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Sample Track 1:
"Guajira Sun" from Corina Bartra
Sample Track 2:
"El Corcovado (Wood Quail)" from Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto
Sample Track 3:
"Aromito Flor de Tusca" from Inca Rose Duo
Layer 2
Bio

Latino Cultural Festival Bios

The Chase Latino Festival opens with the Debut Performance of Grupo Afro - Peruano Caracumbe  
Wednesday July 23th @ 8:00 p.m.
Advance Price: $30  Day of Performance: $35

Caracumbre is an Afro-Peruvian group composed of thirteen dancers and musicians, many  former members of the Peru Negro ballet.  Director Carlos Napa shares the artistic legacy of his ancestors skillfully and passionately through music and movement that has endured the test of time.

 

Corina Bartra
Thursday, July 24th @ 8:00 p.m. – Studio
ALL SEATS $10

A sophisticated, innovative vocalist from Peru, Corina Bartra is the first singer to blend jazz with Afro-Peruvian music. This rich, fascinating fusion of musical textures is unique to Bartra, a ground-breaking musical explorer. Her new album, BAMBU SUN, is a pioneering mix of jazz, world and Afro Latin music. Bartra has performed at the Birdland, Allice Tully Hall and other prestigious venues across the United States.

"Corina Bartra seems to have captured virtually every avant-garde style imaginable, and put them to the test. Her music has a commanding, cohesive sound, noteworthy for its inventiveness”. -New York Daily News

 

El Perro - Film
Thursday, July 24th @ 8:00 p.m.
Free Performance – Reservations Required

(In Spanish with English subtitles)

In this warm-hearted and poignant road movie, a man and a dog embark on a delightful adventure across the stunningly beautiful Argentine Patagonia. Fifty-two-year-old Juan is laid off when the gas station where he has worked for the last 20 years is sold. Unemployed, middle-aged, unskilled, and living in a region with high unemployment, his prospects for a new job are very slim. He temporarily moves in with his daughter, but cannot see a way out of his dire situation until his luck turns in a most unexpected way. An elderly widow with little money gives Juan her late husband’s dog, Lechien, as payment for repairing her car, but Lechien ends up being not just any dog; he is a pure breed Dogo Argentino, a potential dog show winner who may hold the key to Juan’s future in his paw.

"Lovely! flawlessly directed by Carlos Sorin" — A.O. Scott, The New York Times

"It's hard not to be won over by the deadpan humor and optimism of El Perro" — Erin Clements, Time Out New York

 

Tola and  Maruja and the Elvirita Elvirulo conference
Friday, July 25th @ 8:00 p.m.
Advance Price: $20  Day of Performance: $25

Carlos Mario Gallego, Tola, and Luis Alberto Rojas, Maruja, two extremely popular performers from Colombia bring to Queens Theatre a fascinating and hilarious new show centered around a traditional “joke.” In the sketch, Tola and Maruja play two elderly sisters, gossiping about their lives, and waiting for a bus that never arrives. These brilliant comedians also examine the cultural significance of this historical joke, which was banned by the Catholic Church for many years. 

 

Tango and Beyond: The Story of Argentinean Music
Inca Rose Duo 
Saturday, July 26th @ 1:00 p.m.
Free Performance – Reservations Required

(Family performance) Tango and Beyond: The Story of Argentinean Music - with the participation of the Inca Rose Duo. The development of music and culture in Argentina was influenced by gauchos (the Argentinean cowboys), European dance forms brought over by the Spanish in the 17th century, the musical traditions of Africans and indigenous Indian populations, and of course, the tango. This entertaining and informative program brings to life the music and culture of Argentina from its earliest roots to the present day.

 

Inca Rose Duo
Saturday, July 26th @ 8:30 p.m. – Cabaret Room
ALL SEATS $10

FOR VOICE AND GUITAR
The Inca Rose Duo - Annelise Skovmand and Pablo González Jazey - is dedicated to building cross-cultural understanding through music. Skovmand and González bridge the divide between classical and popular music by melding elements from both worlds into new musical expressions. Skovmand and Jazey take audiences on a musical journey that combines traditional folk music, classical selections and popular songs, all performed with the Duo’s original arrangements and unique sound.
“Impeccable reunion of voice and guitar… From beginning to end, there is a warmth and musicality that never disappears for an instant.” Pablo Kohan, La Nación, Buenos Aires

 

Jimmy Sabater
Saturday, July 26th @ 8:30 p.m.
Advance Price: $20  Day of Performance: $25

Musician, vocalist and songwriter extraordinaire, Jimmy Sabater is considered by many to be the founder of the “salsa” genre. In the course of his remarkable career, Sabater has performed all over the world, and recorded a vast, impressive catalogue of albums featuring many major artists such as Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. With his versatile musical skills and his romantic, velvety voice, Sabater is a consummate entertainer.

 

Noche Flamenca
Sunday July 27th @ 7:30 p.m.
Advance Price: $30  Day of Performance: $35

The award-winning Noche Flamenca is Spain's most successful touring company, with a dedicated audience across the United States and around the world. Hailed by critics everywhere for its transcendent and deeply emotional performances, Noche Flamenca is recognized as the most authentic flamenco company in the field today. They bring to the stage the essence, purity, and integrity of one of the world's most complex and mysterious art forms. All aspects of flamenco; dance, song, and music, are magically integrated in their performances, which convey the heart and soul of flamenco.

As part of our 12th Chase Latino Cultural Festival, Noche Flamenca’s performance features La Dama del Mar, Martin Santangelo’s first narrative-driven work for the company – inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s “Lady from the Sea.” 

Hailed by Alastair Macaulay of The New York Times as a leading dancer of our time, Soledad Barrio will perform. Experience for yourself this acclaimed flamenco ensemble as they present their authentic presentation of this cathartic artform.

La Mujer del Mar was commissioned in part with funds from the National Dance Project’s Production Grant

 

Open Mic – Hosted by Rich Villar
Wednesday, July 30th @ 7.00 p.m.  – Studio
Free Performance – Reservations Required

Come jam at Queens Theatre’s open mic session of poetry and spoken word, hosted by poet/curator Rich Villar.  Let your word be heard, speak your mind & bring your art.  If you are interested in participating in this event please contact Nayelli DiSpaltro at 718.760.0686, ext 125 or ndispaltro@queenstheatre.org. Each act is restricted to 10 minutes.  Billingual work (Spanish/English) encouraged.

Rich Villar's poems have appeared in the journals Rattapallax 13, Parse, Ocho, Achiote Seeds, and MiPOesias' Cuban-American writers' issue.  He has appeared with Team NYC-louderARTS at the National Poetry Slam in St. Louis. His poetry was commissioned for Actors Stock NYC's production of “Eve Descending,” a show in which he also performed.  Rich has read, lectured, and facilitated adult and teen poetry workshops throughout the Northeast and beyond. He is the host and curator of Acentos, a Bronx-based bimonthly reading series celebrating the work of Latino poets.


Camerino 4
Wednesday July 30th @ 8.00 p.m.
Free Performance – Reservations Required

One of Mexico’s newest and most innovative companies presents an exciting program of dance inspired in part by “theater of the absurd.” An eclectic combination of influences - including playwrights Harold Pinter and Eugene Ionesco, the language of cinema, and Mexico City itself - provide the basis for this lively and ambitious program. Each voice, word and sound, each conflict, and each moment of silence is vividly brought to life in three pieces, including a World Premiere called “Acrilico”, commissioned by Queens Theatre in the Park.

 

Aquiles Báez
Thursday July 31th @ 8.00 p.m.
ALL SEATS $10

Aquiles Báez is a multitalented Venezuelan musician - a performer, arranger, composer and master guitarist. His personal style fuses sophisticated harmonies with Latin American rhythms, creating a totally unique sound. Aquiles has recorded many successful solo albums, as well as collaborations with well-renowned artists and major world orchestras. His innovative, genre-defying pieces combines jazz, classical and folk music. Báez has appeared on Grammy nominated CDs by Danilo Prez and Paquito d'Rivera. “Aquiles Báez quartet puts a jazz spin on traditional music. They are a sit-down feast!”  The Boston Globe

 

Zemog el Gallo Bueno
Thursday July 31th @ 8.00 p.m. – Studio
ALL SEATS $10

Zemog El Gallo Bueno plays 21st Century Latin music, reflecting all of the contradictions and tensions of what it means to be Latin in America in 2008. His folksy, energetic and jazzy sound, with passionate, fiery vocals, is uniquely uncategorizable. Downbeat magazine says that Zemog has developed “an original, satisfying spin on Latin rock.”  Zemog’s music is hot, bold, brash and fun!

 

The Bachata Roja Legend
Friday, August 1st @ 8:30 p.m.
Advance Price: $20 Day of Performance: $25

Bachata is one of the greatest Afro-Caribbean dance styles of all time. This U.S. debut concert features some of the classic Dominican bachata stars of the 1960s to the 1980s. These musicians - Singers Ramon Cordero, Augusto Santos, “El Chivo Sin Ley” (The Lawless Goat), and guitar giant Edilio Paredes, all enduring legends - charted the course of bachata’s rise to international popularity with their irresistible dance rhythms. Also featured is rising bachatero star, singer-guitarist Joan Soriano a.k.a. “El Duque” (The Duke)

 

Dragones: Destino De Fuego / Dragons: Destiny Of Fire - Film
Saturday, August 2nd @ 1:00 p.m.
Free Performance – Reservations Required

Eduardo Schuldt. Peru. 2006. 3D. Animation. 80 min.

John, a young dragon, was adopted by a family of condors on a Lake Titicaca island. Though he was raised like other kids, John knew deep down inside that he was different. Now a teenager, he discovers a truth that will change him forever, and sets off on an adventure to find his “true” identity. A box office hit in Latin America, “Destiny of Fire” is the charming, inspirational story of the importance of kindness and the value of brotherhood.

 

Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto
Saturday August 2nd @ 8:00 p.m.
Advance Price: $20  Day of Performance: $25

The native Kogi tribe descended from the snow-capped peaks of Columbia’s Caribbean coast. Singing of life and love, they gave birth to “gaita” music. Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto are the greatest maestros of this tradition. Preserving this sound for over five generations, the group has become one of Colombia’s cultural treasures, and the living expression of Latin America’s history of passion and survival. On stage, these seven musicians come to life with rhythm and power. Their most recent album, Un Fuego de Sangre Pura (Fire in the Blood), won the Latin Grammy Award 2007. Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto provide a century of tradition inspired by the passion of a lifetime.

 

Pregones Theater “Migrants”
Sunday August 3rd @ 3:00 p.m.  
Free Performance – Reservations Required

This bilingual play with music celebrates the Puerto Rican pioneers who established communities in the United States and struggled for the preservation of their culture. The play is a collective creation of Pregones Theater, based on written and oral history, interviews and the works of writers such as Guillermo Baralt, René Marqués and Klemente Soto Beles.

First premiered in 1986 and heralded by critics worldwide, this signature production of Latino theater has been re-staged by award-winning director Jorge B. Merced to celebrate the 10th
anniversary of Pregones' Summer Stage Tour.

 

Rubén Rada
Sunday August 3rd @ 7:00 p.m.
Advance Price: $30  Day of Performance: $35

Candombe is an Afro–Uruguayan rhythmic style music, and Ruben Rada is one of its masters. One of the most prolific composers in the world, RADA’s magical songs are fresh, brash and dynamic. They reveal the influence of his favorite artists, from Ray Charles to The Beatles to Louis Armstrong. His songs assimilate different styles including jazz, world music, funk, pop, tango, rock, and of course, Candombe. A brilliant vocalist and composer, and an outstanding showman, RADA has charisma and swing that cannot be equaled.