The third concert of this year’s FirstWorks Summer Beats concert series transports audiences to the dance floors of New York City’s Salsa scene with an electrifying performance by La Excelencia. The 12-piece Salsa Dura band is inspired by the salsa sounds of the 1970’s and the sociopolitical landscape of today. La Excelencia’s in-your-face sound and […]
QUITAPENAS, one word – all caps, four syllables – all claps, gives you a taste of their rhythmic contagion. This tropical Afro-Latin combo was born under the warm California sun. They borrow aesthetics from the radical 60s, 70s and 80s. Each song echoes a remix of history and invites one to engage in the liberating […]
While Africa has blessed the world with many recognized female artists, Dobet Gnahoré has proven herself to be a truly special talent. Hailing from Côte d’Ivoire, Dobet is a virtuosic singer, dancer, percussionist, and songwriter who has taken the modern Afropop sounds of her country in exciting new directions. A 2010 GRAMMY winner, Dobet Gnahoré […]
Future Funk with a World Beat Bhangra funk is the explosive, multicultural dance music of the next generation and Red Baraat are its undisputed kings. This seven-piece “dhol n’ brass” outfit has been hailed as “the best party band in years” by NPR and “a big band for the world” by the Wall Street Journal. […]
Powerful Afro-Indigenous Music from Belize & Honduras Due to international passport issues for Belize-based Garifuna Collective, their FirstWorks Summer Beats concert has been moved to a new date and time: Wednesday, July 19, 6 PM at Roger Williams Park Bandstand. “This troupe of extraordinary singers has fashioned a unique and wonderful world; once you enter, […]
Celebrate the heritage of Puerto Rican music and its African roots. William Cepeda is a cultural icon of Puerto Rico. The four-time Grammy-nominated trombonist brings his revolutionary seven-piece Afro-Rican Jazz band to the FirstWorks stage. A protégé of the Dizzy Gillespie, Cepeda has created a new shade of jazz with a hip flavor, blending Puerto […]
Rhode Island’s own rap and hip-hop phenomenon is back to lay down the real talk at The People’s Park! From opening for Wu Tang, Ludacris and other giants, to his breakout TV performance as a finalist on the 2019 Netflix reality competition series, “Rhythm N’ Flow,” Flawless proves that many are manufactured, but few are […]
