Groove to Latin Beats at Symphony Space in March

Symphony Space comes alive with Latin music in March, with concerts by Brazilian-Caribbean groove band Nation Beat, plus two Latin Grammy Award winners: 123 Andrés and Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. All tickets are $17 ($14 for members).

Saturday, March 4 at 11 am and 2 pm

Nation Beat

http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/9344/Family/just-kidding-nation-beat

This NYC based and internationally touring American-Brazilian collective performs a "dangerously funky" (Village Voice) and "groundbreaking" (CMJ) mixture of Brazilian maracatu drumming, New Orleans second line rhythms, funk and country-blues. They're the first American group to record in Brazil with the legendary Mestre Walter & Maracatu Nação Estrela Brilhante, and the first Brazilian band to perform with Willie Nelson who called Nation Beat "just a fantastic group." Multiculturalism isn't another bland buzz word in the hands of Nation Beat. Borrowing, mixing and adapting musical traditions is at the very heart of their work. Dancing and audience participation are expected at Nation Beat's rousing shows.
Master percussionist, bandleader and educator Scott Kettner is the guiding force behind Nation Beat, a band whose teeming, vibrant rhythms find common ground in the primal maracatu rhythm of Brazil's northeastern region, the Big Easy's funky, hypnotic second-line and strolling Mardi Gras Indians, and the unfettered freedom of big-city downtown jazz. Find out more about Nation Beat at nationbeat.com.

Saturday, March 18 at 11 am

A Bilingual Concert with 2016 Latin Grammy Winner 123 Andrés and Friends

http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/9346/Family/just-kidding-123-andres

Andrés Salguero, better known as 123 Andrés (Uno, Dos, Tres Andrés), is one of the most exciting new voices on the family music scene in the US and Latin America, and "a rock star for little language learners" according to Billboard Magazine. A native of Bogotá, Colombia, this 2016 Latin GRAMMY winner brings audiences joyful sounds, a passion for bilingualism, and a high-energy love of music that gets kids singing and dancing in Spanish and English. He'll be dancing along with the kids to his hit "Salta Salta" and tunes from his latest, award-winning bilingual album, Arriba Abajo.

Performing with Andres will be Sebastián Cruz, a NYC based guitarist and singer-songwriter from Colombia. His new children's music project, SebastIan Cruz and the Tiny Giants, was born out of the desire to celebrate and explore the magical world of his six year old son, and as a way to engage the Spanish Harlem community through early childhood music classes at Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service. A non-profit organization serving the most vulnerable families in East Harlem. SebastIan Cruz and the Tiny Giants offer a celebratory, fun, and original collection of beautiful children's songs, and invite us to stomp like giants, fly like butterflies, and dance with abandon.

View 123 Andrés videos on his YouTube page. Find out more about Andrés at 123andres.com.

Saturday, March 25 at 11 am

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band

http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/9387/Family/just-kidding-lucky-diaz-and-the-family-jam-band

A hip-shaking, head-bopping morning of music for the cool family crowd from the Emmy and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning Los Angeles based band. With an audience base growing by the second (and not just in height!), Lucky, Lishy Lou and and their crew are known for inspiring dance parties all around the country and beyond.They'll be singing songs from their Greatest Hits album like "Blue Bear" and "Thingamajig," and debuting a new song from their upcoming album Made in LA. The full band show will include Michael Farkas (of Wiyos fame) and other guests.

Find out more about Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band at luckydiazmusic.com, and view their videos on Lucky Diaz TV.