Afropop Worldwide

It’s been a great summer so far for African music-loving New Yorkers. The past few weeks have blessed us with an array of continent-wide talent, including performances from Nigerian pioneers King Sunny Adé and Orlando Julius, Angolan kizomba visionary Paulo Flores, Egyptian shaabi superstar Hakim and, most recently, West African groovers Bombino and Femi Kuti. Fri., July 29 at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival at Prospect Park Bandshell promises to be one of the highlights of this summer’s jam-packed schedule. Taking center stage in a musical experiment of diasporic proportions will be Beninese wonder woman Angélique Kidjo, who’ll be paying tribute to her Cuban forebear, Celia Cruz, First Lady of Latin Music. Rumor has it that this is a one-off affair; a unique opportunity to hear the African-Cuban connection under the Brooklyn stars that is not to be missed. The Grammy award-winning singer will be joined by seasoned Cuban percussionist Pedro Martínez, who’s no stranger to working with Kidjo, having collaborated with her on his group’s new record, Habana Dreams. Completing the bill is the Yosvany Terry Quintet, whose repurposing of Latin jazz has been finding a welcome home across the city’s clubs and galleries. Look out for the Afropop table near the info desk! We’ll be handing out concert schedules and running a free raffle for some of our favorite CDs. The show is free and starts at 7:30 p.m., with gates open at 6:30. Featured image photo by Pierre Marie Zimmerman.