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World Premiere of Elio Villafranca’s Don’t Change My Name
June 3, 2019 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
FREE
World Premiere of Elio Villafranca’s Don’t Change My Name
June 3rd at 6 pm
Barretto Point Park
In case of rain on June 3rd, the performance will take place at the Bronx Charter School for the Arts Middle School, 1440 Story Avenue
Bronx Arts Ensemble presents the World Premiere of the great Afro-Cuban jazz pianist and composer Elio Villafranca’s Don’t Change My Name, featuring a 10-piece ensemble and the students of Bronx Charter School for the Arts singing and dancing. Don’t Change My Name represents many years of research into the Arara music of Cuba, tracing its roots to the religion and culture of Dahomey, in present day Benin, and telling the story of Florentina, an important Arara figure in Cuba and the Cuban slave rebellions. With Villafranca performing on a grand piano in the Barretto Point Park amphitheatre against the backdrop of the NYC skyline right before sunset and the participation of the talented young artists of the nearby school, the event will achieve BAE’s twofold mission to present the highest quality performances to the people of the Bronx and to engage students in the work of art-making.
Ensemble:
Elio Villafranca, piano
Dreiser Durruthy Bombale, special guest on vocals and percussion
James Burton III, trombone
Sam Dillon, saxophone
Freddie Hendrix, trumpet
Gabriel “Gabo” Lugo, percussion
Yorgos Maniatis, drums
Richard Padrón , guitar
Mark Sherman, vibraphone
Peter Slavov, bass
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