JPMorgan Chase Latino Cultural Festival at Queens Theatre in the Park, New York

05/14/2004 01:33AM

Queens, New York, USA - The JPMorgan Chase Latino Cultural Festival—presented by Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) and now in its eighth year—will take place from July 28 through August 8. it will feature an eclectic line-up of artists from the Spanish-speaking world, including Grupo de Danzas Folcloricas “Jocaycu” (Colombia), a Rock en Español Night, Super Uba (Dominican Republic/USA), Sol y Canto (US), 'Manolín: El Médico de la Salsa (Cuba/USA), Fusion Tango (Argentina/USA), the film New York Spin by Pedro Valiente (Spain), an Open Mic Night for poets and spoken word, a commissioned dance piece by Producciones La Lágrima (Mexico), Palo Flamenco (Spain), Simón Diaz (Venezuela), a Sesame Street Workshop,  Illapu (Chile), and .Johnny Pacheco (USA).

The JPMorgan Chase Latino Cultural Festival has become an international springboard for the careers of artists throughout Latin America and Spain. Dozens of musicians, dancers, and actors have made their USA or New York debut at the Festival and become world renown soon after. Festival organizers walk the line between selecting performers with name-recognition among the Queens Latino community and those on the cutting edge of contemporary performance.

“Some of the artists we present are well known abroad,” says Festival artistic director Claudia Norman. “The funny thing is that newspapers from Venezuela or Colombia will announce our concert and people abroad will call their relatives here in Queens and tell them they cannot miss this or that concert at our Festival! We have to use some reverse logic to reach our audiences, targeting newspapers thousands of miles away.”

Audience members and artists alike feel pride in being able to be a part of an arts institution that is putting their culture front and center on stage. Latin great Johnny Pacheco—who will return to the Festival for the third time—has commented that he appreciates the special respect audiences give him when he performs at Queens Theatre. Pacheco and other members of the famed Fania Allstars represent the end of a classic era in New York salsa. By presenting this living legend alongside current Latin pop stars like invitee Manolín, “El Médico de Salsa,” the Festival is bridging this historic legacy with what is happening in Latin music and performance today.

Continuing the event’s tradition of presenting powerful Rock en Español performers, the Festival hopes to announce a performance by a leading group from the genre in the coming weeks. In previous years the Festival presented Coral and Ely Guerra’s USA theatre debut.

This year QTP has commissioned Producciones La Lágrima to present a world-premiere dance piece at the Festival. Onstage, the collective of minimalist dancers, musicians, and poets from Mexican border city Hermosillo—led by choreographers Adriana Castaños and David Barrón—evoke daily existence in the desert. For their Festival premiere, Castaños’ and Barrón’s duet draws on historic icons and everyday life to convey the diversity of expressions of love.

Festival performers extend geographically from the folkloric music and dance ensemble Jocaycu, whose 25-member ensemble will perform a wide range of styles from Colombia, to Palo Flamenco, a music an dance ensemble that combines the flamenco of Spain with traditions from the Basque country. Stylistically, Festival music will range from the reinvigorated Venezuelan son of Simón Diaz, to the combination of jazz improv, reggae, and rock of Illapu. New York performers will include Fusión Tango—who mix old and new tango; Super Uba representing the best in modern Dominican bachata, son, bolero, and merengue; and Boston’s Sol y Canto performing a bilingual family matinee of toe-tapping, be-bopping arrangements from Latin America. The Festival program is rounded out with New York Spin a film by Pedro Valiente, an Open Mic Night for poetry and spoken word hosted by Emanuel Xavier, and a bilingual educational program by the Sesame Street Workshop.

Tickets range from free to $35 and are available in advance from Queens Theatre in the Park's website.

Festival program:

7/28 Grupo de Danzas Folcloricas “Jocaycu.” Colombia. Traditional dance & music from 25-member ensemble.

7/29 Rock en Español Night.

7/30 Super Uba. Dominican Republic/NY. Blends modern bachata with classic son, bolero and merengue rhythms.

7/31 Matinee. Sol Y Canto's "El Doble de Amigos/Twice as Many Friends." Traditional music from Latin America for children. Bilingual program.

7/31 Manolin: El Medico de la Salsa. Miami, FL. One of the world’s best Timba performers now turned Latin pop star.

8/1 Tango Master Class. Fusion Tango. Argentina/NY.

8/1 Fusion Tango. Argentina/NY. A unique combination of traditional tango, fast milonga, new tango, and romantic boleros.

8/2 “New York Spin.” Spain/NY. Film directed by Pedro Valiente; multicultural portrait of 24 people of different ages, occupations and races.

8/3 Open Mic Night for poets and spoken word. Dedicated to the young and upcoming spoken word artists and poets from Queens.

8/4 Commissioned dance piece. Producciones La Lagrima. Mexico. The 2nd annual International Movements Project presents a collaborative project featuring a new duet by choreographers Adriana Castaños and David Barrón, from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.  Set to original music by composer Ramón Astrain.

8/5 Palo Flamenco. Spain. Music & dance combining the flamenco of Spain & traditions of the Basque country.

8/6 Simon Diaz. Venezuela. Back by popular demand, he plays the reinvigorated son of the Venezuelan plains.

8/7 Matinee. Sesame Street Workshop. NY. "Maravillas Musicales/Music Works Wonders." Bilingual educational program created especially for Hispanic families.

8/7 Illapu. Chile. Experiments with improvised jazz, the harmonic constructions and counter-points of classical music, the syncopation of reggae, and a tremor of rock.

8/8 Johnny Pacheco. New York, NY. A Latin music legend (and member of The Fania All Stars that included Celia Cruz and Tito Puente), El Maestro Johnny Pacheco will return to the Festival by popular demand.

[All photos courtesy of Queens Theatre in the Park. Photo 1: Queens Theatre in the Par. Photo 2: Johnny pacheco. Photo 3: Super Uba].

World Music Central
http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20040513083354429