2022-2023 Public Programming Recap

The Multicultural Music Group has had one of the most prolific years of public programming. Under the concept of the African influence in the music of the Americas, we have enjoyed the talent of dozens of musicians whose career has been centered in or around Black sounds or the black experience.

After a successful celebration of son jarocho by Julia del Palacio and Afro-Peruvian music by Yuri Juárez by the end of 2022, the new year was received by the incredible talent of Spanish saxophone player Berta Moreno. She took us on a journey through Africa informed by her own lived experience on the continent. Attendees loved the diversity of African sounds performed by Moreno and her bandmates, who joined her in her vision on January 27.

In February, the MMG established a historical partnership with the Dominican Students Association at the City College of New York, CUNY. As a way of celebrating Dominican Heritage Month, Dominican Independence Day, and Afro-Dominican heritage, both organizations hosted internationally-renowned artist Yasser Tejeda to the City College’s North Academic Center ballroom. Tejeda, in a performancelecture fashion, inspired all present to dance and learn about the rich heritage of Africa in Dominican music. Through a masterful display of fusion music arrangement, he and his band members transported us to their country and made us feel at an Afro-Dominican batey in Villa Mella, one of the most distinctive black geographies on the island.

Moving forward, March was an opportunity to celebrate Black women at one of the most important epicenters of African American culture in the world, Harlem. Thanks to a partnership between Communitas Americas and MMG, Candice Hoyes delighted all with an intimate poetic concert at the Communitas newly-inaugurated space, Harlem Heyground.

The month continued with a historic celebration of Afro-Puerto Rican culture at Willie’s Steakhouse in the Bronx with Pete Nater’s band. The talented trumpet player and veteran of the salsa scene in New York, made all customers dance to tunes that connected food, cultural heritage and sound altogether. The evening was a blast from the past for many who were overjoyed to be sharing space in the community again at such a historical restaurant for salsa audiences.

In April, our host planet was celebrated by Jhoely García, who gathered a rich group of diverse and talented musicians at the Culture Lab in Long Island City, Queens. Her concert, titled “Sound Ecosystems,” made audiences feel in tune with natural soundscapes from her native Mexico. Lastly, May has been a busy month for both the artistic and academic component of the organization. On the one hand, Cabrini Shrine has been the host space for the Music Thursdays at Cabrini, a series of four concerts where many renowned musicians pay homage to African heritage across the Americas. As far as academic aspects, May served as the month for the inauguration of the Afro-Latin America Research Focus Group. The latter gathers academics, students, and members of the community interested in learning more about African descendants in the Americas.

This year, we focused on two countries: Argentina and Perú. For Argentina, we hosted Dr. Paulina Alberto (Harvard University) and composer Pedro Giraudo, who is in charge of composing original pieces about Afro-Argentina for the upcoming and closing events of our season, the 2023 Multicultural Music Encounters. Composer Yuri Juárez, academic Tania Aparicio-Morales, and activist and artist Mónica Carrillo-Zegarra spoke about Afro-Perú. Both conversations about the countries will be presented as a mini-documentary during the MME concerts on June 9 (Perú) and 16 (Argentina) at the Lovinger Theater at Lehman College at 7 p.m. The audience is not only composed of members of the community at large but also of students from Lehman College, City College, Hostos Community College, Fordham University, and Hunter College.

We thank all of our sponsors and beloved community for their continued support!

Afro-Peruvian Culture

2023 Multicultural Music Encounters

Friday, June 9, 2023

7 p.m.

Lovinger Theater, Lehman College