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Latin Funk Festival 2005, NYC
Concert at Spirit New York, 6/16/05
Article by: Andrew Aprile and Louise D. Chang
Photos by: Louise D. Chang
 The Latin Funk Festival stormed into New York City at the end of June. The Festival is presented by two Atlantic coastal music producers, Elizabeth Easton from the south end in “hot” Miami and Tanya Bravo from the north side in urban cool New York. Elizabeth Easton and Tanya Bravo both joined together in 2002, to form the Miami based EastonBravo Productions, to bring their music visions of the new sounds of “Latin Funk” from Brazil, Columbia, Puerto Rico, NY, Miami and other places around the world to their hometown base cities of Miami and New York.
 Latin Funk is beginning to achieve vanguard status in the world music scene with its vast array of multi-cultural forms. Lyrics, sung in English and/or Spanish, accompany a unique blend of traditional Latin rhythms such as cumbia, flamenco, samba, and salsa, and popular urban sounds like hip-hop, reggae, and house.
The Latin Funk Festival culminated in New York City on Thursday June 16th, 2005 with electrifying performances by Lila Downs, the socially conscious vocalist who spent her childhood between the Sierra Madre Mountains of southern Mexico and Minnesota, and Los Amigos Invisibles of Venezuela. The concert, which was held at Spirit New York on W. 27th Street also featured Cultura Profetica, a Puerto Rican reggae band, a special performance by Manhattan Samba, a Brazilian drum ensemble, and djs from the Globesonic collective, an “international dance party,” spinning between sets. The mission of the festival was to bring Latin funk music to the forefront of the music industry. If the audience’s reaction to the main concert event on Thursday was any indication, the music industry will be clamoring for more artists in such a mold.
The live music began with the New York debut of Puerto Rico’s Cultura Profetica. The lead singer, who held down the bass for the entire set, was able to convey a political message with scant words in English, moving the crowd to raise their national flags. Despite the language barrier, socially conscious lyrics infused the two-guitar reggae with a headiness that would keep knees bending.
 Following Cultura Profetica. was a special performance by Manhattan Samba. Many in the dense crowd had the pleasure of parading through the dozens of drummers keeping the percussion ensemble in its steady polyrhythm on the upstairs balcony of Spirit New York.
After some more spinning, the crowd was thrilled to welcome Lila Downs and her amazing band to the stage. Downs’ powerful voice vied to match her beauty and stage presence. In between songs decrying inequalities of wealth and between genders, Downs sported a huge drum strapped around her shoulder, beating to the feet stomping the ground. Traditional rhythms met the virtuosic harp, violin, and Mexican guitar that the music highlighted behind the vocals.
 As if the crowd would never sleep, Los Amigos Invisibles took the stage, making the act of dancing an irresistible responsibility. The band was formed by a group of friends in Caracacs, Venezuela to resurrect the energetic upbeat dance music sound of the “glory days” of disco. Taking the best of Brazilian samba and combining it with urban beats, Los Amigos Invisibles brought their hybrid form to an audience looking to have the night of their lives. As if in a state of trance, the excited fans were not at all disappointed by the blend of disco, Latin, love, funk, and groove music that sent Los Amigos Invisibles to critical acclaim after the 2000 release, Arepa 3000. Of all the reasons to make music, Los Amigos Invisibles made it clear that the most fun most to listen to is music made in the name of fun… or is that funk?
Latin Funk Festival 2005, NYC
Photo Gallery (c) Louise D. Chang
Latin Funk Festival All Star Concert @ Spirit, NYC June 16, 2005 |
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Cultura Profetica
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Cultura Profetica
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Lila Downs
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Lila Downs
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Lila Downs
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Lila Downs
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Los Amigos Invisibles
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Los Amigos Invisibles
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Los Amigos Invisibles
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Los Amigos Invisibles
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Los Amigos Invisibles
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Los Amigos Invisibles
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VIP/Press Party @ Crash Mansion, NYC, Tuesday June 14, 2005
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| Elizabeth Easton & Tanya Bravo, producers, Latin Funk Festival |
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| Elizabeth Easton & Tanya Bravo, producers, Latin Funk Festival |
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Karina Zeviani being interviewed
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Marcalla, Centro & Myke, Pontiac
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Rage Johnson, artist
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Danya Cheskis-Gold
Afropop intern, the guitar |
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| Dancer sweeps Marcella of Centro off her feet |
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| Israel Coates, former Piel Canela Mambo Dancer, now on Afropop outreach leads Elizabeth Rodriquez of Dominican Times Magazine, through some smooth mambo dance moves |
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Suenalo
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| "Israel Coates, former Piel Canela Mambo Dancer, now on Afropop outreach leads Elizabeth Rodriquez of Dominican Times Magazine, through some smooth mambo dance moves |
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Contributed by: Andrew Aprile, Louise Chang
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