On the heels of their blazing performance in the popular city-wide ¡Sí Cuba! Festival last spring, Symphony Space continues its celebration of Latino culture with this season’s only New York appearance of the Creole Choir of Cuba on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre.
The Creole Choir of Cuba represents a rare Cuban musical tradition. Comprised of descendants of Haitians who came to Cuba to escape slavery, the ensemble members perform a repertory of songs with percussion, offered in their traditional Creole language.
With passionate melodies and harmonies synonymous with U.S. gospel and the call and response of Caribbean folk music superimposed over varied Afro-Cuban beats, this jubilant ensemble of four men and six women reinvents their traditional music in a stunning and transcendent way.
Symphony Space’s Artistic Director Laura Kaminsky states, “Bringing another evening of extraordinary Latino musical culture to Symphony Space is a necessity for us as we continue to explore and extol the richness of Cuba and her neighbors.
“Despite coming from a cultural tradition with a painful past, the joy in this music is palpable, and the way that this old music is reinvented for the 21st century is remarkable. Symphony Space is proud to invite the Creole Choir of Cuba back to New York City for their only appearance here this season.”
About Symphony Space
Symphony Space traces its beginnings to a free marathon concert, Wall to Wall Bach, held in 1978 and organized by Founding Artistic Director Isaiah Sheffer and Alan Miller. The music marathon then drew hundreds of visitors and has since become one of the organization’s signature events.
Today, Symphony Space presents more than 600 events during a year, including music, dance, theater, film, and literary readings.
Some of its best known programs include Selected Shorts, a reading of short stories hosted by Isaiah Sheffer, one of the most popular series on the airwaves; the Thalia Follies, one of the funniest and most engaging political cabarets presented in the city; the Thalia Film Club, a trendy film club hosted by Marshall Fine, featuring pre-release screenings and behind-the-scenes conversations with film stars; and Just Kidding, one of the most popular family entertainments around town, and, more recently, The Music of Now, presenting an eclectic range of music in all styles and sensibilities, focusing on emerging artists, unusual work, and much more. www.symphonyspace.org.
