge Park, Queens
More Info: https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/systema-solar-very-be-careful/?date=20180712
Calpulli Mexican Dance Company
Making their SummerStage debut, the Queens-based Calpulli Mexican Dance Company's mission is to celebrate the rich diversity of Mexican and Mexican-American cultural heritage through dance and live music. Since forming in 2003, they have successfully toured the United States, Asia and the Middle East. In New York City, they have appeared at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center Out of Doors and others. Calpulli, whose name means "family" in the Nahuatl language, aspires to be an entity that is celebrated by its community while remaining accessible to a broader, mainstream audience. The company will be performing excerpts from "Boda Mexicana" (Mexican Wedding) including dances from the Yucatán peninsula, the Andean-influenced music from Guerrero, and the Aztec suite "Mexican Tiawi," pronounced meh-shee-kaw tee-aw-wee, which translates to Mexicans onward.
Who: Calpulli Mexican Dance Company
When: Friday, July 13th from 7-9PM
Where: SummerStage in Queensbridge Park, Queens
More Info: https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/calpulli-mexican-dance-company/?date=20180713
Tito Rojas/Andy Montanez
Andy Montañez has been bringing his exuberant vocals and salsa rhythms to audiences in his native San Juan and worldwide: no wonder he's known as "El Godfather de la Salsa." He's joined by the Puerto Rican-born salsero Tito Rojas, who has been one of the movement's most prominent voices since the 1980s, when he released his hit single "El Campesino." Rojas was also the recipient of the 1995 Paoli Prize for "Best Salsa Artist of the Year."
Who: Tito Rojas and Andy Montanez
When: Friday, July 13th from 7-10PM
Where: SummerStage at The Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island, Brooklyn
Jorge Drexler/ Trending Tropics/ ìFÉ/ DJ Raff
Jorge Drexler, the multiple Latin and Grammy-winning artist, isn't just one of Uruguay's preeminent songwriters. He's perhaps one of the few musicians who's also a licensed doctor. The prolific Drexler, who has released nearly two dozen albums, puts on spectacular shows in Latin America, and will do the same in New York. Trending Tropics is the new group feat. Eduardo Cabra "El VIsitante" and Vicente Garcia plus numerous multi-instrument players from the Caribbean. They're joined by ÌFÉ, a Puerto Rican group headed by Otura Mun that celebrates Afro-Caribbean lineage through grooves rooted in hip-hop and Ifá faith traditions.
Who: Jorge Drexler, Trending Tropics, ÌFÉ and DJ Raff
When: Saturday, July 14 from 3-7PM
Where: SummerStage in Central Park, Manhattan
More Info: https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/jorge-drexler-trending-topics-ife/?date=20180714
Las Cafeteras/ M.A.K.U. SoundSystem/iBomba (DJs Ushka and Beto)
Los Angeles's Las Cafeteras began out of an attempt to remix Afro-Mexican music. The group has since evolved into a six-piece group, where its members imbue social consciousness within their twist on traditional roots songs. After sharing stages with the likes of Café Tacvba, they'll be joined by the Colombian luminaries M.A.K.U. SoundSystem and the wide-ranging stylings of the DJ duo iBomba.
Who: Las Cafeteras, M.A.K.U. SoundSystem and IBomba
When: Saturday, July 21 from 4-7PM
Where: SummerStage in Corporal Thompson Park, Staten Island
Bombazo Dance Co/ The Sabrosura Effect in association with Pepatian
The popular Bronx-based drum and dance troupe, Bombazo Dance Co., showcases traditional Afro Puerto Rican Bomba, Afro Caribbean and traditional folkloric elements. Led by the Puerto-Rican born and raised, Milteri Tucker, the Company regularly performs at local venues such as Hostos College, Lehman Center, the Pregones Theater and others. They will be joined by The Sabrosura Effect, a Latin fusion dance company that combines Cuban folkloric with NY Style Salsa on 2, and Contemporary movement.
Who: Bombazo Dance Co and The Sabrosura Effect
When: Friday, July 27 from 7-9PM
Where: SummerStage in Saint Mary's Park, The Bronx
More Info: https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/bombazo-dance-co-the-sabrosura-effect/?date=20180727
Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Spanish Harlem Orchestra is a two-time Grammy Award winning Latin jazz ensemble. Since their inception in the early 2000s, the group has delighted audiences worldwide with their spin on New York's own hardcore salsa, and collaborated with luminaries Rubén Blades and Paul Simon. Through bringing hardcore salsa worldwide, they inspire new kinds of movement.
Who: Spanish Harlem Orchestra
When: Saturday, July 28 from 4-7pm
Where: SummerStage in Saint Mary's Park, The Bronx
More Info: https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/spanish-harlem-orchestra/?date=20180728
Charlie Aponte
For over four decades, the Puerto Rican musician Charlie Aponte led El Gran Combo, one of the island's greatest dance bands of all time. Along the way, he earned the respected title as one of the preeminent soneros of the world. Aponte left the group in 2014, at age 62. But the following year, he released his first-ever solo album, Una Nueva Historia. Fans can expect one of salsa's great voices to bring a range of delights to the stage.
Who: Charlie Aponte
When: Sunday, July 29 from 4-7PM
Where: SummerStage in Saint Mary's Park, The Bronx
More Info: https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/charlie-aponte/?date=20180729
For the most up-to-date scheduling and lineup for all SummerStage programming, follow SummerStage via the social media handles below and visit www.SummerStage.org for all festival information.
The 2018 SummerStage festival is presented by Capital One. Lagunitas Brewing Company, Brewery Ommegang, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Austin Eastciders, Subaru, Barefoot Wine,Hint Water, Monster Energy, KIND Snacks, Boxed Water, Essentia, United, Disney, Grady's Cold Brew, Luna Park and Whole Foods Market, are all official SummerStage sponsors. Generous private support is provided by The Thompson Foundation, The Jaharis Family Foundation, iStar, the Howard Gilman Foundation, The Shubert Organization, the J.E. & Z.B. Butler Foundation, and the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation. Additional support is generously provided by our dedicated festival audience and SummerStage Members.
This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; 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 the NYC Council under the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson. Only in Queens Summer Concert is presented by Borough President Melinda Katz with NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer and NYC Parks.
Premier Radio Sponsor: iHeart Radio featuring Lite FM, Power 105.1, 103.5 KTU, Q104.3, and Z100. Media partners include: Big Screen Plaza, Brooklyn Magazine, doNYC, Relix, Time Out New York, WBGO, WFUV, WNET, WNYC, Telemundo, NBC and Zoom Media & Marketing.
In all of its programming and activities, City Parks Foundation partners with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to improve neighborhood parks and the communities they serve.
Instagram: @SummerStage
Facebook: SummerStage NYC
Snapchat: summerstagenyc
Official Hashtag: #SummerStage
About City Parks Foundation
At City Parks Foundation, we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community development and education programs for all New Yorkers. Our programs and community building initiatives - located in more than 350 parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City - reach 425,000 people each year. Our ethos is simple: we believe thriving parks mean thriving communities.
About SummerStage
SummerStage is presented by City Parks Foundation and is New York's largest free outdoor performing arts festival. SummerStage annually presents more than 100 performances in 18 parks throughout the five boroughs. With performances ranging from American pop, Latin, world music, dance and theater, SummerStage fills a vital niche in New York City's summer arts festival landscape. Since its inception 33 years ago, more than six million people from New York City and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage. SummerStage is presented by Capital One.
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