Dynamic Lineup Features Colombian Salsa, Afro-Cuban / Afro-Rican Jazz, and Pakistani Folk-Fusion at Roger Williams Park – Plus New Expansion into Central Falls with Powerhouse Cape Verdean Vocalists at Jenks Park
Providence, RI—FirstWorks, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting art with audiences, announced their 2025 Summer Beats Concert Series today featuring a lineup of global artists. Three free outdoor concerts at Roger Williams Park, presented in partnership with Roger Williams Park Conservancy and Providence Parks Department include all-female salsa sextet Las Guaracheras from Colombia on Thursday, June 26, 2025, a new collaboration between Afro-Rican jazz great William Cepeda and Cuban bandleader Elio Villafranca on Friday, July 11, 2025, and propulsive folk-rock band Khumariyaan from Pakistan on Friday, July 25, 2025. New for this year, the series expands into Central Falls’ Jenks Park with breakout Cape Verdean vocalist Elida Almeida on Saturday, August 9, 2025, on a double bill with local hip-hop favorite Chachi Carvalho. For details visit https://firstworks.org.
“FirstWorks created Summer Beats six years ago to gather community and unite us through the arts. We are uplifted by audiences aged 1-100 dancing, listening, enjoying food, and finding joy and replenished spirits through the music of extraordinary artists,” said Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director of FirstWorks. “Global Journeys is a theme we continue to embrace as we invite artists from across the world to Rhode Island and stellar local artists share stages as performers and hosts.”
“We are thrilled to partner with FirstWorks for this incredible summer series that brings world-class talent to Roger Williams Park,” said Bonnie Nickerson, Executive Director of the Roger Williams Park Conservancy. “We’re excited for everyone to come out and enjoy these free community concerts that always uplift and inspire!”
The powerful, all-female salsa sextet Las Guaracheras kicks off the summer series at the Roger Williams Park Bandstand on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. Las Guaracheras were founded in Cali, Colombia and perform Afro-Caribbean rhythms, salsa, as well as music from the Pacific region of Colombia. Their compositions and lyrics revolve around the revindication and recognition of the role of women in the music industry—especially in the Latin Music scene in Colombia—and seek to express the power and strength of women as sources of love, hope, resilience and creativity. The electrifying rhythms and explosive performances by these six world-class musical artists have captivated audiences across the Americas and Europe, on stages and at festivals from Bogotá to Barcelona. The music of Las Guaracheras is performed on vibraphone, percussion, bass, piano, and vocals. The songs communicate joy, memory and transformation while drawing listeners like a magnet to the dance floor.
Coming up next is a groundbreaking collaboration with The William Cepeda & Elio Villafranca Sextet: Merging Roots, at Roger Williams Park Boathouse Lawn on Friday, July 11, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The “Merging Roots” project unites these two renowned musicians in a dynamic exploration of the shared African roots connecting Cuba, Puerto Rico and New Orleans. Both artists are celebrated for blending jazz with the musical traditions of their homelands, highlighting cultural resilience through rhythm, improvisation and storytelling. The event coincides with Food Truck Friday, nearby at the Roger Williams Park Carousel Village starting at 5:00 p.m.
The third concert of this year’s Summer Beats global journey transports audiences to the ancient crossroads through the Khyber Pass with an electrifying performance by Pakistan’s Khumariyaan, on tour as part of Center Stage, at the Roger Williams Park Boathouse Lawn on Friday, July 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. With its propulsive, furious sound, Khumariyaan is celebrated for blending traditional folk music with modern styles. The band’s name translates in Pashto as “the state of musical intoxication,” which captures the essence of this hyper-folk jam band. Khumariyaan, “The Intoxicators,” has reawakened the live music scene in its home city of Peshawar, Pakistan, where the group was founded in 2009. It emerged during a tumultuous period marked by Talibanization, sectarian violence, military operations and neo-imperialist expansions. In such a climate, art, including music, served as a form of resistance. In the intervening decade, Khumariyaan has expanded its repertory of culturally rooted music, and, in 2024, welcomed a vocalist and third guitarist into the mix. The event coincides with Food Truck Friday, nearby at the Roger Williams Park Carousel Village starting at 5:00 p.m.
In an exciting new expansion for FirstWorks Summer Beats, the finale concert featuring Cape Verdean vocalist Elida Almeida will take place in the city of Central Falls at Jenks Park on Saturday, August 9, 2025, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. The concert celebrating Cape Verdean musicians and heritage will also feature local hip-hop hero, Chachi Carvalho, who will open this special local/global double bill concert. Almeida first burst onto the scene in 2014 with over 2.7 million views on YouTube, and seduced fans with her warm, suave voice, capable of exulting with power. Since then, she has carried the musical heart of Cape Verde to the world, bridging cultures with her soul-stirring storytelling and magnetic charm. She celebrates the cultural heritage of her home but also asserts her African identity, seasoning Cape Verdean rhythms such as batuque, funaná, coladera and tabanka with Latin energy.
Chachi Carvalho is a multi-talented performing artist, emcee, poet, songwriter and front man for the International Players band. He is a first-generation Cape Verdean-American born and raised in Pawtucket, Rhode Island who comes from a long line of musicians and singers. Chachi is a dedicated father, youth advocate, teacher, football coach, writer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and co-owner of Beat Box Studio in Pawtucket, RI.
For more information about free FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts visit https://firstworks.org.
This year’s FirstWorks Summer Beats Concert series is made possible with leading funding from Rhode Island Commerce and Providence Tourism Council, with additional support from BankNewport and Collette, with media support from Rhode Island Public Media, Poder and The Boston Globe Rhode Island.
FirstWorks’ presentation of the William Cepeda and Elio Villafranca Sextet: Merging Roots is supported through a Chamber Music America Presenter Consortium for Jazz grant in collaboration with Blues to Green and Simsbury Performing Arts Center. A component of the Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project, Presenter Consortium for Jazz is funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.
Khumariyaan is on tour in the USA as part of Center Stage, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government. It is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc. www.centerstageUS.org.
