I’m no longer on my deathbed, the weather finally broke 70 degrees in NYC, and we’ve busted our bikes out of storage. FEELING GOOD, FEELING GREAT. Plus there’s so much music to catch this week that you’ll need to clone yourself to make it to everything. You’ll all have some difficult choices to make – good luck, and Godspeed:
THURSDAY
Chicha Libre kind of sounds like the soundtrack to a really fun acid trip in the Amazon. The Brooklyn-based band mines the psychedelic sounds of Peruvian pop-cumbia from the 60s and 70s – a genre that seems to be having a revival in Latin-America (think Dengue Dengue Dengue!, who produced one of our favorite videos of 2012). I’ll be hitting up this show at Joe’s Pub to big up my mother’s motherland, and also to conduct an anthropological case study on how exactly one dances to chicha. My guess is something like this, waving the horse head on a stick and all. EVENT DETAILS HERE.
Further down Lafayette street, the tropical vibes continue well into the night. SOB’s is hosting something called “World Party: An Afro/Latin/Caribbean Celebration.” I’m basically expecting something along the lines of those Putumayo albums my mom used to bump back in the day while cleaning the house aka the music I now listen to while cleaning the house. To be honest, I have no idea what the crowd at this party will be like, and I’m envisioning some old Haitian OGs in white kangol hats, who have all Kompa moves down – will report back on the results of my investigation. EVENT DETAILS HERE.
FRIDAY
The annual NY Havana Film Festival kicks off tonight with Amor Crónico, a film that follows Cuban-American singer CuCu Diamantes’ controversial tour throughout Cuba (she was the first performer from outside the country to tour in Cuba in 50 years – take that Jay Z and Beyonce…). The film interweaves live performance footage with a comic love story – which, from the trailer, seems to be between CuCu and… a little person. Needless to say, I’m intrigued. EVENT DETAILS.
Cuban music can also be found Uptown, where a group of musicians who call themselves the Habana/Harlem all-star group will be performing music that showcases the influence of Latin music in Harlem. The performance is part a larger month-long retrospective called Crossing Harlem, which I encourage y’all to check out. EVENT DETAILS HERE.
SATURDAY
This is the kind of night that makes me desperately wish that 4 Loko was still on the market. 1 Loko for each concert happening tonight. First up, our homies Bomba Estéreo will be bringing their explosive balls-to-the-walls act to Stage 48 in midtown. Last time I saw them perform (at Vive Latino), Li Saumet was dressed like a tropical rave bird on her quinceañera, and she danced so hard her boob popped out. Needless to say, they leave it all out on the stage, and they’re not to be missed. Plus we’re giving away a pair of tickets! EVENT DETAILS HERE.
In Williamsburg, indie art-pop singer Lorely Rodriguez (who performs as Empress Of) will be opening for Jamie Lidell. I fell in love with her recent track “Tristeza,” whose twinkly arpeggios make me want to pirouette around in the sunshine. Alas, the show is already sold out, but that’s no obstacle for resourceful NYers, no? EVENT DETAILS HERE.
Back in the LES, Miami-bred (now based in BK like…every other band) Selebrities will be bringing their fun synthy disco-pop to Mercury Lounge. This will be a dancey show – wear comfortable shoes. EVENT DETAILS HERE.
Last, but not least, is the soundtrack release concert for Amor Crónico at Joe’s Pub. CuCu Diamantes will be performing her salsa rica, most likely in some kind of glamour-puss bejeweled ensemble and crazy shoes. The last time I saw her, at the Red Hot + Cuba show at BAM, she had the entire audience up on their feet dancing – quite a feat, given that 90% of the audience was at least 80 years old. It was like the most fun seniors aerobic class I’ve ever been to. EVENT DETAILS HERE.