Live Music is Back in Westchester! 10 Westchester Roots Events Announced

New York Korean Performing Arts Center (Photo Credit: Margaret Fox)

ArtsWestchester Invites You to a New Series of Live Music Events

Just in time for summer, ArtsWestchester has announced a series of ten live Westchester Roots music and dance programs between July 15 and August 31 in partnership with the City of White Plains, the City of Mount Vernon, the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Bethany Arts Community. The entire series will be presented outdoors and will include concerts in parks, staged performances on city streets as well as an outdoor cultural festival.

Janet T. Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester explains, “Our 2021 Westchester Roots summer concerts feature a diverse array of artists, representing music and dance traditions of our region’s Beninese, African American, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Indian, Irish, Gambian, Jamaican, Korean, and Mexican communities.”

Aaron Paige, ArtsWestchester’s Folklorist says, “The ten outdoor programs are entertaining, engaging, and educational. Whether an Ecuadorian festival or a public performance of Gambian kora & balafon, these live programs celebrate Westchester’s rich collective cultural heritage.”

Here’s the Westchester Roots Summer Event Schedule! 

Night in the Park Events: Presented by ArtsWestchester & The City of White Plains 

Thur., July 15 | 7pm 

ITAL RAIN REGGAE BAND 

A high-energy reggae band that plays everything from Bob Marley, Vybz Kartel, Beres Hammond, Gregory Isaacs, UB-40, Marcia Griffiths, original songs, and many others. Court Street (between Main St. and Martine Ave.), White Plains, NY. 

McLean Avenue Band

Thur., July 29, 2021 | 7pm 

MCLEAN AVENUE BAND 

Taking the Irish American music scene by storm, McLean Avenue Band masterfully combines traditional Irish tunes and ballads with elements of rock, pop and R&B. Court Street (between Main St. and Martine Ave.), White Plains, NY. 

Thur., August 12 | 7pm 

BASE CAMP R&B 

This R&B band performs soul-filled classics, from Luther Vandross and Sade to Mary J. Blige and The Isley Brothers, plus more! Court Street (between Main St. and Martine Ave.), White Plains, NY. 

Mount Vernon Westchester Roots Events: Presented by ArtsWestchester & the City of Mount Vernon

Tues., July 27 | 6:30pm 

NATYA ANUBHAVA AND THE NEW YORK KOREAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 

Experience the power and beauty of South Indian and Korean dance by some of New York’s finest tradition bearers. City Hall Plaza, 1 Roosevelt Square North, Mount Vernon, NY. 

Tues., August 10 | 6:30pm 

THE PTAH-SHABAZZ WISDRUM ORCHESTRA 

This illustrious family ensemble presents an evening of traditional West African dance and drumming.

City Hall Plaza, 1 Roosevelt Square North, Mount Vernon, NY.

 

Tues., August 17 | 6:30pm 

JOMION & THE UKLOS 

Jomion & the Uklos, a family band from Benin, West Africa, combines traditional rhythms and songs from Vodoun culture with reggae, salsa and jazz to create vibrant and joyful music that will get you on your feet. City Hall Plaza, 1 Roosevelt Square North, Mount Vernon, NY.

Tues., August 24 | 6:30pm 

THE JALIYA KAFO ENSEMBLE W/ SALIEU SUSO & EBRIMA JASSEY 

Jaliya Kafo performs traditional Gambian kora (harp) and balafon music from West Africa. The family ensemble is led by Salieu Suso, a master musician born into a family of farmers, griots, traditional musicians and historians in Gambia, West Africa. City Hall Plaza, 1 Roosevelt Square North, Mount Vernon, NY

Sleepy Hollow Westchester Roots Events: Presented by ArtsWestchester and the Village of Sleepy Hollow

Sat., August 14 | 3–8pm

DIA DE LA CULTURA ECUATORIANA / DAY OF ECUADORIAN CULTURE

Join us for an afternoon of Ecuadorian music, dance, food and craft, along with family-friendly presentations on traditional Ecuadorian costumes and the indigenous Kitchwa language. Barnhart Park, Sleepy Hollow, NY.

Thur., August 19 | 6–7:30pm

Performing Families: THE MAYOR FOUR AND THE PTAH-SHABAZZ WISDRUM ORCHESTRA 

Celebrate the bonds of music and dance with two family ensembles as they explore the connections between kinship, tradition and the arts. This program brings together Columbian jazz pianist Pablo Mayor and his family band, as well as the Ptah-Shabazz Wisdrum Orchestra, a West African dance and drumming ensemble of extended-family. Horan’s Landing, Sleepy Hollow, NY.

Ossining Westchester Roots Event: Presented by ArtsWestchester and Bethany Arts Community

Maricahi Sol Mixteco (Photo credit: Dizzy Chic Gallery Botique)

Sat., August 21 | 6:30-8:00pm

Performing Families: INTI ANDINOAND MARIACHI SOL MIXTECO 

Celebrate the bonds of music and dance with two family ensembles as they explore the connections between kinship, tradition and the arts. This program brings together the Ecuadorian family band Inti Andino and the Mexican family band Mariachi Sol Mixteco. Bethany Arts Community, 40 Somerstown Rd, Ossining, NY.

Westchester Roots is made possible by Con Edison Arts Al Fresco, New York State Council on the Arts and Etain.

About ArtsWestchester

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.