National Jazz Museum in Harlem is proud to partner with the Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education to present the Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra for Casita Maria’s 90th anniversary and the 13th annual South Bronx Culture Festival. Please join us on Sunday, June 2nd at 4:30pm for an unforgettable performance from the legend & bandleader, Eddie Palmieri.
Since 2011, Casita Maria’s South Bronx Culture Festival (SBCF) has celebrated the vibrant cultures and communities of the South Bronx through an annual performance series anchored by a new theme each year. This year’s theme, Born in El Barrio & Raised in the South Bronx, celebrates Casita Maria’s 90th anniversary and our enduring commitment to serve the community. The 2024 Festival line-up includes music, art and dance from the diasporas of the Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the confluence of cultures that is New York City.
SBCF 2024 will showcase the work that we do throughout the year, teaching and inspiring young artists, documenting the history of the Bronx through music and dance, and maintaining partnerships with local artists and organizations as we enrich and elevate our beloved community. Presented free to the public, the 3-day SBCF includes outdoor music and dance performances and art activities from May 31 to June 2, 2024 at Father Gigante Plaza in front of St. Athanasius Church at 878 Tiffany Street in the South Bronx. Everyone is welcome to attend all events in person, or to watch the Festival events at a later date on BronxNet Television, our media partner.
Throughout the weekend, bilingual celebrity MCs and BronxNet hosts Rhina Valentin & Javier E. Gomez will keep the celebration going, along with DJsGRANDWIZZARD THEODORE, Tiff McFierce and Sabine Blaizin (Oyasound). Headliners will include: Casita Maria’s 11-piece Latin jazz ensemble BronX BandA featuring artist Arturo O’Farrill performing original compositions inspired by oral histories of Bronx heroes; Bobby Sanabria MULTIVERSE Big Band featuring: Janis Siegel, Antoinette Montague, Jennifer Jade Ledesna and Danza Fiesta; and the legendary Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra co-presented with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. These acts will anchor a full schedule that will include talent from Young Artists of Casita Mariato performance groups: Mariachi Real de México & Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York, Wabafu Garifuna Dance Theatre, Yasser Tejeda, People of Earth and It’s Showtime NYC!
Additional partnering organizations will create even more joy and activities for the community. Puerto Rican Institute for the Development of the Arts(PRIDA) will present a collective of artisan vendors. Casita Maria’s own Teaching Artist, Maria Luisa Portuondo Vila will lead a hands-on art activity.Danza Fiesta will provide a dance lesson in the basics of Bomba. Ballet Hispánico through their Latine Immersive Experience with Tempo Alegre will take us on a journey through Latin America. Finally, the New York Public Library will park their bookmobile near the stage. This entire program would not be possible without the support and generosity of SEBCO Inc., who allows us to use Father Gigante Plaza for free.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. Additional support is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
Father Gigante Plaza in front of St. Athanasius Church, 878 Tiffany St, Bronx, NY 10459
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