Brasil Summerfest's Planet Hemp, Emicida and More Set for SummerStage Today

Today, Saturday July 20, 2013, SummerStage will present PLANET HEMP, GABY AMARANTOS, EMICIDA and DJ sets by GREG CAZ in association with Brasil Summerfest and as part of the "This is Hip Hop" series at SummerStage presented by AT&T. The FREE SHOW at Central Park, Manhattan will run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Recommended Arrival Time: 2:00pm. For more information about Basil Summerfest, visit www.brasilsummerfest.com.

Join SummerStage as we celebrate the new generation of musicians making a mark on the Brazilian music scene with up and coming Brazilian Hip-Hop artist Emicida and Gaby Amarantos, in her New York City-and US premiere, as well as one of Brazil's most iconic Hip-Hop/Rock bands, Planet Hemp.

Planet Hemp first hit the Brazilian music scene in 1993 as a groundbreaking rap duo with founding members Marcelo D2 and Skunk. Soon after, musicians Rafael, Bacalhau and Formigão joined the group, fusing the group's Rap roots with Rock, Psychedelia, and Hardcore. The band's reputation grew among the youth culture for their energetic and aggressive performances. The death in 1994 of of band member Skunk lead to a temporary dissolution of the group, though he was replaced by BNegão. Their gold-selling CD Usuário featured hits such as "Mantenha o Respeito" and "Legalize Já," and was followed up by the platinum-selling, Os Cães Ladram Mas a Caravana Não Pára.

Born and raised in Brazil, Gaby Amarantos grew up surrounded by music. The "Tecnobrega" queen's musical style is deeply influenced by the sounds of her neighborhood where she was born, where everything is played at the same time. Technobrega fuses together Techno music with brega, which refers to "cheesy" romantic music. Paul Lester from The Guardian describes Amarantos' sound: "Her music sounds...like a mashup of 90s Euro rave, Cumbia, and the kind of Hispanic Electro-Pop you hear in discos on holiday when you're out of your mind on budget cocktails." Her latest album, Treme, was released in 2012.

Artist Website: http://gabyamarantos.com/

Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brasil, Emicida began his career in 2006 when he sang his first rhymes at freestyle battles and underground parties throughout the city. In 2009, Emicida released, independently distributed, and sold more than 10,000 copies of his first mixtape. In 2010, the rapper released two mixtapes, which helped him become one of the leading names of the new Brazilian Hip-Hop generation. Emicida made his international debut in April, 2011 at the Coachella Festival. That same year, he was invited to perform at two of the major Brazilian music festivals, Rock in Rio and SWU, and went on to win the "Act of the Year" award from the MTV Video Music Brazil Awards. In 2012, Emicida released three hit singles: "Trouble", "Zica, Go There", and "Finger On," further solidifying his prominent position in the Brazilian Hip-Hop world.

Artist Website: http://www.emicida.com

DJ Greg Caz, best known as one half of the Brazilian Beat Brooklyn team, is a New York City-based DJ with a wide eclectic range. Although best known for the Brazilian music expertise which fueled his weekly Sunday night party at Brooklyn's defunct Black Betty for 8 years and continues to rock Nublu in the East Village alongside Forró In The Dark, DJ Greg Caz also plays the full gamut of rare grooves, Funk, R&B, Jazz, Rock, Psych, Reggae & Rock Steady, Latin & boogaloo, Cuban, loungy soundtrack music, sunshine pop and soft-psych and much more. Having released a number of mix CDs and compilations over the years, DJ Greg Caz travels constantly bringing his eclectic unpredictability to both dance floors and lounges worldwide.

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SummerStage reminds our patrons that in the interest of public safety the following items cannot be brought into the Central Park venue: glass bottles, cans, coolers, folding chairs, bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, beach umbrellas, video cameras, tape recorders, professional camera gear or pets. All bags are subject to search. Bringing alcoholic beverages into any NYC park is forbidden and the distribution or sale of unauthorized promotional materials is not allowed. Beer and wine are on sale at the Central Park venue for on­site consumption only.