New York, NY (Top40 Charts) City Parks Foundation's SummerStage is kicking off July with a full week of shows taking place all across New York City. For the most up-to-date scheduling and lineup for all SummerStage programming, visit www.SummerStage.org for all festival information.
On Sunday, July 8, Long Island MC duo EPMD will perform in Queens' Springfield Park alongside Queens native DJ Sylk. EPMD, whose name is an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars" made their mark as undeniable influence and prominent act in east coast hip hop, and were recently appeared at the Yo! MTV Raps: 30th Anniversary
Experience last month. This free show is from 5 to 7 PM.
Also on Sunday, July 8th, one of Jamaica's most distinctive and legendary voices, Barrington Levy, will perform at the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island. A staple at dancehalls since the 1970s, he will be performing alongside Third World, one of Jamaica's longest-running reggae bands, spiritualized MC Kabaka Pyramid, versatile DJ duo Federation Sound, and New York native DJ Gravy. This free show is from 6 to 10 PM.
Doors open at 5 PM.
The 4th Annual Steez Day, produced by The Bowery Presents, will also take place on Sunday, July 8th. Presented by
Joey Bada$$ and Pro Era, the show will include performances from Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers, and more. This show is sold out, and takes place in Central Park from 6 to 10 PM.
Doors open at 5 PM.
On Monday, July 9, London duo
Oh Wonder will perform a free show in Central Park. Comprised of producer Anthony West and vocalist and classical pianist Josephine Vander Gucht,
Oh Wonder has released two full-length albums, their self-titled in 2015 and most recently Ultralife in 2017. They are joined by rising pop star and established American songwriter
Sasha Sloan. This free show is from 7 to 10 PM.
Doors are at 6 PM.
SummerStage in Central Park continues on Wednesday, July 11, with Brooklyn native Gabriel Garzón Montano, who is both Colombian and French, performing his fusion of R&B, funk, and cumbia music for a free show in association with LAMC (Latin Alternative
Music Conference). He'll be joined by several other voices integral to the musical diaspora of Latin America, including Ecuadorian and French producer Nicola Cruz, iconoclastic Chilean reggaeton star Tomasa del Real, and Latin Bitman. This freeshow is from 6 to 10 PM.
Doors are at 5 PM.
On Thursday, July 12, a celebration of Latin American music and culture, presented once again with (LAMC) Latin Alternative
Music Conference, marks the first all-Colombian lineup to come to Queens. Systema Solar, whose work is informed by Caribbean soundsystems will bring their mesmerizing audiovisual performances to Queensbridge Park. They are joined by Very Be Careful, who create vallenatos, a popular folk music of Colombia. Colombian DJ El Freaky will open the show. This free show is from 7 to 9 PM.
On Friday, July 13, Queens-based Calpulli Mexican Dance Company will make their SummerStage debut in Queensbridge Park. Their mission is to celebrate the rich diversity of Mexican and Mexican-American cultural heritage through live dance and music, and have toured the United States, Asia and the Middle East. The company will be performing excerpts from "Boda Mexicana" (Mexican Wedding) including dances from the Yucatan peninsula, the Andean-influenced music from Guerrero, and the Aztec suite "Mexican Tiawi," pronounced meh-shee-kaw tee-aw-wee, which translates to Mexicans onward. This free show is from 7to 9 PM. Alvin Ailey's Revelations, the world's most popular work of modern dance, will host a workshop at 7 PM.
Also on Friday, July 13, San Juan native Andy Montanez, also known as "El Godfather de la Salsa" will bring his exuberant vocals and salsa rhythms to the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island. He's joined by the Puerto Rican-born salsero Tito Rojas, who has been one of the movement's most prominent voices since the 1980s. This free show is from 7 to 10 PM.
Doors are at 6 PM.
On Saturday, July 14, multi-talented
Jorge Drexler, one of Uruguay's preeminent songwriters, will perform in Central Park. The recipient of multiple Latin and Grammy awards, Drexler has put out nearly two dozen albums, and is the first Uruguayan to win an Academy Award, which he won for composing the song "Al Otro Lado del Rio" from The
Motorcycle Diaries. He is also a licensed doctor. Trending Tropics, the new group featuring Eduardo Cabra "El Visitante" and Vincente Garcia, plus numerous multi-instrument players from the Caribbean will open the show. They're joined by ÌFÉ, a Puerto Rican group headed by Otura Mun that celebrates Afro-Caribbean lineage through grooves rooted in hip-hop and Ifa fatih traditions. This free show is from 3 to 7 PM. A pre show screening of "Conversations with Otura Mun" will also be held at 2:30 PM, a short film about a man breaking free from his past to forge a new identity and to realize his place in the world through music and spirituality. Featuring Otura Mun, the bandleader of the contemporary Afro-Caribbean ensemble ÌFÉ. Directed by Omid Fatemi and filmed on location in Puerto Rico.
Doors open at 2 PM.
Also on Saturday, July 14, Rising R&B star Ro
James will showcase his slow-burning sounds in Queensbridge Park. A native of Germany, Ro
James is best know for his single "Permission", which reached number 37 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. This free show is from 4 to 7 PM. A performance of "The Big Good Wolf" from CityParks PuppetMobile will take place at 4 PM.
