By Tommy Hallissey
“It's important to our business community,” said Leslie Brown, executive director of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce. “It introduces people to Forest Hills.”
There will be music all day at 71st Road and Austin Street. The morning portion will be devoted to the young, with Ibble Bibble and Stewzo introducing kids to the world of theater. Dr. Planet will perform two concerts that expose kids to varied types of music, such as jazz, reggae and rock, while simultaneously exploring the solar system.
The festival's cultural entertainment takes place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Many of the performers normally appear at major performing arts centers around the country. Miss Babs & the Kickin' Boogie Band will kick off the day with their spirited New York twist on country and western standards.
And Bombazo Dance Theater was set to hit the stage at 3 p.m. with its unique brand of Puerto Rican folkloric music and dance. The intergenerational troupe performs “traditional Bomba and Plena songs, which used to be how the latest news was communicated from town to town in Puerto Rico in ages before TV and e-mail,” said Felix Romero, the band leader.
The George Gee Orchestra, the only Chinese-American big band leader, is the next act to hit the stage at 4 p.m. Gee, a Queens native, is touring the United States all year with his special centennial celebration of swing icons Count Basie and Glenn Miller. The last act of the day will be groove masters Aj featuring renditions of classic Motown and old-school R & B soul music.
Reach reporter Tommy Hallissey by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
