Flushing Town Hall Presents Afro-Venezuelan Music by Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo

On Saturday, October 21, Flushing Town Hall presents "the voice of Venezuela", Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo, for a colorful evening of Afro-Venezuelan dance and music. Guests can participate in a dance lesson before the performance.

Betsayda Machado grew up in the small village of El Clavo in Venezuela and performs with her village's own multi-generational percussion band, La Parranda El Clavo. Together they perform tambor venezolano, a Venezuelan Afro-Soul genre. Many of their songs shed light on the challenges that Venezuelans are currently facing. Experience the passion, color, and contagious beats of this spirit-shaking show that is said to make dancers float.

Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo made their New York City debut in January 2017, which received rave reviews from The New York Times, which called them, "The kind of group that world-music fans have always been thrilled to discover: vital, accomplished, local, unplugged, deeply rooted."

The group has been performing throughout the country ever since, and they are currently celebrating their 30-year anniversary with a series of concerts and residencies from Denver to D.C.

This engagement of Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo is funded through Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America, a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Flushing Town Hall is excited to have this vibrant group share their rhythm and vocals with our community. The evening will start with dance lessons at 7 PM, followed by a performance at 8 PM. Tickets are $16/$10 for members and students. To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.flushingtownhall.org.

Flushing Town Hall is accessible by car, bus, train and foot - located a short distance from the 7 train - at 137-35 Northern Blvd., in Flushing, Queens.

This season, Flushing Town Hall is opening its doors to teenagers - for FREE. Under the "Teen Access Program", all 13- to 19-year-old boys and girls (whether a member or not) will be welcomed to attend any performance for free with a student I.D. The program is designed to appeal to students and help foster a greater love in the arts and culture.

Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo
SAT, OCT 21, 7 PM (DANCE LESSON) & 8 PM (CONCERT)
$16/$10 Members & Students
Betsayda Machado is an icon of Afro-Venezuelan music and culture, listed as one of NPR's Favorite Artists. Experience the passion, color, and contagious beats of the Afro-Venezuelan soul through traditional rhythms and dances of Betsayda Machada and La Parranda El Clavo, her village's own multi-generational percussion band. Join us for pre-show dance lessons accompanied by the master drummers of La Parranda El Clavo.ague of Kitchens' Yamini, and henna painting, with Indian handicrafts and Indian foods for sale.

Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts dba Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization which receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mayor Bill de Blasio; Queens Borough President Melinda Katz; New York State Assembly Members Ron Kim, Ed Braunstein and Nily Rozic; New York City Council, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the Queens Delegation, and Council Members Costa Constantinides, Daniel Dromm, Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Peter Koo, Karen Koslowitz, and Paul A. Vallone; Howard Gilman Foundation; and the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.

Support is also provided by Astoria Bank, Bijoux Image, Dr. William Cai & Mrs. Joan Cai, Cathay Bank, Celestial Love Foundation, Michael Cheng / Epos Development, FTH's Chinese Cultural Committee (Kuang-Yu Fong, Arthur Liu, Paul Ru, Tai Wang, Minwen Yang, Hank Yeh), Chinese Radio Network, Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou / New York Institute of Culture and the Arts, Con Edison, Crossings TV, Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (Flushing), Fook Funeral Group, Barbara Garii / St. Joseph's College, Simon Gerson, the Glow Foundation, Howard Graf & Kathy Donovan, Hakka Association of New York , Heather Harrison / Farrell Fritz, David M. Hunter, Raymond D. Jasen, JoAnn She & Co. Ltd., Siu Mui Lau, Nelson Lee / Flushing Bank, SuSan Lee, James S. Liao, Steven Lii / New United NY Corp, Linden Arts Fund for Children, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Materials for the Arts, William McClure / Queens College, New York Shandong Association, the NYC & Company Foundation, Queens College, Georgiana Reese-Benatti / New York Community Bank, , Mike Sperendi & Jan Schneider, Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York (Manhattan), Veronica Tsang, Tony & Tai Wang/WAC Lighting, and Sandy Yeh.

This engagement of Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo is funded through Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America, a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.