FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 23, 2020 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
Flushing Town Hall beings 2020 season
with Afro-Colombian dance party
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
Flushing Town Hall is throwing an
Afro-Colombian fiesta to welcome its
new 2020 season, featuring the dynamic
and very danceable music of Grupo
Rebolu, live in concert on Saturday,
Jan. 25.
“Flushing Town Hall is known for our
engaging, global arts programming. We
bring the world’s music to our stage,”
said Ellen Kodadek, Flushing Town
Hall’s executive and artistic director.
“With Grupo Rebolu’s performance, we
are excited to begin our season with the
melodies and rhythms of Colombia!”
From the Colombian folkloric songs
that are passed generation to generation
to their own, original compositions,
Grupo Rebolu’s repertoire is
rooted in the rich, musical traditions
of their ancestors, the afro-descendants
of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. They
perform — and are influenced by —
the sounds of gaita, tambura, chalupa
and bullerengue and experiment with
evolving these styles in their roles as
modern-day folklorists.
The group was founded by two
childhood friends, percussionist
Morris Canate and vocalist, composer
and gaitero Ronald Polo. Colombian
music fans may know them from
their prior work in ensembles like
Folklore Urbano, Grupo Chonta, and
cumbiamba eNeYe. They were later
joined in Grupo Rebolu by singer
and cuatro player Johanna Castaneda,
who is married to Polo. Born, raised
and musically trained in Colombia,
all three musicians now reside in
Queens.
Polo began composing at the early
age of 7 and has written more than 80
songs since then — inspired by family,
love, life experiences, and the traditions
of his culture.
Canate is widely considered to be
among the top five tambor alegre players
in the world. He is also the nephew
of the late Paulino Salgado (Batata
III), the most accomplished Afro-
Colombian folkloric percussionist of
all time.
Castaneda began studying folkloric
dance and the cuatro (a four-stringed
guitar) as a young child, then entered a
Colombian music conservatory where
she trained on the harp, as a singer, and
in music theory.
Their high-energy performances frequently
feature additional singers and
musicians who round out the ensemble,
and Flushing Town Hall’s audience
can look forward to a full band
of seven on stage, to include guest artists
Erica Parra (drums), Carlos Pino
(bass), Seth Trachy (saxophone) and
Dan Blakenship (trumpet).
Their performance will also showcase
the talents of dancers Lorena Ayub and
Danny Ochoa.
Audience members can arrive early
for an interactive dance workshop
at 3 p.m. that will provide an introduction
to the steps of cumbia, puya,
mapale and bullerengue. For added fun,
Flushing Town Hall will be giving away
free, percussion instruments on a firstcome,
first-served basis.
The concert follows at 4 p.m. — with
an open dance floor for all who feel
inspired — and concludes with a postshow
jam session, during which time
audience members will be invited to
play along with the band.
The local community is excited, too.
Grupo Rebolu’s educational concert for
school groups the prior day has already
sold out.
The Jan. 25 concert is a great opportunity
to catch the group while they are
still in town. They depart this spring
for a South Korean tour before heading
to Canada this summer. They are currently
recording for their next album,
Tiempos Buenos, and are excited to
release some early singles and videos
off the album in the coming months.
Tickets for the public performance
can be purchased online at flushingtownhall.
org or by calling 718-463-
Photo courtesy of Flushing Town Hall
7700 ext. 222.
Flushing Town Hall is accessible by
car, bus, train and foot — located a
short distance from the 7 train — at
137-35 Northern Blvd., in Flushing.
Access for wheelchair users and individuals
with limited mobility is available.
In 2020, Flushing Town Hall will
continue to open its doors to teenagers
for free. Under the “Teen Access
Program,” all 13- to 19-year-old boys
and girls (whether a member or not)
will be welcomed to attend any performance
for free. The program is
designed to appeal to students and
help foster a greater love in the arts
and culture.
Catch Grupo Rebolu live in concert at Flushing Town Hal on Saturday, Jan. 25.
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