City Life Org – Flushing City Hall continues its mini-series of global mashups in August with the “Ukraine meets Cuba” concert
Julia Kytasty, Danae Blanco, Juan Carlos Formell
The concert will feature Ukrainian bandura master Julian Kytasty, Havana-based singer Danae Blanco and Grammy-nominated Cuban guitarist Juan Carlos Formell.
Flushing Town Hall’s most requested series, Middle ground : Mini-Global Mashupswill continue its summer tour with the Ukraine Meets Cuba concert on August 21st at 1 p.m. EST.
Participants will experience a collaboration between musicians from different countries and musical backgrounds performing together for the first time. The August concert will feature the master of the Ukrainian bandura (a Ukrainian lute/harp), Julien Kytasty, and singer based in Havana Danae Blanco. They will be accompanied by the Grammy-nominated Cuban guitarist Juan Carlos Formell.
Julien Kytasty is one of the world’s finest bandura (Ukrainian lute/harp) players and the instrument’s greatest exponent in North America. A third-generation singer, multi-instrumentalist and bandurist, Kytasty has performed and taught instrumental and choral music throughout the Americas and Europe. Born in Detroit, Kytasty holds a bachelor’s degree in theory and composition from Concordia University in Montreal. Kytasty has been recognized for his expertise in epic songs and early bandura repertoire. From 1989 to 1990, Kytasty was one of the first North American-born bandurists to tour Ukraine, performing in over a hundred concerts. He often returned on tour in Ukraine. In the summer of 2014, he was invited by the Shevchenko Bicentenary Project of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture to visit sites associated with the life and poetry of Taras Shevchenko. His formal and impromptu concerts have been filmed for an upcoming documentary, Slidamy Shevchenka (In the footsteps of Shevchenko).
Danae Blanco offers a welcome counterpoint to typically male Cuban timba music with its fiery delivery and enchanting lyrics. He is credited with bringing romantic salsa into the 21st century. When she was younger, Blanco participated in regional choirs in the Cuban province of Sancti Spiritus. She then moved to Havana in 1985 to study music at Ignacio Cervantes College, where she became a member of the Alfredo Rodriguez group. In 1993 Blanco joined the famous Cuban underground band 5U4, also known as “The Beatles of the Americas”, as a vocalist. She released her first single, Pido, in 2003 and has been a mainstay of Cuban music ever since.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Juan Carlos Formell is at the forefront of a new generation of Cuban musicians who are redefining the parameters of Cuban music. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Formell has been hailed as the successor to iconic Cuban artists such as Caetano Veloso, Joao Gilberto, Jackson Browne and Nick Drake. As a member of the Formell family, one of Cuba’s most prominent musical families, music is in his blood. Juan Carlos’ father, Juan Formell, is a bass player and founder of the pioneering group Los Van Van. Juan Carlos continues to masterfully perpetuate the musical tradition of his family.
The Mini-Global Mashups series was curated by acclaimed trumpeter and composer Frank London from The Klezmatics, who himself starred in Flushing Town Hall’s large-scale original Global Mashups series.
“Audiences can expect to enjoy incredible performers whose music is tied to their traditions but simultaneously modernized and fused with other musical elements that expand their boundaries,” said Frank London.
“We’re so lucky to be able to put on these Mini-Global Mashups every month and give fans a great show,” says Flushing City Hall Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. “I can’t wait for our audience to discover the phenomenal musical talents of Julian Kytasty, Danae Blanco and Juan Carlos Formell.”
August 21st the performance will be followed by a Q+A conversation between the artists and the public.
In-person tickets are $12 for Flushing Town Hall members and $15 for non-members. Those unable to attend in person can view the livestream for free at https://www.youtube.com/flushingtownhall/live. Donations are encouraged.
For the complete Mini-Global Mashup Series schedule and to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/mini-global-mashups or call (718) 463-7700 x222.
For the full Summer and Fall 2022 event schedule, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/events
FOR CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SUN, AUGUST 21, 2022, 1 PM
In-person tickets: $15/$12 members; Virtual: Free
Common Ground – Mini-World Mashups are organized by an acclaimed trumpeter and composer Frank London from The Klezmatics, bringing together two incredible international musical artists for an afternoon of music, conversation and exploration. Q&A after the show. This month’s mashup will feature the Ukrainian bandura (Ukrainian lute/harp) master Julien Kytasty and singer based in Havana Danae Blancoaccompanied by the Grammy-nominated Cuban guitarist Juan Carlos Formell.
The Mini-Global Mashup Concert Series is made possible through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
COVID Policy:
Although as of March 7, 2022, New York City has relaxed its COVID policies for indoor arts and entertainment events, Flushing City Hall will maintain its previous policy for the safety of its audiences, artists and its staff. This policy will remain in effect until further notice: Flushing City Hall requires all visitors, performers, and staff to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination with matching ID. In addition, masks will be mandatory at all times. For more details on Flushing Town Hall’s Covid safety measures and vaccine requirements, please visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety.
Support Global Arts with a gift today!
All gifts of $50 or more get you exclusive Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends member benefits, including Smithsonian membership, ticket discounts and more! Donations of any amount are appreciated to support artists and the nonprofit cultural organization as they continue to provide programs and entertainment in New York City and around the world.
https://www.flushingtownhall.org/circle-of-friends
Flushing Town Hall is a non-profit organization and receives major support in 2022 from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council for the Arts with support from Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim; New York City Mayor Eric Adams; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Laurie Cumbo; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; New York City Council, Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and New York City Council members Sandra Ung, Tiffany Caban, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Vickie Paladino, Lynn Schulman and Jessica Won; Howard Gilman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Guru Krupa Foundation, Fan Fox, and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
To view current donor lists, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/donor-listings
About Flushing Town Hall
Flushing Town Hall (FTH), an affiliate of the Smithsonian, presents multidisciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates for equity in the arts since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that strengthen our efforts. As a member of the New York City Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the 1862 Landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates Queens’ history as the home of jazz, presenting the finest jazz shows. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for art lovers, art lovers, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusivity that has defined our community since the Flushing Admonition of 1657.
Flushing City Hall is a proud member of the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG)a collective of 34 nonprofit museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos and botanical gardens in the five boroughs with a distinct private-public partnership with New York City and a commitment to serve all New- Yorkers.
Terrain reconnaissance:
Flushing City Hall recognizes that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock people, one of the original tribes of New York and the original people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecocks continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing City Hall honors its elders who have stewarded this land for generations.