WEEKLY CRAFTS MARKET IN KENSINGTON

 

The Singing Winds Crafts Market

Saturdays through June 20th

noon to 5:00 p.m.

 

The Singing Winds crafts market features handmade arts and crafts goods by local artisans, activities for children, and the annual Music in the Plaza concert series, a free series of live musical performances that features ensembles and street performers.

 

It all takes place outdoors on Saturdays, from noon to 5:00 p.m., from March 21st through June 20th.

 

Location

Kensington Plaza and the Beverley Road Open Street

in front of 114 Beverley Road

between Church Avenue and E. 2nd Street

Kensington, Brooklyn

(Google map)

LIVE MUSIC: HERITAGE OP, A WORLD BEAT PERCUSSION AND VOCAL ENSEMBLE (FREE)

 

Music in the Plaza: Heritage OP

Thursday, October 2nd

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

 

The Heritage OP Percussion Ensemble will perform for free in the Music in the Plaza series at Kensington Plaza on Thursday, October 2nd, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

 

The musicians are Hasan Bakr, Victor See Yuen, Ron McBee, and Kevin Nathaniel, with special guest Colette Michaan.

 

From Asgard Productions:

Heritage O.P. is a world beat percussion and vocal ensemble that fuses the rich cultural traditions and diasporal rhythms of Africa – from South America to the Caribbean – with African American tradition and modern musical trends.

 

Their sound is contemporary with a strong beat and positive lyrics designed to uplift, inspire and move the listener to dance. 

 

They do this, however, using mostly traditional instruments as they share a deep respect for the beauty of acoustical sound and natural resonance.  Hence the O.P. stands for organic percussion. 

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between E. 2nd Street and Church Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn 

(map)

MIDDLE EASTERN FOLK SONGS WILL BE PERFORMED (FREE)

Music in the Plaza: The Brooklyn Nomads

Thursday, August 21st

5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

 

The Brooklyn Nomads will perform in the Music in the Plaza series at Kensington Plaza on Thursday, August 21st, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

 

The Brooklyn Nomads play Middle Eastern folk songs. They are Hadi Eldebek on oud and vocals and Mohamad Eldebek on derbakeh and riq. 

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between E. 2nd Street and Church Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn 

(map) 

LIVE MUSIC FROM SPAIN, VENEZUELA, CUBA, AND BRAZIL WITH THE TOMAS RODRIGUEZ TRIO

 

Music in the Plaza: Tomas Rodriguez

Thursday, July 24th

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

 

From Tomas Rodriguez:

Next Thursday, July 24th we return to Kensington Plaza for a live outdoor performance featuring music from Spain, Venezuela, Cuba and Brazil as well as original compositions. 

With guests Enrique Lopez on guitar/tres and Manuel Carro on percussion and vocals. 

Hope to see you there....(if you are in NYC). 

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between Church Avenue and E. 2nd Street

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map)

 

MUSIC IN THE PLAZA: A LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE SERIES

The Singing Winds, through its annual Music in the Plaza series, presents live musical performances in Kensington on Sunday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The concerts take place every week through June 23rd, with the exception of May 26th.

The venue is Kensington Plaza, with the exception of the June 2nd performance at Avenue C Plaza.

• May 5th: Roshni Samlal & Friends, Brooklyn Raga Massive
• May 12th: Mariachis Aguila y Plata, Special Event for Mother’s Day
• May 19th: Grupo Wayno, Music from the Andes
• June 2nd: Family Concert: featuring music and dance from Brooklyn Porch Music’s The Multigenerational Playing for the Light Big Band, Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (BIPA), students from the Tomas Rodriguez Guitar Studio, Singing Winds Dance with Ballet Folklórico Mariposas and Shapla, and Youth Tecuani Dance with Casa Cultural
• June 9th: Guitars of America, Latin guitar ensemble
• June 16th: Beating the Heart with Spondon & Joy
  Traditional Bangladeshi Folks Songs
• June 23rd: HONK NYC !!
  Contemporary Brass Band

 

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between Church Avenue and E. 2nd Street

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map)

 

Avenue C Plaza

McDonald Avenue at Avenue C

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map)

 

FREE KLEZMER CONCERT IN KENSINGTON

Brooklyn Klezmer Trio Plus

Thursday, July 13th, 5:30 p.m.

 

From The Singing Winds:

Klezmer music performed by internationally renowned artists who happen to be locally based in Kensington!

 

This virtuosic collective is taking Brooklyn by storm with their breathtaking blend of tradition, improvisation and celebratory exuberance that will touch your heart and move your feet!

 

Sarah Myerson - Percussion, Voice
Ilya Shneyveys - Accordion
Jake Shulman-Ment - Violin
Michael Winograd - Clarinet

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between Church Avenue and E. 2nd Street

Kensington, Brooklyn

AFRICA FORESTDANCE PERFORMS TOMORROW IN KENSINGTON PLAZA (FREE, OUTDOORS)

Press Release

AFRICA FORESTDANCE TO PERFORM AT KENSINGTON PLAZA’S “MUSIC IN THE PLAZA” SUNDAY, JUNE 11^TH 3:30–5PM

Africa Forestdance will headline this Sunday’s “Music in the Plaza” series, June 11^th from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm at Kensington Plaza, located in front of Walgreens, at Church Avenue and Beverley Road.

Playing the kora, bala, mbira, djembe, and voice, in other words, “the ancient sounds of Africa,” the group will perform “Music at once ancient and with a modern spirit which moves in all of us,“ said Kevin Nathaniel, its Mbira player.

The sounds “will move your soul and your feet…healing sounds of the wind, water, heartbeat, earth, sky, and sun. Sources deep within us all,” he added.

The 4-member group features Kevin Nathaniel on mbira, Hasan Bakr on djembe, Salieu Suso on kora, and Famoro Dioubate on bala (xylophone). 

In various iterations these musicians have played many concerts at Kensington Plaza in the past. Almost a year to the day Mr. Nathaniel played at Kensington Plaza’s 10^th Anniversary celebration last June.  In addition to his busking Mr. Nathanial is an advocate of African culture, a composer, a Yale scholar, and a teaching artist.

Hosted and produced by The Singing Winds, a local group, the “Music in the Plaza” Sunday afternoon concerts at Kensington Plaza will continue through mid-July.

Kensington Plaza is easily reached by public transportation: the F/G Church Avenue subway stop is right around the corner and bus stops for the B35, B67/69, B16, and B103 are nearby.

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/KensingtonPlaza/

JUGGLE JAZZ: FREE STREET PERFORMANCE OF JUGGLERS AND JAZZ MUSICIANS

 

Juggle Jazz

Sunday, June 4th, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Press Release

Oompah, Oompah. A bit of circus hoopla is coming to Kensington Plaza

 

This Sunday, June 4th at 3:30pm Bond Street Theatre will proudly present its latest show, “Juggle Jazz” at the Music in the Plaza series happening from 3:30 pm–5 pm on Kensington Plaza, located in front of Walgreens, at Church Avenue and Beverley Road.

 

A visual and aural improvision between NYC jugglers and jazz musicians, the performance will feature Michael McGuigan and Paris the Hip Hop Juggler on clubs, balls, plates, knives and various other items to toss around; Sean Nowell on saxophones and special effects; Rick Lollar on Guitar; and Doron Levon percussion. This is an encore performance by Bond Street Theatre who had Plaza passers-by transfixed last May, 2022.

 

Bond Street Theatre was founded in 1976 and is associated with the UN’s Dept of Public Information. It produces theater and theater-based events domestically and in over 40 countries worldwide, using theater to resolve conflict in places like refugee camps, prisons,urban centers, schools, and shelters. (https://www.bondst.org/)

 

Hosted and produced by The Singing Winds, a local group, the Music in the Plaza Sunday concerts at Kensington Plaza will continue through mid-July.

 

Kensington Plaza is easily reached by public transportation: the F/G Church Avenue subway stop is right around the corner and bus stops for the B36, B67/69, B105, and B16 are nearby.

 

MOLLY TIGRE/ETHOPIAN INFLUENCED JAZZ AT KENSINGTON PLAZA (FREE, OUTDOORS)

Press Release

 

MOLLY TIGRE TO PERFORM AT KENSINGTON PLAZA’S “MUSIC IN THE PLAZA” MAY 21, 3:30–5PM

 

This Sunday, May 21, the “Music in the Plaza” concert at Kensington Plaza will feature Molly Tigre, a 5-member Afro-Jazz band, playing 1^1/2 hours of Ethiopian and Mali funk crossed with exploratory jazz.

 

Sponsored by The Singing Winds, the weekly Sunday afternoon concert takes place from 3:30pm to 5pm in front of Walgreens on Church Avenue, between McDonald Avenue and Beverley Road, except for Sunday May 28 /Memorial Day weekend, when there will be no performance. The F/G trains stop at Church Avenue, around the corner from Kensington Plaza, as well as Brooklyn buses B67/69, B35, and the B103. The B16 stops nearby at Dahill Rd/12^th Avenue.

 

Molly Tigre mashes African music—especially the rhythms and melodies of Mali and Ethiopia—with the adventurous and experimental leanings of some talented NYC musicians. Featuring the compositions of saxophonist Mitch Marcus and bassist Ezra Gale, the diverse group also showcases saxophonist/flutist Chris Hiatt, drummer Joe Abba and percussionist Kolipe Camara for a sound that could only come from the melting pot of New York City.

 

Influences from the wider world of music show off the group’s breadth: the sly wink to 70s Ethio-Jazz’s Ethiopiques recording series; and nods to the Sahara Desert Tuareg-groove, Bollywood mix tapes, and modern jazz-funk from the 70s/80s NYC Downtown scene.

 

In addition to its performance at Kensington Plaza, you can catch them in Brooklyn on  June 4^th at Operation Gig! and June 24^th at Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID event.