With twenty shows and forty artists over three months and the capacity for over fifty thousand audience members, New York City's SummerStage Festival presents the continental United States' largest array of free Latin music performance this year. This should come as no great surprise; SummerStage's commitment to Latin music has been a key component of their programming since the inception of the annual festival.
"Staying true to the community is at the heart of SummerStage's mission," says SummerStage Artistic Director Erika Elliott. "We make a concerted effort every year to reflect the music and cultures of the communities where we stage our programs. As the Hispanic demographic of New York City has skyrocketed to over 25%, NYC has become one of the top ten most diverse and densely Latino cities in America. We strongly believe it is imperative for us to reflect this population in our programming and to provide this growing audience with the benefit of the free, high-quality, live performances that have become synonymous with the SummerStage name."
The inherent diversity of genre and nationality that make up the many branches of Latin music render it all but impossible to present a complete survey, but SummerStage strives to embrace as many contemporary and classic expressions as possible. Artists taking part in this year's SummerStage represent emissaries from Puerto Rico, Brazil, America, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, Peru and The Dominican Republic in the fields of contemporary pop (Pamela Rodriguez, Julieta Venegas, Carla Morrison), salsa (Moncho Rivera, Sammy Garcia, Johnny Ray), MPB (Preta Gil), bachata (Toby Love, Andy Andy), hip-hop and reggaeton (Tego Calderon,Cuarto Poder, Los Rakas, Emcida), classic soul and funk (Joe Bataan, WAR,The Ghetto Brothers, Larry Harlow), freestyle (George Lamond), electropop (RVSB, Natalia Clavier, Raul Campos, Alex Anwandter, Gaby Amarantos) and contemporary folkloric music (Lila Downs). The healthy balance of women and men among these performers is both intentional and rare in a festival this size. SummerStage takes pride in consciously embracing the booking of artists of both genders from many nations to more honestly reflect the complex voice of New York City's Hispanic community.
In addition to serving these local populations throughout the city, SummerStage provides curious listeners their first chance to experience new and popularly emergent styles of music in a friendly and easily accessible environment. SummerStage's expanding, ongoing relationship with The Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) offers five major multi-artist performances spanning Manhattan's Central Park to Crotona Park in The Bronx. SummerStage's 2013 "This Is Hip-Hop"program series dovetails with the festival's Latin music programming, highlighting the undeniable influence of Latin culture on the hip-hop revolution. From the tropical dancehall style of worldwide sensation Tego Calderon, to the dance club indie pop of Chilean diva Alex Anwandter, from the homecoming reunion of The Bronx's fabled classic rock stars The Ghetto Brothers, to the border-crossing roots of Mexican folk singer Lila Downs, SummerStage's Latin music performance lineup promises to be the hottest thing going this summer.
Click below for a Spotify playlist featuring many of the Latino and Latin-themed artists performing as part of the 2013 SummerStage Festival:
Photos and additional media of all participating artists are available on request.
For press tickets to review or photograph any SummerStage show, for contacts for artist interviews, to arrange interviews with the artistic directors of SummerStage or LAMC or to discuss long-form pieces on the trends and talent that inform our Latin programming schedule, please contact John Seroff at GreenHousePublicity@gmail.com.
A complete programming schedule follows.
We look forward to working with you more closely this summer!
SummerStage 2013 - Latin Programming Schedule:
Doors for all shows open one hour prior to listed show times.
Sunday June 16, 2013 at 7:00pm
11th Brazilian Film Festival of NY with PRETA GIL / DJ sets by JUST MARCELO / Featuring a Full-Length Screening of Rio 2096: A Story of Love and Fury
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
#Brazil #Film #MPB #Samba #Latin #SummerStage
Tuesday June 25, 2013 at 7:00pm
Tribute to ISMAEL RIVERA with MONCHO RIVERA
FREE SHOW at Saint Mary's Park, Bronx
#Salsa #Sonero #PuertoRico #Latin #LaMega #SummerStage
Wednesday June 26, 2013 at 7:00pm
Tribute to HECTOR LAVOE
FREE SHOW at Saint Mary's Park, Bronx
#Salsa #PuertoRico #Fania #Latin #LaMega #SummerStage
Thursday June 27, 2013 at 7:00pm
SAMMY GARCIA Y SABOR DE PUERTO RICO
FREE SHOW at Saint Mary's Park, Bronx
#Salsa #PuertoRico #Latin #LaMega #SummerStage
Tuesday July 2, 2013 at 6:00pm
JOE BATAAN / FELIX HERNANDEZ'S RHYTHM REVUE
FREE SHOW at Soundview Park, Bronx
#LatinSoul #Boogaloo #Fania #Funk #Latin #SummerStage
Wednesday July 3, 2013 at 6:00pm
GEORGE LAMOND / DJ set by DJ LUCHO
FREE SHOW at Soundview Park, Bronx
#Freestyle #Latin #SummerStage
Sunday, July 07, 2013 at 3:00pm
Global Family Day in Central Park featuring
THE CARPETBAG BRIGADE and NEMCATACOA TEATRO / ELIZABETH MITCHELL / NATURAL EXPRESSION RHYTHM BAND / ASE DANCE THEATER COLLECTIVE / IFETAYO YOUTH ENSEMBLE
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
#Family #Colombia #Latin #Circus #Disney #SummerStageKids
Tuesday July 09, 2013 at 7:00pm
TEGO CALDERON / RVSB
FREE SHOW at Crotona Park, Bronx
#PuertoRico #Chile #ThisIsHipHop #Electronic #LAMC #Latin #SummerStage
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 7:00pm
TEGO CALDERON / CUARTO PODER / LOS RAKAS
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
#PuertoRico #Venezuela #Panama #ThisIsHipHop #LAMC #Latin #SummerStage
Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 6:00pm
LILA DOWNS / NATALIA CLAVIER / PAMELA RODRIGUEZ / RAUL CAMPOS
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
#Mexico #Peru #Folk #Electronic #Rock #Pop #LAMC #Latin #SummerStage
Friday July 12, 2013 at 7:00pm
WAR / DJ set by DJ AFRO
FREE SHOW at Crotona Park, Bronx
#BrownEyedSoul #Funk #Rock Latin #SummerStage
Saturday July 13, 2013 at 3:00pm
JULIETA VENEGAS / CARLA MORRISON / ALEX ANWANDTER
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
#Mexico #Pop #Electronic #AltPop #DancePop #LAMC #Latin #SummerStage
Saturday July 13, 2013 at 7:00pm
THE GHETTO BROTHERS / Featuring a Full-Length Screening ofFrom Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale
FREE SHOW at Crotona Park, Bronx
#LatinSoul #Rock #Film #BronxRepresent #ThisIsHipHop #ImageNation #LAMC #Latin #SummerStage
Saturday July 20, 2013 at 3:00pm
PLANET HEMP / GABY AMARANTOS / EMICIDA / DJ sets byGREG CAZ
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
#Brazil #ThisIsHipHop #Technobrega #Latin #BrasilSummerFest #SummerStage
Thursday August 1, 2013 at 7:00pm
JOHNNY RAY Y SALSA CON CLASE
FREE SHOW at Tappen Park, Staten Island
#Salsa #PuertoRico #Latin #SummerStage
Tuesday August 13, 2013 at 7:00pm
TOBY LOVE
FREE SHOW at Highbridge Park, Manhattan
#Bachata #Aventura #Latin #LaMega #SummerStage
Wednesday August 14, 2013 at 7:00pm
ANDY ANDY
FREE SHOW at Highbridge Park, Manhattan
#Bachata #DominicanRepublic #LaMega #Latin #SummerStage
Thursday August 15, 2013 at 7:00pm
BACHATA HEIGHTZ
FREE SHOW at Highbridge Park, Manhattan
#Bachata #HipHop #LaMega #Latin #SummerStage
Sunday August 18, 2013 at 3:00pm
La Mega's Sixth Annual Tropical Fest featuring Artists TBD
FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan
#Bachata #LaMega #Latin #SummerStage
Thursday August 29, 2013 at 7:00pm
LARRY HARLOW AND THE LATIN LEGENDS BAND / DJ set by DJ LUCHO
FREE SHOW at East River Park, Manhattan
#Salsa #AfroCuban #Fania #Latin #SummerStage
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