FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 7, 2021 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
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Queens salsa singer touches many hearts with her gift of song
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
It’s hard to resist that soul-stirring rhythm!
Th is Hispanic Heritage Month, get to
know salsa singer Anissa Gathers, who’s been
entertaining Cuban music fans in Queens,
New York City and elsewhere for years. She’s
touched many hearts with her gift of song
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You may have heard the sultry performer
from Richmond Hill, belt those salsa tunes
– accompanied by a fantastic Cuban-style
band – on a balmy Friday or Saturday evening
at the popular Portofi no Ristorante,
located on the bustling Ascan Avenue in
Forest Hills.
“I started working at Portofi no since
spring of last year. During the pandemic,
Portofi no has supported us
musicians through these diffi cult
times,” Gathers saidd. She noted
that despite all the challenges creatives
have been experiencing, she
has kept her focus and “stayed
calm, eating healthy, exercising
and singing to the world.”
Known for its delicious
Italian fare and owner
Carmine’s warm, welcoming
smile, the restaurant’s
eye-catching, plant-fi lled
outdoor area makes
you feel like you’re
vacationing on some faraway island. And
when the party lights come on at dusk, the
entire place transforms.
Even as those warm summer breezes give
way to autumn’s chill, there’s still time to
escape and celebrate life or happy birthdays at
one of Queens’ favorite hotspots. And if you
hurry, you can still catch Gathers’ outdoor
performances — just wear a sweater.
Patrons love the festive ambiance, especially
during Latin music nights.
It appears as if the talented performer
may be channeling her beloved idol: 1950s
Cuban-American icon Celia Cruz, aka the
“Queen of Salsa,” who was one of the most
popular Latin artists of the 20th century.
Perhaps one would describe this entire unique
experience as reminiscent of the exciting
nightlife back in Havana’s heyday, where the
only cool place to be was Tropicana, a “pleasure
paradise” featuring dazzling shows and
showgirls, and where star-studded partygoers
included Marlon Brando, Ernest Hemingway,
Rita Hayworth and J.F.K., to name a few.
A native New Yorker, Gathers was raised in
Puerto Rico and returned to New York City
at age 17. Growing up with a guitarist grandfather
who was into Cuban music, the budding
young artist would eventually embrace
that special rhythm, discovering her singing
voice in 2000.
“I was a dancer then and my career as a
singer started by coincidence,” Gathers said.
“Th e ballet I belonged to, Meztiso Ballet in
New York, needed a vocalist. I was playing
around and singing one day, and the musical
director heard me and made me the group
singer.”
Gathers added that she soon came to realize
the similarity between her own voice and her
Cuban idol’s voice. She even had the lead role,
performing as Cruz in “Celia the Musical”
(2007), both in the off -Broadway run and in
Miami on tour.
So, it’s no wonder that Queens’ “Celia”
has been wowing audiences wherever she
performs.
A while back, the artist took part in “Reinas
de la Noche”/“Queens of the Night,” a musical
featuring performances by Gathers and
several other fabulous divas at Th alia Spanish
Th eater in Sunnyside.
Several years ago, Gathers was the opening
artist for Julio Iglesias and Tito Nieves.
And she noted that some of her favorite Latin
crooners include Marc Anthony, Juan Gabriel
and La India, Puerto Rican singer and songwriter
of salsa, house music and Latin pop.
On Oct. 3, she kicked up her heels as one of
several Latin performers in a Broadway-style
event called “Sol of El Barrio” in New York
City’s Th eater 555. Produced and directed by
two-time Clio award-winning choreographer
Maria Torres, this immersive presentation
explored Afro-Latino culture through dance,
poetry and spoken word.
Gathers recently appeared at Matiz Latin
Cuisine in Forest Hills. She performs every
Th ursday at Tu Casa in Kew Gardens, which
is known by locals for having some of the
most delicious Spanish and Peruvian food in
the borough.
Courtesy
of Anissa
Gathers
Richmond
Hill-based salsa
singer Anissa
Gathers has transformed
Forest Hills’
Ascan Avenue, with
exciting outdoor
performances at
Portofi no on Friday
and Saturday
evenings.
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