BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
Music makes the “World’s Borough” go ‘round!
Queens’ music scene is as diverse as the people who live here. There’s really no need to travel abroad to experience authentic sounds from different lands, ‘cause the world’s tunes are right at your doorstep.
“In the upcoming weeks, our beloved borough will host everything from modern Latin music to ancient Chinese music to Grammy-winning crooners. And they’ll perform in small, cozy historic houses, large theaters and state-of-the-art spaces with perfect acoustics,” said Queens Economic Development Corp. Tourism Director Rob MacKay.
So, mark your calendars as 2020 kicks off with an exciting lineup of concert events.
“We bring the world’s music to our stage,” said Ellen Kodadek, Flushing Town Hall’s executive and artistic director. “With Grupo Rebolu’s performance, we are excited to begin our season with the melodies and rhythms of Colombia!”
You and your family and friends will really dig these beats. With original compositions reflecting their life in Nueva York, this African-Colombian ensemble interprets the traditional sounds of their homeland – gaita, tambura, chalupa, and bullerengue. Members teach traditional steps of cumbia, puya, mapale and bullerengue in a pre-show workshop. Grupo Rebolu – Sat., Jan. 25, 3 p.m. (workshop) + 4 p.m. (music and dance). Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd. Info/tickets: www.flushingtownhall.org
Singer Johanna Castaneda shared, “We are honored to have an opportunity to bring our music and our culture to this venue. Audiences should expect a very high-energy performance with eight musicians and two invited dancers to showcase the beautiful traditions of Colombia.”
Grup Rebolu’s performance highlights a jam-packed schedule at Flushing Town Hall.
“In 2020, we are bringing the best and brightest of performances — from here at home and from across the globe — to Flushing, with programs and events for people of all ages,” Kodadek continued. “Our jam-packed season — just in the first half of the year — features a total of 80 concerts, workshops, exhibitions and more, illustrating our commitment to provide global arts for our global community.”
You can check out these other concerts around the borough in January and February:
Freestyle Fever
Feel the heat with Freestyle Fever at Resorts World Casino (110-00 Rockaway Blvd., Jamaica), where TKA, George Lamond, Judy Torres, The Cover Girls, Noel, Cynthia, Coro and Nayobe will be performing live on stage, with additional music by DJ Lucho and DJ Whiteboy Kys, with percussion by Gozzi. For more information, call 914-725-0011.
When: Saturday, Jan 25. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Showtime is 9 p.m.
Tickets: Visit www.freestyle2020.eventbrite.com
Carlos Pavan
Listen to the strains of Carlos Pavan’s cool guitar at Voelker Orth Museum (149-19 38th Ave., Flushing) when the Argentine classical guitarist/composer warms up the parlor with an afternoon of original compositions inspired by his homeland’s tango/folk dances, jazz and classical forms. For more information, call 718-359-6227.
When: Sunday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $12; $10 for members, students.
Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
Head to Kupferberg Center for the Arts (Colden Auditorium, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing) to take in the music of Peabo Bryson and special guest Regina Belle. These Grammy Award-winning artists reunite for an exclusive appearance in Queens. Bryson most recently released his 21st album, “Stand for Love,” to critical and popular acclaim, further solidifying his career as one of the premier male vocalists in contemporary music. Belle, a New Jersey native, has truly made her mark in R&B, jazz and gospel. The duo is known around the world for their chart-topping duet “A Whole New World,” which garnered a Grammy Award and Tony Award as the featured pop single from the soundtrack to the classic Disney film, “Aladdin.”
When: Saturday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m.
Tickets: Visit kupferbergcenter.org/event/kupferberg-presents-peabo-bryson-and-regina-belle/
“We, the Whole People”
Random Access Music (RAM), the New York-based composer and performer collective, has dedicated its 2020 season to honoring the centenary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which extended women’s suffrage throughout the U.S. Inspired by the pioneering women who achieved these freedoms, the season will feature music by female composers of the past 100 years. New composer commissions on the theme of suffrage will be performed from current RAM composers, as well as composers and musicians from the broader community. RAM’s season title is drawn from Susan B. Anthony’s speech following her arrest for voting in the 1872 presidential election: “It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.”
When: Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. at Plaxall Gallery (5-25 46th Ave., Long Island City); Friday, Feb. 14, at the Tenri Cultural Institute (43A W 13th St., Manhattan)
Tickets: Visit www.ram-nyc.org/event
