SummerStage Announces Upcoming Shows: EPMD, Taiwanese Waves, Corinne Bailey Rae, & More!

Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is in full swing this month, with a diverse set of shows taking place in Central Park and across New York City. For the most up-to-date scheduling and lineup for all SummerStage programming, visit www.SummerStage.org for all festival information.

On Wednesday, July 31, Puerto Rican salsero Ray De La Paz will perform in Crotona Park in The Bronx. He was born in Spanish Harlem and grew up in the Bronx, and cemented his salsa pedigree early in his career on four albums with legendary conguero Ray Baretto. He's joined by another boricua salsero, Edgar Joel, who got his start with La Combinación Latina before partnering with the vocalist Anthony Colon to craft songs with classic salsa rhythms and romantic lyrics. Support will come from DJ Lucho and DJ Kamala. This free show is set to take place from 7 to 9PM.

Also on Wednesday, July 31, FELA! The Concert will take place at SummerStage in Central Park. Full of energy in constant motion, Fela! The Concert radiates joy and leaves audiences on their feet wanting more. The sensual, eclectic sounds and powerful lyrics of Fela Kuti, the founding father of Afrobeat, prove why he became one of the worlds most celebrated and rebellious music legends. Set against a soaring canvas of projected images, Fela! The Concert is driven by the electrifying rhythms from a live 10-piece Afrobeat band, with nine singers and dancers who bring to life Fela's provocative spirit. Fela! The Concert features members of the original Broadway cast from the highly acclaimed Tony Award winning production Fela!. A Youth Matinee will take place from 11AM to noon. Doors will open at 10AM. The evening performance will take place from 8 to 10PM. Doors open at 7PM. This performance is also free.

On Thursday, August 1st, Samini, one of Ghana's most accomplished Pop stars, will take the stage in Crotona Park. His latest LP, Untamed, was named 2018's album of the year by Reggaeville. He's supported by Efya, a Ghanaian Pop singer from Kumasi who won four consecutive Ghana Music Awards for Best Female Vocal Performance (2011-2014) and collaborated with Mr Eazi on their breakout hit "Skin Tight." DJ Patricktor4 will be spinning throughout the night. This free performance will take place from 6 to 9PM.

On Friday, August 2nd, a Garifuna Collective showcase, featuring music and dance that celebrates the Garifuna culture's rich heritage, will take place in Crotona Park. The Crotona neighborhood of the Bronx has long been home to a thriving community of Garifuna, descendants of Afro-indigenous people from the Caribbean island of St Vincent who were exiled to the coast of Honduras in the eighteenth century. The Wabafu Garifuna Dance Theater will open the showcase, which is set to take place from 6 to 9PM. This showcase is free, and will be preceded by a West African & Garifuna dance class. No RSVP is required.

SummerStage in the Bronx continues on Saturday, August 3rd with a performance from Suffolk County, Long Island's EPMD in Crotona Park. Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith, who helped define the sound of New York hip-hop in the late 80s and early 90s, will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Unfinished Business. To celebrate NYC hip-hop mainstay Funk Flex's birthday, the Golden Age legends will place the classic LP in its entirety and Funk Flex will open up the show with a special set. This free show is set to take place from 6 to 9PM.

Also on Saturday, August 3rd, promoter Mia Min Yen's Taiwanese Waves showcase will take place for the fourth consecutive year. This year's edition features an all-woman lineup from the island's Mandarin music scene: The veteran guitar-less piano-rock band Tizzy Bac; The Taipei-raised, New York-based emerging artist that has been on everyone's radar 9m88; The delicate ballads of the singer, radio DJ, and actress Wan Fang (萬芳), best known for singing the original theme for the 1993 romance film C'est la vie, mon chéri; and the Paiwan singer A Bao (阿爆). This free show is set to take place from 6 to 10PM. Doors open at 5PM.

SummerStage at Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk continues on Saturday, August 3rd with a 70s Soul Jam featuring some of the decade's classic groups, revered by a generation of R&B fans and living on in the next as samples in hip-hop music. The Stylistics had a stunning run of top ten R&B singles out of Philadelphia in the early 70s, with some, such as "Break Up to Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New," cracking the top ten on the Pop charts. The Manhattans (who hailed from Jersey City, NJ) formed in the 60s as a doo-wop group but were able to sustain success into the early 80s, winning a Grammy in 1981 for their R&B hit "Shining Star." Harold Melvin's Blue Notes got their start as The Charlemagnes in the 1950s, but didn't break out until the early 70s, when they brought in a young Teddy Pendergrass (first as a drummer, then as lead singer) and signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label. Fred "Bugsy" Buggs and DJ Chuck Chilloutwill also take the stage. This free show is set to take place from 7 to 10PM. Doors open at 6PM.

On Sunday, August 4th, Corinne Bailey Rae will bring her soulful R&B to SummerStage in Central Park. The Guardian named her latest studio album The Heart Speaks In Whispers "the best R&B of 2016. She's joined by the American singer Jose James, who wields a rich baritone and blends modern jazz, with cross-generational references that dabble in traditional and contemporary jazz and soul, and Ruth B., who Rolling Stone declared "She's THE ONE to watch". DJ Natasha Diggs will open up this free show, set to take place from 7 to 10PM. Doors open at 6PM. Prior to the performance a panel titled "Why Aren't There More Women on Festival Stages" is set to take place from 5 to 6PM. The panel is hosted by Vanessa Reed, founder of Keychange and CEO of New Music USA, and will also feature Corinne Bailey Rae and Fabiana Batistela, Director/Founder of SIM São Paulo. As a women-run festival with a mission of diversity and inclusion, SummerStage is proud to be participating in the PRS Foundation's international Keychange pledge, presenting a lineup this season that features a 50:50 gender balance. RSVP is required for all and is on first-come, first-served basis at rsvp@cityparksfoundation.org

CityParks SummerStage is New York City's largest, free outdoor performing arts festival, taking place in Central Park and in 17 neighborhood parks around the city, from June-October, presenting approximately 100 performances - the majority of which are free of charge - for 250,000+ audiences annually.

A full lineup for this season can be found below. 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.

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