BAM announces May BAMcafé Live programming Highlights include performances as part of the 36th annual DanceAfrica celebration—the nation’s longest-running festival devoted to African dance Also featuring the new music youth ensemble Face the Music, classic soul from ABIAH, the Caribbean rhythms of Irving Burgie, Latin beats with The Steven Kroon Latin Jazz Sextet, the electro-Caribbean of Grand Baton, Haitian funk with Earthman Experience, the traditional Senegalese sounds of Abdou Mboup & Waakaw, classic hip-hop beats at a Late Night Dance party with Ralph McDaniels, Afro-jazz with Buyu Ambroise, and the international hip-hop of Endangered Speeches No cover! No minimum! Friday and Saturday nights Brooklyn, Apr 16, 2013—BAMcafé Live (30 Lafayette Avenue)—the performance series curated by Darrell M. McNeill, associate producer, music programming— announces its lineup for May. BAMcafé Live events have no cover charge and no drink minimum. For information and updates, call 718.636.4100 or visit BAM.org. For press inquiries, contact Lauren Morrow at 718.636.4129 x 1 or [email protected]. Friday & Saturday night schedule May 3 at 9pm—Face the Music May 4 at 9pm—ABIAH May 10 at 9pm—Brooklyn Arts Council: Harborlore Festival Salutes Irving Burgie May 11 at 9pm—The Steven Kroon Latin Jazz Sextet May 17 at 9pm—Grand Baton May 18 at 9pm—Earthman Experience May 24 10pm—Abdou Mboup & Waakaw May 25 10pm—Late Night Dance Party with Ralph McDaniels and the Video Music Box May 31 9pm—Buyu Ambroise June 1 at 9pm—In association with Berklee College of Music: Endangered Speeches Host: Phillip Andry House DJ: DJ Idlemind “The Appropriate Agent” About the artists Fri, May 3 at 9pm Face The Music Face The Music is the new music youth ensemble of the Kaufman Music Center, founded in 2005 by Dr. Jenny Undercofler and composer Huang Ruo. Comprising members from ages 11 to 17, Face The Music is the only student ensemble in New York City dedicated to performing the works of living composers, with a repertoire that includes works by Phillip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and Nico Muhly, to name a few. “A force in the New York new music world” (The New York Times), Face The Music has performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Merkin Concert Hall, Roulette, Baryshnikov Arts Center, and Issue Project Room, among other venues. Sat, May 4 at 9pm ABIAH ABIAH (formerly known as Jeremiah) honed his skills as a background singer for George Michael, Chuck Mangione, Amel Larrieux, and Yolanda Adams. His music recalls classic funk and soul, with a balanced blend of mature lyrics, lush harmonies, and transcendent melodies. ABIAH received critical acclaim for his debut and sophomore albums, 2006’s Chasing Forever and 2012’s Life As A Ballad, and has been praised his “innate ability for passionate songwriting” (Billboard magazine). Fri, May 10 at 9pm Brooklyn Arts Council: Harborlore Festival Salutes Irving Burgie This spring, Brooklyn Arts Council presents Harborlore: Where the River Meets the Sea in Brooklyn’s Folk Imagination, a festival that explores the role of water in the songs, stories, dances, and other artistic traditions of Brooklyn’s diverse communities. At BAMcafé, BAC pays tribute to Brooklyn’s Irving Burgie, the songwriter of such popular tunes as “Jamaica Farewell,” “Island Crystal Waters,” and “Day-O,” sung famously by Harry Belafonte. Burgie joins Wrickford Dalgetty & Tropical Rhythms and Keith Johnston & Widdayah to play favorites from his songbook. E.Wayne McDonald of Brooklyn’s Caribbean Cultural Theatre emcees. Sat, May 11 at 9pm The Steven Kroon Latin Jazz Sextet Harlem-born musician Steven Kroon has been in the game for more than 35 years, studying Afro- Cuban percussion with Tommy López, Sr. and Brazilian rhythms with Dom Um Romão. He has recorded with greats including Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, and Diane Krall, and has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Show with David Letterman, and at the Grammy Awards. Since going solo five years ago, Kroon has recorded four albums and performed at venues and festivals throughout the country. Fri, May 17 at 9pm Grand Baton A small band from Guadalupe, Grand Baton fuses Afro-Caribbean music, rock, and dubstep. Comprising singer, musician, and composer JC Maillard, drummer Theirry Arpino, and Arno Doleman on the traditional Guadeloupean gwo ka (big drum), Grand Baton aims to get the crowd moving to its hypnotic island beats. This performance is part of BAM’s 36th annual DanceAfrica celebration. Sat, May 18 at 9pm Earthman Experience Brooklyn-based outfit Earthman Experience performs rock, funk, and soul, fused with Haitian rhythms. Vocalist, guitarist, and conga player Richard “Earthman” Laurent and DJ Hard Hittin Harry—both from Haiti—are backed by a solid ensemble of horns and strings. The group has played SOB’s, Target First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum, and the Blue Note. This performance is part of BAM’s 36th annual DanceAfrica celebration. Fri, May 24 at 10pm Abdou Mboup & Waakaw Born in Senegal, Abdou Mboup is keeping his tribe's history alive through music and oral tradition. A percussion master famous for his work with the kora (the West African 21-string bridge-harp), Mboup has traveled the world and recorded with everyone from the Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads to Jean-Luc Ponty, Jean-Michel Pilc, and Bill Laswell. His band, Waakaw, means “country boys” in his native language of Wolof. This performance is part of BAM’s 36th annual DanceAfrica celebration. Sat, May 25 at 10pm—3am Late Night Dance Party with Ralph McDaniels with Video Music Box Hip-hop culture pioneer Ralph McDaniels created Video Music Box, the first music video show that catered exclusively to an urban market and that was broadcast on public television. He co-founded the film and video production company Classic Concept Productions, and directed and produced music videos for some of the hottest hip-hop artists of the last 25 years. McDaniels will keep the DanceAfrica party going until the early morning hours, spinning classic hip-hop beats. This performance is part of BAM’s 36th annual DanceAfrica celebration. Fri, May 31 at 9pm Buyu Ambroise Haitian-born saxophonist Buyu Ambroise studied with jazz legends including Frank Foster, Jimmy Owens, and John Lewis. He draws upon the folkloric repertoire of Haitian music, combining traditional Afro-Haitian beats with the smooth improvisational grooves, melodic brass solos, and piano explorations of American jazz. Ambroise has received critical acclaim for his albums: Blues in Red (2004), Marasa (2006), and Jazzpora (2011). Sat, Jun 1 at 9pm In association with Berklee College of Music: Endangered Speeches Endangered Speeches is an ensemble conceptualized by Greek MC, singer, and composer Mariletta Konstantara to restore a meaningful message and forward direction to hip-hop music. Formed at Berklee College of Music, the group is influenced by the unique global view brought by each of its members, who hail from around the world. Dub, ska, soul, rebetika (traditional Greek music), hip-hop, and reggae combine with a solid rhythm section, airtight horns, and four-part vocal harmonies for a unique and captivating sound. Credits Pepsi is the Official Beverage of BAM. Brooklyn Brewery is the preferred beer of BAM. BAMcafé Live events are sponsored by Con Edison. BAMcafé Live receives endowment support from the BAM Fund To Support Emerging and Local Musicians, created in part with a major gift from The Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust. Programming in BAM Lepercq Space is supported by The Lepercq Foundation. BAM Winter/Spring 2013 supporters: Bank of America; The Irene Diamond Fund; Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art; The Florence Gould Foundation; The Leona M. & Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Mikhail Prokhorov Fund; Stavros Niarchos Foundation; The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.; The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; The SHS Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Skirball Foundation; The Starr Foundation; Time Warner Inc.; The Winston Foundation, Inc. Sovereign Bank is the BAM Marquee sponsor. Yamaha is the official piano for BAM. R/GA is the BAM.org sponsor. New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is the official hotel for BAM. General Information BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas, and BAMcafé are located in the Peter Jay Sharp building at 30 Lafayette Avenue (between St Felix Street and Ashland Place) in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. BAM Harvey Theater is located two blocks from the main building at 651 Fulton Street (between Ashland and Rockwell Places). Both locations house Greenlight Bookstore at BAM kiosks. BAM Fisher, located at 321 Ashland Place, is the newest addition to the BAM campus and houses the Judith and Alan Fishman Space and Rita K. Hillman Studio. BAM Rose Cinemas is Brooklyn’s only movie house dedicated to first-run independent and foreign film and repertory programming. BAMcafé, operated by Great Performances, is open for dining prior to BAM Howard Gilman Opera House evening performances. BAMcafé also features an eclectic mix of spoken word and live music for BAMcafé Live on Friday and Saturday nights with a special BAMcafé Live menu available starting at 6pm. Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, B to Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center (2, 3, 4, 5 to Nevins St for Harvey Theater) D, N, R to Pacific Street; G to Fulton Street; C to Lafayette Avenue Train: Long Island Railroad to Atlantic Terminal – Barclays Center ## ## ## .