Django Festival All-Stars Presents Special Guest Edmar Castañeda

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents the Django Festival All-Stars who have ushered the music of legendary Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt into the 21st century, revitalizing Reinhardt's driving, swinging style (often referred to as "hot jazz"). The group's repertoire combines unique interpretations of Reinhardt classics with original compositions.

Praised by critics at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center, and NYC's famed Birdland, the Django Festival All-Stars were recently classified by The Wall Street Journal as "the best jazz show in town." The group includes of one of Europe's greatest musical families - guitarist-violinist Dorado Schmitt and his two sons, Samson and Amati - along with violinist Pierre Blanchard and accordionist Ludovic Beier.

For this NJPAC performance, the All-Stars will be joined by special guest Edmar Castañeda, the Colombian harpist whose often rapid-fire command of his instrument has taken New York and the world stage by storm, revolutionizing the way audiences and critics alike think about the harp. "(Castañeda) is almost a world unto himself," says The New York Times. "(He) strums, plucks, rubs, jabs and pounds on his cobalt blue Llanera harp, conjuring different shaped notes, harmonic textures and steady bass rhythms from the instrument's 34 strings," says The Wall Street Journal. "About the only thing he doesn't do is light it on fire!"

Part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival

Tickets to see Django Festival All-Stars with special guest Edmar Castañeda are available at NJPAC.org or 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) or by visiting the NJPAC Box Office.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., has the most diverse programming and audience of any performing arts center in the country, and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey - where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 8 million visitors (including over 1.6 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.

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