Main image: Elba Cabrera Papers. Tito Puente playing at the “Oye Willie” Block Party. Center for Puerto Rican Studies Library & Archives, Hunter College, CUNY.
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) will host the panel “El Rey del Timbal: Tito Puente Centennial Celebration” at Hostos Community College’s Repertory Theatre on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 4 p.m. The event will feature Tito Puente’s closest friends, collaborators, and lifelong colleagues.
Photo credit: Mario Carrion from his film “Record Shop”. Courtesy CCCADI
East Harlem’s Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute will celebrate Record Store Day at 120 E 125th Street with DJ sets spinning a variety of genres on vinyl, a film screening, and a pop-up shop.
This free event, entitled RnBnP Record Store Day: Diggin’ Through Crates, features sets by DJs Hard Hittin Harry (African/Caribbean) and DJ Kamala (Jazz/House). The event’s pop-up shop with vinyl records and roller skates available for purchase will be hosted by The Shop NYC on Saturday, April 22nd from Noon to 6:00pm.
City College Center for the Arts (CCCA) is marking the 60-year history of the legendary, Cuban charanga band Orquesta Broadway on Friday, March 24 at Aaron Davis Hall’s Marian Anderson Theatre, with a special concert featuring multi-award-winning flutist and educator Connie Grossman and esteemed flutist Karen Joseph. Award-winning radio host and Latin music historian Nelson Radhames Rodriguez serves as producer and emcee of the show, which starts at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Tickets are available at citycollegecenterforthearts.org.
Love Rocks NYC is a marquee annual music event that raises money and unites new and existing supporters for God’s Love We Deliver. The concert, which has become one of the premiere benefit concerts in the country, is known for hosting riveting performances, and unique artist collaborations from many of the world’s most talented and revered artists.
New York’s Smoke Jazz Club kick-starts 2023 with a stellar line-up of some of jazz’s greatest artists during the month of January. SMOKE honors two octogenarians with special birthday celebrations: saxophonist Billy Harper and drummer Al Foster. Master trumpeter and pianist Nicholas Payton is joined by two of the greatest: bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White for a four-night album release series. SMOKE’s 10th Annual Coltrane Festival, an homage to the great saxophonist and composer John Coltrane, continues for one week with some of today’s leading artists. Wrapping up January is one of the most beloved pianists, Bill Charlap, returning with his Trio: bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. Scroll down for complete schedule or visit SMOKEjazz.com, including ‘Countdown 2023’ on New Year’s Eve!
Fotografiska New York is pleased to present a new exhibition that traces hip-hop’s origins—starting in the Bronx in 1973, as a social movement by-and-for the local community of African, Latino, and Caribbean Americans—to the worldwide phenomenon it has become 50 years later. Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious amplifies the individual creatives involved in the movement while surveying interwoven focus areas such as the set of women who trail blazed amid hip-hop’s male dominated environment; hip-hop’s regional and stylistic diversification; and the turning point when hip-hop became a billion-dollar industry that continues to mint global household names.
Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious is a major new exhibition of over 200 photographs, dated 1972 to 2022, traces the rise and proliferation of hip-hop through five decades of work from the trailblazing image-makers who helped codify hip-hop as the most influential pop culture movement of its generation. Ranging from iconic staples of visual culture (presented with new context) to rare and intimate portraits of hip-hop’s biggest stars, the works on view traverse intersecting themes such as the role of women in hip-hop; hip-hop’s regional and stylistic diversification and rivalries; a humanistic lens into the 1970s-Bronx street gangs whose members contributed to the birth of hip-hop; and the mainstream breakthrough that saw a grassroots movement become a global phenomenon.
We are excited to hear about a 2023 album release by two of our favorite musical artists, the iconic pianist/composer Fred Hersch and visionary jazz vocalist esperanza spalding ~ with a release celebration at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on January 29th, 2023.
This June 13, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (MMJCCM) will raise the curtain on a special virtual health and wellness event—Broadway’s Best for Breast Cancer! The Healing Power of Music, featuring Broadway stars and health experts offering guidance to those experiencing health challenges or wishing to support friends and family members.
The free, virtual event takes place on Monday, June 13 at 6 p.m. ET and is beneficial for everyone but geared specifically to those living with or recovered from breast cancer. This special program is cosponsored by the MMJCCM and Dr. Alison Estabrook, a nationally recognized breast cancer surgeon and currently Professor of Surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She was founder and chief of the Comprehensive Breast Center, Mount Sinai West, in New York City, and co-founder of Breastlink New York, an affiliate of Radnet. It is endorsed by MMJCCM community partners Sharsheret, The Nia Technique, and the American Cancer Society.
Casa Latina Music Shop, 151 East 116th Street in El Barrio. This building is currently for sale, along with the three adjacent buildings to the west.
Vicente and Christina Barreiro have owned and operated Casa Latina Music Shop on 116th Street in El Barrio for more than half a century. We were sad to hear that this historic shop will be closing its doors.
On Saturday, May 21st, steel pannist Victor Provost, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading voices on the unique, and often misunderstood, steelpan, will deliver his signature Trinidadian steelpan performance at Flushing Town Hall.
Lunar New Year Exhibition ‘Reconcile: Begin Anew’ at Flushing Town Hall
Since March, 2020, our daily life has drastically changed. During this time defined by lockdowns, quarantines and new safety mandates, we look for ways to adjust to new realities and restore the balance to our daily life. We seek the familiar, whether it’s nature/landscape, memories of the past, cherished items, repetitive shapes or colors, one’s cultural origins, any symbol that represents our spirit, or simply any way we can find a meaning to celebrate a day, like the Lunar New Year.
Founded in 1904, the New Amsterdam Musical Association (NAMA) is the oldest African-American musical organization in the country. It was founded at a time when the musicians union didn’t admit minority musicians, and the law stated that one had to be in the union in order to perform in New York City!
Courtesy the Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project
TheTin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project in collaboration with the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership will present a free, outdoor public concert at the Flatiron North Plaza on 23rd Street/Broadway on Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM. The event will feature more than two dozen leading performers of Tin Pan Alley music and the Great American Songbook. The rain date is Sunday, October 24.
Jazz prodigy Matthew Whitaker will be celebrating the release of his new album, Connection, with a live concert at Harlem Stage on Saturday, September 25th at 7:30pm!
Whitaker’s new album not only communicates his growth as a player, composer, and bandleader but also the importance of community and the connections it fosters. Having been musically trained in Harlem, it’s fitting for Whitaker to debut his new album at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse, celebrating his ties to the city that has shaped him as one of the leading artists of his generation.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) Executive Director and President Rocky Bucano today announced with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie the dynamic lineup of Hip Hop, Latin freestyle, dance, freestyle, techno, and funk artists set to perform at the “It’s Time for Hip Hop in NYC” concerts to be held at outdoor venues in The Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens.
Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that the City of New York will host concerts in each of the five boroughs—between August 14th to 22nd—as part of NYC Homecoming Week and to celebrate the Summer of New York City.
“Joining one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history will be momentous concerts in each borough featuring renowned artists who have made New York City proud,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “It’s time to celebrate our city, support our local businesses, and have an incredible Summer of New York City.”
Modernism in Mexico at Bryant Park Fountain Terrace
The American Symphony Orchestra will offer a free, nine-concert chamber music series to welcome spring at Manhattan’s Bryant Park and 34th St. Herald Square Plaza from May 3–19. The five different programs have been curated by ASO musicians, who will perform music ranging from 20th-century Mexican and all-American jazz composers to Afro-Cuban Batá drumming and classical works for horn quartet and woodwind trio. Featured artists include percussionist and composer Javier Diaz, saxophonist Roxy Coss, and oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz. All concerts last for one hour and begin at 5:30 pm.
You hear a lot of sounds in the area around Penn Station, from cars and buses to the constant hum of commuters rushing for trains, but 34th Street is adding something new to the mix: live music performed by top-notch artists. Music at Penn is a new series of pop-up performances at the easternmost entrance to Penn Station, near the intersection of 32nd Street and 7th Avenue.
Are you missing the New York Philharmonic? Keep your eyes (and ears) open, because they may roll by a neighborhood near you, aboard the NY Phil Bandwagon for a pull-up concert.
NYC Parks Department celebrates Black Music Month with a playlist featuring homegrown artists. Ranging across the genres and generations, this collection of songs celebrates New York City’s brightest stars from Luther Vandross to Cardi B.
In celebration of the Centennial of the 19th Amendment, The New York Philharmonic has launched Project 19 ~ born of the conviction that an orchestra can participate in conversations about social imperatives and even change the status quo. Through Project 19, the Philharmonic can mark a “tectonic shift in American culture,” says President and CEO Deborah Borda, by giving women composers a platform and catalyzing representation in classical music and beyond. Project 19 launches in February 2020 with the first six World Premieres. The Orchestra will premiere the next two commissions in May–June 2020. 11 more premieres will follow in future seasons.
You think it’s hot outside? Check this out ~ Jazzmobile to launch residency at historic Minton’s Playhouse ~ kicking it off with Nat Adderley, Jr. on July 4th. Let’s celebrate!
They call themselves a world instrument shop. In fact, they are a local institution, a blast from the past, and one of New York’s oldest continually-run music store, opening its doors in 1958.
The iconic instruments of Rock & Roll will go on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with instruments played by artists such as Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Don Felder, Kim Gordon, Jimi Hendrix, James Hetfield, Wanda Jackson, Joan Jett, Lady Gaga, Steve Miller, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Page, Kate Pierson, Elvis Presley, Prince, Keith Richards, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Eddie Van Halen, St. Vincent, Tina Weymouth, Nancy Wilson, and others. Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll opens April 8th!
Celebrate the life of the trailblazing entertainer and activist, Harry Belafonte, with artists who know him well at the musical event, Turn the World Around: The Music and Legacy of Harry Belafonte at City College of the Arts (CCCA) on Friday, March 1st.
If you happen to be in Marcus Garvey Park on a Saturday afternoon, you might hear the sounds of drums coming from the Madison Avenue side of the Park, between 123rd-124th Streets.
On his Instagram, Paul McCartney sends fans a message ~ See you at #EGYPTSTATION this Friday evening. He’s referring, of course, to the release of his seventeenth solo album this Friday, September 7th, in conjunction with a limited-edition Paul McCartney MetroCard ~ only available at the larger vending machines and station booths at Grand Central Terminal.
Anat Cohen at Marcus Garvey Park 8-25-17, Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
City Park’s Summer Stage 2018 is the City’s largest free outdoor performing arts festival, bringing more than 100 performances to 18 neighborhood parks across all five boroughs from May to October. All free and open to the public. Here’s what’s on tap in August including the film, Milford Graves Full Mantis at The Maysles Cinema as part of The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.
Every Saturday evening from July 7 to July 28th, the Kingsborough Lighthouse Bandshell will be swinging under the stars with the free concert series, On Stage At Kingsborough.
Get ready for the Alegria, Urban Latin Jazz Portrait Concert ~ new, original compositions by Samuel Torres from his forthcoming album, Alegria, presented by City College Center for the Arts on Friday, May 18th.
The Schomburg’s Hip Hop History Project’s first installment of “Going Way Back” will feature Grammy award-winning rapper Big Daddy Kane on Saturday, December 16th.
Buildings of Tin Pan Alley, c. 1910. Image via Historic Districts Council
On Sunday, October 22, 2017, preservationists and historians rallied to protect the cultural treasure known as Tin Pan Alley between 28th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue ~ with musical performances and a tour.
Harlem Stage kicked-off its Fall 2017 Season with a first ever Open House and the sounds of DJ Stormin Normin. What could be better than that! Read on and find out.
“After fifty-three years of having been in the business of helping so many guitar (and all the other fretted instruments) players have the tools with which to make music, forty-eight of those years at my store here in Greenwich Village, in the great City of New York, it is finally time for me to close this chapter of my life, relax some, travel some, play with the grandkids, all that kind of thing, though I wouldn’t quite call it “retirement”
Harlem Havana: Celebrating a Love of Music and Culture August 12-23, 2017
It’s Time for Harlem Havana! We are posting events in the order we receive them.
Harlem Havana: Celebrating a Love of Music and Culture, is returning to New York from August 12 – 23. The Event is an 11-day celebration of all-things Cuban by musicians and entertainers who descend upon New York for the weeklong Harlem/Havana Music and Cultural Festival. Look forward to jazz performances, dance workshops, and authentic Cuban cuisine.