By The TimesLedger
The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival always brings more action to Flushing Meadows Corona Park than just the racers.
This year, in addition to the magnificent boats, sumptuous food and delightful crafts, there will performances by musicians, a choir and some of the best-trained martial artists in New York.
Quasilulu, essentially an American alternative rock group, has original songs that are hummable and catchy without falling into avant garde clichés. Rona Figueroa, the lead singer and songwriter, is a seasoned performer who has played the leads in “Miss Saigon” and “Les Miserables” on Broadway. She has also toured nationally. Figueroa has also played leads in film and TV dramas, and has been featured on talk shows, “The Cosby Show,” “Third Watch” and more. Her group is scheduled to appear on stage, Saturday at 2 p.m.
Kevin So is a singer/songwriter who is a self-proclaimed “product of urban pop culture.” Making a name for himself as a boundary-stretching musician, Kevin’s music is steeped in traditional delta blues and folk infused with touches of jazz and R&B. He has been nominated eight times for a Boston Music Award. His seventh solo album, “Shirts N’ Skinz,” was just released to rave reviews. Kevin continues to perform across the country and internationally. He is scheduled to perform on stage Sunday, at 1 p.m.
The New York Boys Choir, formerly known as the East Harlem Boys Choir, was conceived in 1974 and founded in 1978 by the Rev. Dr. Gregory Anton McCants. The choir’s international reputation and performances are too numerous to list in entirety. The choir has been featured on all major networks and dozens of television news and entertainment programs such as “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Diana Ross Show” and ABC's 50th Birthday special honoring “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali.
Command performances included programs for President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury. The choir has responded to many international invitations and participated in shows and events with such stars as Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Bill Cosby and many more. Mayor Rudy Giuliani selected the choir as the official choir of the New York City Millennium Council. The choir is scheduled to perform on prior to opening ceremonies Saturday at 11 a.m.
Shaolin Kung Fu will feature performances by monks and students from Flushing’s Shaolin Temple Martial Arts troupe. In the history of the Shaolin Temple (founded 495 AD in Henan, China) generation after generation of monk generals and solders have demonstrated their paramount feats of arms and waged glorious battles. The Monk soldiers were at first an armed group set up by the Shaolin Temple to protect the temple from wars and riots of the society. The Shaolin Temple Overseas headquarters in Flushing is the only sanctioned overseas branch of the world famous Songshan Shaolin Temple in Henan, China. Performances are scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
