Flamenco Festival 2014, Carmen Souza, Hassan Hakmoun and More Set for Joe's Pub, March-May 2014
By: BWW News Desk Mar. 13, 2014
Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its World Music lineup, March - May 2014, featuring: BANDA MAGDA STRING ORCHESTRA - LO'JO - FUEL FANDANGO - CARMEN SOUZA - OSEKRE - HASSAN HAKMOUN - FISHTANK ENSEMBLE - ALEXIA BOMTEMPO - SHARON KATZ & THE PEACE TRAIN - ANI CORDERO - AMANDA MARTINEZ - VILLALOBOS BROTHERS - KAVITA SHAH W/ LIONEL LOUEKE - SOFIA REI & ACA SECA TRIO. Details below!
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL 2014 (VARIOUS DATES):
ROSARIO TOLEDO's PINTORESCA - SONIA OLLA's TIEMPO AL AIRE - SILVIA PEREZ CRUZ & RAUL FERNANDEZ REFREE's CRUZ MIRO
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL 2014: ROSARIO TOLEDO's PINTORESCA
Thursday, March 13 at 9:30 PM
$25
This explosive young dancer presents a tour-de-force exploration of her path to flamenco. Not only is Rosario Toledo a master of the form, she is a performer of star caliber. So much joy comes across in her dancing that it is hard not to love her at once! Toledo will present Pintoresca, a breathtaking show of Nuevo Flamenco in collaboration with guitarist Dani de Morón, a rising new name in flamenco today.
Saturday, March 15 at 9:00 PM
$18
Led by Greece-born singer, film-scorer and composer Magda Giannikou, Banda Magda's songs (sung in five different languages) hearken back to the golden age of Brazilian bossa, the best of cinematic arranging, and the lush chic of vintage French pop, all while drawing on the band's global background. Trained in film scoring at Berklee, Giannikou's film music finesse has won her awards and caught the attention of everyone from Kronos Quartet to Louis C.K. (she sang a duet with CK for the comedian's TV show). Banda Magda bursts with humor and quirky sensibility, powered by a unflagging energy, onstage. At this show, the band will debut an expanded formation - the 8-piece Banda Magda String Orchestra. Players will take on Magda's string arrangements of traditional music from Mexico, Colombia and Greece, as well as songs from their critically acclaimed debut album Amour, t'es là?
Sunday, March 16 at 7:30 PM
$20
Lo'Jo has developed its unique world music profile ever since singer and keyboardist Denis Péan and violinist and kora-player Richard Bourreau first got together 30 years ago in their hometown of Angers, western France. The six-piece band's stated obsession has remained the same - to make music unlike any already in existence. Lo' Jo freely crosses stylistic boundaries, its kaleidoscopic sound bringing together French chanson, elements of jazz and sophisticated pop, reggae and dub, circus and cabaret music, as well as a spectrum of inspirations from klezmer and East European Roma tunes to West African and Maghrebian traditions - not forgetting maloya from the Indian Ocean island of Réunion. And Péan's rough-edged Tom Waits-like voice contrasts beautifully with those of sisters Yamina and Nadia el Mourid, Lo'Jo's compelling fusion of poetic words and imaginative music celebrates a sense of multicultural community beyond and before globalization.
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL 2014: SONIA OLLA's TIEMPO AL AIRE
Thursday, March 20 at 9:30 PM
$25
Dancer Sonia Olla has danced with all the big flamenco companies in Spain (Maria Pagés, Canales). Now established in New York, she will present her new show at Joe's Pub. Tiempo al Aire is a soulful performance that captures the emotion and passion of both traditional and innovative Flamenco. The piece explores new concepts while maintaining the essence and integrity of Flamenco.
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL 2014: SILVIA PEREZ CRUZ & RAUL FERNANDEZ REFREE's CRUZ MIRO
Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 PM
$25
A captivating singer and performer, Silvia Perez Cruz is a winner of both a Goya Award - Spain´s most prestigious film awards - for best original song in acclaimed film Blancanieves (Snow White), and a recipient of the 2013 Gold Award Disc for her album November 11. With acclaimed guitarist Raúl Fernández Refree, she presents an intimate show that has drawn huge and enthusiastic audiences in Spain. Exciting, sensual, and deeply moving, this concert promises to introduce American audiences to a fiery and unforgettable duo.
Saturday, March 22 at 9:30 PM
$20
Fuel Fandango is a duo formed by Flamenco singer Nita and DJ/producer Ale Acosta (formerly of Mojo Project). Their latest album Trece Lunas, mastered by Simon Daveys (Depeche Mode, Bjork, Chemical Brothers), is 13 songs combining funk, rock, electronic music and touches of Flamenco. Nita's vocals go from English to Spanish seamlessly, the same way she shifts from a soul-inflected sound to flamenco, because as they say, "flamenco does not know about languages." Trece Lunas was recorded in just 15 days to maintain the freshness and personality of each of the songs. On stage, Nita and Acosta, with Carlos Sosa on the drums, bring those elements to life in an infectious way.
Sunday, March 30 at 7:30 PM
$15
Lisbon-born Cape Verdean songstress Carmen Souza has it all: excellent repertoire, a mesmerizing, expressive and versatile voice that glides effortlessly through a huge range of registers, and a spellbinding, charismatic stage presence. Whether she is singing the plaintive morna (the Cape Verdean variation of the blues) or an exuberant batuco, Souza is always convincing owing to her swingy jazz sense of timing and her virtuoso voice full of nuances from the highest to the lowest notes she sings. Singing in her ancestors' Creole language and mixing traditional African and Cape Verde rhythms with contemporary jazz influences she creates a unique sound that is all her own.
Friday, April 11 at Midnight (11:59 PM)
$12
After arriving in New York City to attend college, with only 30 dollars and change in his pocket, Osekre has not looked back. His sound is a combination of lyricism, wit, insight and flow delivered with sweet melodic African hooks. While "Afro Indie" can describe his style, "Jama," is the Ghanaian name for his groove; exciting African hooks are immersed in beats that draw from playing soccer barefooted and selling cold water in plastic bags on the streets of Accra. Osekre is the protege of Kiki Djan, formerly of Osibisa fame. That mentorship has helped him unlock a musical vibe that has a unique local sound regardless of place and space. He performs with his band The Lucky Bastards.
Saturday, April 12 at 7:00 PM
$20
Hassan Hakmoun is one of the most notable figures in contemporary Moroccan music, schooled in the traditional sounds of the Gnawa people in his native Marrakesh. Hakmoun is regarded as a trailblazer for many young Gnawa musicians who have sought out connections with the world beyond their traditional heritage and milieu. Since moving to the U.S. in 1987, his music has absorbed elements of popular styles, from jazz and world music to neo-classical contemporary Western music and cerebral pop, resulting in a diverse, award-winning and critically acclaimed body of work. It has been 23 years since the talented vocalist and sintir player released his first album Gift of the Gnawa, but the time has been spent well. Hakmoun's latest album, Unity, is the finest example of ritual music combined with the heart of American rock, soul and blues ever recorded.
Hassan Hakmoun's 6-piece ensemble includes the sintir plus vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, flute/sax, and karkaba, the metal double castenets of the Gnawa.
Sunday, April 13 at 7:30 PM
$14
Formed in 2005, Fishtank Ensemble is a gypsy jazz band that has played everywhere from the hip LA clubs to festivals, cultural centers, museums, parades and even on the street. The band includes two explosive violins, the world's best slap bass player, musical saw, flamenco and gypsy jazz guitar, trombone, opera, jazz and gypsy vocals, accordion and one little banjolele. Tackling everything from French hot jazz to wild Serbian and Transylvanian gypsy anthems, Flamenco and oddball originals, the band is a not to be missed event for world music lovers. LA Weekly called them "cross pollinated gypsy music....one of the most thrilling young acts on the planet."
Tuesday, April 22 at 7:30 PM
$15
Brazilian-American singer Alexia Bomtempo's 2013 release I Just Happen to Be Here is a beautifully stirring personal tribute to the music of the legendary singer/songwriter Caetano Veloso. Bomtempo's live set combines creative interpretations of Caetano's early 70's English language exile-era classics with colorful arrangements of modern Brazilian repertoire. She has performed throughout South America, Europe, Japan, and the United States, attracting attention from media outlets ranging from NBC, NPR, The New York Daily News, and Globo TV.
Saturday, April 26 at 9:30 PM
$18
Nelson Mandela's spirit lives on through the Afro-Pop-Jazz music and message of South Africa's Grammy-nominated band, Sharon Katz & The Peace Train. The band returns to Joe's Pub on the 20th anniversary of Mandela's election as President. So put on your dancing shoes and get ready for them to rock your heart and soul. Katz contributed to Mandela's historic efforts to break through the barriers of Apartheid in the early 1990s by by taking 150 musicians onboard The Peace Train for a cross-country tour in support of a peaceful transition to democracy. Two decades later, they are still going strong. In fact, a documentary film entitled When Voices Meet is being made about their role in the struggle; a preview will be shown before the concert.
Thursday, May 1 at 9:30 PM
$15
Ani Cordero, a beloved Brooklyn alternative world music singer and drummer, set out to re-make an important group of Latin American classic love and protest songs to tell the stories behind their heroic writers from 1930s-1970s. Called Recordar, the album is co-produced by the legendary Sergio Dias of Brazil's Os Mutantes, and brings old traditions to new audiences with music from the Nueva Canción movement (Latin American and Iberian folk-inspired and socially-committed music). This special May Day concert will be the world premiere of the album. Cordero introduces these beautiful, historically momentous songs to a newer generation, as well as raising awareness about the significance of political art in social change).
Friday, May 2 at 7:00 PM
$20
Amanda Martinez is a Canadian-based singer/songwriter whose music blends her unique Mexican and South African roots with Flamenco soul. Her songs have appeared on three Putumayo world music collections, including Latin Dreamland and Cafe Latino. Martinez has headlined concerts at the 2011 PanAmerican Games in Guadalajara and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Her newest album Mañana (released April 22 on CEN/Red via Sony Music) is produced by Grammy-winner Javier Limón (Buika, Mariza) who hails Martinez as "one of the greatest voices in the world."
Monday, May 5 at 9:30 PM
$20
The Villalobos Brothers - a trio of virtuoso violinists, singer-songwriters, composers, and arrangers - masterfully blend the indigenous rhythms and melodies of their native Veracruz, Mexico with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music. The band delivers an intoxicating brew of musical brilliance, cadence and virtuosity that awakens the senses as it redefines the notions behind Latin music. The Villalobos Brothers have been acclaimed as one of today's leading world music and classical crossover ensembles. "They played with exuberant intensity for the appreciative audience...with their heads bowed...fingers jumping and feet tapping, they weren't just playing music, they were living it..." said Devan Sipher of The Forward.
KAVITA SHAH WITH LIONEL LOUEKE
Tuesday, May 27 at 7:30 PM
$20
Kavita Shah, a visionary young singer and composer from New York, celebrates the release of her album Visions. Co-produced by renowned African guitarist Lionel Loueke, Vision interlaces the Indian tablas and West African kora with a traditional jazz quintet to produce a surprisingly fresh, genre-bending sound: one anthematic of Shah's global generation. Shah was named by Downbeat Magazine as Best Graduate Jazz Vocalist (2012), and is a winner of ASCAP's Young Jazz Composers Award (2013). Loueke will join Shah for this special performance.
WITH SOFIA TOSELLO & JUANCHO HERRERA
Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 PM
$20
Argentine vocalist, songwriter and arranger Sofia Rei's music draws from many sources, from South American folkloric styles to jazz, contemporary music and electronic. Building on the success of her second release Sube Azul (World Village-Harmonia Mundi), Rei returns with the spellbinding De Tierra y Oro ("Of Earth and Gold"), described as a series of "philosophical wanderings." The album won two 2013 Independent Music Awards in the World Beat category for Best Album and Best Song. Her work as a leader and as player with the likes of John Zorn, Maria Schneider, Bobby McFerrin, Frank London, Myra Melford and others has taken her all around the world and earned her critical acclaim. She continues to set herself apart with a bold new vision in the global music scene. Artists Sofia Tosello and Juancho Herrera will join her at this concert, which is presented in association with El Colectivo Sur.
Tickets: ONLINE at joespub.com; PHONE 212-967-7555; IN PERSON The Public Theater Box Office (1:00-6:00 PM), 425 Lafayette Street, NYC.
ABOUT JOE'S PUB AT THE PUBLIC Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub at The Public debuted in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. In 2013, Joe's Pub celebrates 15 years of the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. It received a top-to-bottom renovation in 2011, leading to improved sightlines, expanded seating capacity and a new menu from acclaimed Chef Andrew Carmellini. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe's Pub presents talent from all over the world as part of The Public's programming downtown at its Astor Place home, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 audience members annually.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC THEATER AT ASTOR PLACE Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities.
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