In 1976, then-Havana-based Juan de Marcos González founded Sierra Maestra, a large band that specialized in danceable Cuban son music, one of the root sounds of salsa. Maestra became popular in Cuba, toured Europe, and recorded a number of albums between still beloved by hardcore fans of Cuban music. In the late '90s, González began reaching [...]
The Kennedy Center’s just-concluded Maximum India festival was certainly successful from an attendance standpoint, with sold-out ticketed shows and packed free events. A number of music and dance performances received rave reviews, but not everyone was completely wowed by the festival's curating—at least in India.
Outlook India's Seema Sirohi wrote an article criticizing some of the art exhibits as [...]
Performing on the Millennium Stage, Panjabi MC brought the Kennedy Center’s Maximum India festival to a close last night in front of a crowd of about 1,500. With CD turntables for sampled bhangra beats and snippets of melodic vocal melodies (plus a Jay-Z verse from the “Beware of the Boys” remix), the British-raised Indian’s sound also included his [...]
While most of the Maximum India festival's remaining ticketed performances are sold-out (except for the Ishara Puppet Theatre and some film screenings), there are some free events this weekend worth investigating. Tonight, if you can't get tickets on Craigslist for Sunny Jain & Red Baraat (an outfit that blends bhangra with go-go, soca, and jazz), you can catch [...]
The funny little frog to the right can mean only one thing: The Environmental Film Festival is back. Now in its 19th year, the festival has become a massive understaking, where 150 films from 40 different countries–most for free—screen at museums, embassies, libraries, universities, and movie theaters throughout the District. This year's programming is particularly diverse, including countless screeds against our continued mishandling of fossil fuels, the winner of the 2010 [...]
Past the late Celia Cruz, there aren't many well-known women in the musical genre of salsa. But tonight at Artisphere, salsa dance teacher and educator Eileen Torres is offering, as part of Women’s History Month, a multi-media program called “Fifteen Women in Salsa.” The evening will highlight Cruz, of course, as well as lesser-knowns like Myrta [...]
The Kennedy Center’s Maximum India Festival opens today with just one performance, a free U. Shrinivas concert from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Millennium Stage, but over the next 20 days it will feature 73 events involving music, dance, theater, literature, comedy, visual art, cuisine, and film. While the celebration may not include [...]
The Crossroads Nightclub and Restaurant Entertainment Complex in Bladensburg, which was suddenly closed for “maintenance” last December, has again run into mysterious problems. Since at least last Thursday, the nightclub has been closed, and the restaurant has been only open for Sunday brunch and for carryout food service on weekdays. No alcohol is being [...]
Afro-Peruvian slaves toiling in the silver mines and sugar plantations were barred access to drums, so they had to make do with what they had around them—wooden boxes called cajon and donkey jawbones. Centuries later, singer Eva Ayllon and music and dance ensemble Peru Negro will bring those Peruvian percussion instruments and more to the [...]
Pianist Terry Adams is best known as a founder of the polymath rock and pop band NRBQ, which existed in various incarnations from 1966 to 2004 (and which received plenty of local radio play here in the '80s courtesy of Weasel on WHFS). Tomorrow, the now 62-year-old (and still wacky) Massachusetts-based keyboardist and his current [...]
