FRONTERAS Concerts Set for 2014 River To River Festival at South Street Seaport This Weekend

At South Street Seaport, River To River presents "Fronteras: New and Old Sounds from Latin America and the Caribbean," a series of concerts and DJ sets curated by Isabel Soffer/Live Sounds, June 27-29. From an accordion fronted Tex-Mex punk band to socially conscious Haitian songs, and from ambient folk and electronica to the NYC debut of the king of Colombian vallenato and cumbia, the series travels the crossroads, the blurs and the beats of both traditional and contemporary sounds. Friday night highlights experimental groups that explore musical boundaries; Saturday night features hard rocking socially conscious artists that speak to today's political and social movements; and Sunday brings out some of the finest dance rhythms on the planet. All evenings feature sets by the NY-based DJ Nickodemus.

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PIÑATA PROTEST, KUENTA I TAMBU (KIT), HELADO NEGRO & SLV FRONTERAS: NEW & OLD SOUNDS FROM LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN June 27, 4-9:30pm The Uplands, South Street Seaport Co-presented by Isabel Soffer / Live Sounds

Punk rock-y-roll band Piñata Protest is a bilingual accordion-fronted quartet that believes that old school punk rock and old-school Latin border music can be fused into something modern and loud. Their sound has been dubbed "ranchero punk" with songs that target the adversities and emptiness of modern life.

Based in Amsterdam, Caribbean Carnival revelers Kuenta i Tambu (KiT) are a riot of beats and rhythms who've transformed the traditional tambú music of Curaçao into the 21st-century phenomenon of Tambutronic or global bass. A wild and colorful explosion of energy, the band has cleverly found a balance between electronic sound samples, song, chant and the infectious rhythms played by ritual tambú drums. The name Kuenta i Tambu translates to "Stories and Drums" from Papiamentu, which is the native language of the Dutch Caribbean islands Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire.

Helado Negro, one of many musical projects of Roberto Carlos Lange, is an ethereal electronica project that reflects 21st-century Latin America. Pounding bass beats from passing cars, boom boxes bouncing down the block, late-night parties and the rich sounds and colors of the various Latino cultures of Southern Florida where he was born provides a foundation for Lange's interest in sound. The atmospheric haze and low-tempo beats set a beautiful backdrop for Helado Negro's dreamy echoed vocals.

The moody, intensely personal pop songs of multi-instrumentalist/songwriters Sandra Lilia Velásquez and Sean Dixon's new project SLV have a subtle electronic edge. Velasquez is the founder of the acclaimed Latin band Pistolera, which released three studio albums and toured extensively in the U.S. and abroad. Sean Dixon is the drummer for the experimental electronic band Zammuto. Together the pair recorded the SLV debut EP Dig Deeper, produced by ten-time Grammy nominee and legendary bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, who plays bass on three of the songs and co-wrote one.

BÉLO & CURUPIRA FRONTERAS: NEW & OLD SOUNDS FROM LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN June 28, 5:30-9pm The Uplands, South Street Seaport Co-presented by Isabel Soffer / Live Sounds

Haiti's outspoken groove innovator BélO has been hailed as the island's musical ambassador to the world. The globally informed singer, songwriter and guitarist interweaves Afro-Caribbean Haitian traditions with jazz, rock and reggae alongside a progressive voice for social and political transformation into what he calls "Ragganga."

Bogota-based Curupira are a groundbreaking group who perform an original style of music they call "funklorica." They are known for incorporating traditions like gaita, chalupa, fandango and champeta from the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and the eastern plains of Colombia with contemporary urban sounds including rap, rock, funk and classical Indian music.

SERGIO MENDOZA Y LA ORKESTA & REY VALLENATO BETO JAMAICA FRONTERAS: NEW & OLD SOUNDS FROM LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN June 29, 1:30-5pm The Uplands, South Street Seaport Co-presented by Isabel Soffer / Live Sounds

The 1950s funky big-band indie mambo and cumbia sound of Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta is led by keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Sergio Mendoza (Devotchka and Calexico), and features the rich baritone of Mexican vocalist Salvador Duran (who dueted with Willie Nelson on "Señor" in the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There).

The King of Colombian vallenato and cumbia music, Beto Jamaica, makes his New York debut performing ecstatic accordion-fronted dance party music from the Caribbean coast. Since earning his "Rey" title at the prestigious Leyenda Vallenata Festival, Beto has become one of Colombia's most beloved artists and contemporary musicians.

TURNTABLES ON THE HUDSON WITH DJ NICKODEMUS, MARIANO, NAPPY G & MEMBERS OF MANHATTAN SAMBA SEAPORT GLOBAL BLOCK PARTY June 29, 6-8pm Front Street, South Street Seaport

DJs Nickodemus and Mariano return to where Turntables on the Hudson all started-The South Street Seaport! They will be joined by Nappy G on percussion and members of Manhattan Samba for an old-school block party with international flavors as part of the Seaport Block Party. Local merchants and retail shops from the Old Seaport Alliance will be on site as well.

R2R LIVING ROOM: DJ MARIANO & NAPPY G CLOSING PARTY June 29, 8:30-11pm Nelson Blue, 233 Front Street

DJ Mariano returns to where Turntables on the Hudson all started-The South Street Seaport! He will be joined by Nappy G on percussion. Enjoy their eclectic spins at the closing River To River event!

For more information, visit www.RiverToRiverNYC.com, or follow on Facebook: facebook.com/rivertoriver and Twitter & Instagram: @R2RFestival #R2RFestival.

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