Global Mashup Takeover by Jalopy Theater: Haiti Meets Puerto Rico
SAT, MAY 4, 2024
7:00 PM
In-Person Tickets: $20 General Admission / $15 Members, Seniors, & Students w/ ID
7 PM Dance Workshop
8 PM Concert
The Brooklyn International Music Festival Takes Over Flushing Town Hall's Global Mashup:
La Troupe Zetwal Meets Willie Martinez & his NYC Salsa All Stars
The Brooklyn International Music Festival, presented by the Jalopy Theatre every June, showcases traditional forms of music from across the world, and honors how traditions evolve both over time and in new places. Through dance, music, workshops, and lectures, the festival presents an array of international and diasporic musical traditions extant in New York City. This year's festival, running from June 7-9, 2024, will pay homage to the diversity of the Global Caribbean, presenting a wide range of sounds and traditions that have resettled in NYC from across the expansive Caribbean Coast. Get a taste of what's in store at this Global Mashup take over as La Troupe Zetwal meets Willie Martinez & his NYC Salsa All Stars!
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Willie Martinez has been a fixture in New York City's diverse music scene for over three decades, celebrated not just as a sought-after drummer in Latin Jazz but also as a talented composer, arranger, and vocalist. His musical versatility spans from Gothic Funk at CBGB's to Afro-Cuban jazz at Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium. Martinez's collaborations are equally diverse, from classic Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill to jazz saxophonist Bill Easley, and even contemporary Pop stars like Jewel and Faith Hill. His performances, captured on TV, video, and recordings, have seen him share the stage with a plethora of music icons, including Latin legends Bebo Valdes, Ray Santos, and Hilton Ruíz; jazz luminaries TK Blue, George Cables, and Benny Powell; and pop veterans Leon Pendarvis and Barry Eastmond. Willie will be performing alongside his good friends, the NYC Salsa All Stars. The All Stars is a collective ensemble of salsa band leaders who have performed with the likes of Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barretto, Johnny Colon, Willie Colon and so many more!
La Troupe Zetwal, founded in 2001 by Sherley Davilmar-St. Fort and Linda Pierre-Louis Elysee, is a multicultural dance group based in the greater New York area for over a decade. Specializing in traditional Haitian dance accompanied by live drumming and percussion, they infuse performances with the vibrant essence of Haitian culture. Acting as artistic ambassadors of Haiti, nicknamed the "mountainous country," La Troupe Zetwal shares the pride of this island nation through dance, music, and storytelling. Their performances, rich with the colors of the quadrille dress and the rhythms of traditional folklore, invite audiences on a fantastical journey. La Troupe Zetwal has produced numerous commissioned and sponsored events such as "Let’s Explore The Traditions Of Haiti 2008" in collaboration with the Brooklyn Public Library, "The African Roots Of 2010," "Classic Rara vs Neo-Rara And It’s Lost Elements 2012," and "Brooklyn Bamboche: A Celebration Of Traditional Haitian Contra Danse 2014," commemorating Haitian Flag Day with workshops and performances in NYC schools. These programs, sponsored by the Department Of Cultural Affairs and the Brooklyn Arts Council, celebrate Haitian heritage and promote cultural exchange. La Troupe Zetwal also revitalized the educational dance and live drumming workshop "The African Roots of Haiti 2011," in collaboration with La Troupe Makandal. Through their skillful and spirited performances, these dedicated dancers transform any space into a captivating and educational storytelling experience of traditional Haitian dances.
La Troupe Zetwal photograph courtesy of Maxine Hamilton-Alexander.
The Brooklyn International Music Festival is made possible through the Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and brought to you in part by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Department of Transportation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and von Trapp Brewery.
7 PM Dance Workshop
8 PM Concert
The Brooklyn International Music Festival Takes Over Flushing Town Hall's Global Mashup:
La Troupe Zetwal Meets Willie Martinez & his NYC Salsa All Stars
The Brooklyn International Music Festival, presented by the Jalopy Theatre every June, showcases traditional forms of music from across the world, and honors how traditions evolve both over time and in new places. Through dance, music, workshops, and lectures, the festival presents an array of international and diasporic musical traditions extant in New York City. This year's festival, running from June 7-9, 2024, will pay homage to the diversity of the Global Caribbean, presenting a wide range of sounds and traditions that have resettled in NYC from across the expansive Caribbean Coast. Get a taste of what's in store at this Global Mashup take over as La Troupe Zetwal meets Willie Martinez & his NYC Salsa All Stars!
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Willie Martinez has been a fixture in New York City's diverse music scene for over three decades, celebrated not just as a sought-after drummer in Latin Jazz but also as a talented composer, arranger, and vocalist. His musical versatility spans from Gothic Funk at CBGB's to Afro-Cuban jazz at Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium. Martinez's collaborations are equally diverse, from classic Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill to jazz saxophonist Bill Easley, and even contemporary Pop stars like Jewel and Faith Hill. His performances, captured on TV, video, and recordings, have seen him share the stage with a plethora of music icons, including Latin legends Bebo Valdes, Ray Santos, and Hilton Ruíz; jazz luminaries TK Blue, George Cables, and Benny Powell; and pop veterans Leon Pendarvis and Barry Eastmond. Willie will be performing alongside his good friends, the NYC Salsa All Stars. The All Stars is a collective ensemble of salsa band leaders who have performed with the likes of Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barretto, Johnny Colon, Willie Colon and so many more!
La Troupe Zetwal, founded in 2001 by Sherley Davilmar-St. Fort and Linda Pierre-Louis Elysee, is a multicultural dance group based in the greater New York area for over a decade. Specializing in traditional Haitian dance accompanied by live drumming and percussion, they infuse performances with the vibrant essence of Haitian culture. Acting as artistic ambassadors of Haiti, nicknamed the "mountainous country," La Troupe Zetwal shares the pride of this island nation through dance, music, and storytelling. Their performances, rich with the colors of the quadrille dress and the rhythms of traditional folklore, invite audiences on a fantastical journey. La Troupe Zetwal has produced numerous commissioned and sponsored events such as "Let’s Explore The Traditions Of Haiti 2008" in collaboration with the Brooklyn Public Library, "The African Roots Of 2010," "Classic Rara vs Neo-Rara And It’s Lost Elements 2012," and "Brooklyn Bamboche: A Celebration Of Traditional Haitian Contra Danse 2014," commemorating Haitian Flag Day with workshops and performances in NYC schools. These programs, sponsored by the Department Of Cultural Affairs and the Brooklyn Arts Council, celebrate Haitian heritage and promote cultural exchange. La Troupe Zetwal also revitalized the educational dance and live drumming workshop "The African Roots of Haiti 2011," in collaboration with La Troupe Makandal. Through their skillful and spirited performances, these dedicated dancers transform any space into a captivating and educational storytelling experience of traditional Haitian dances.
La Troupe Zetwal photograph courtesy of Maxine Hamilton-Alexander.
The Brooklyn International Music Festival is made possible through the Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and brought to you in part by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Department of Transportation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and von Trapp Brewery.