Home New York Report SPAIN MEETS HAITI WITH GRAMMY-WINNING VICTOR PRIETO AND GASTON JEAN-BAPTISTE AT FLUSHING...

SPAIN MEETS HAITI WITH GRAMMY-WINNING VICTOR PRIETO AND GASTON JEAN-BAPTISTE AT FLUSHING TOWN HALL

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(Flushing, New York)— Flushing Town Hall’s monthly series of Mini-Global Mashup concerts continues on Sunday, March 19 with Spain meets Haiti.
Curated by renowned klezmer trumpeter Frank London, the concert series presents a different pairing of solo artists each month, showcasing traditional music from around the world and unexpected collaborations that create new and spontaneous sounds.
The March concert will feature Galician accordion player Victor Prieto and Haitian percussionist Gaston Jean-Baptiste, each of whom will perform their own set before collaborating in a grand finale.
A native of Galicia, Spain now based in New York, Grammy-winning Victor Prieto is widely celebrated as one of the best jazz accordionists, fusing his jazz and classical training with a love for traditional Galician music. His compositions are enriched with explosive rhythm and colors. 
He has collaborated on world stages with other greats like Yo-Yo Ma, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Cristina Pato, The Maria Schneider Orchestra, Valinor Quartet, Paquito D’Rivera, Chris Geek, and the Christian Howes Group.
Prieto teaches master classes at the Berklee College of Music, has headed jazz accordion studies at the Brooklyn Conservatory, and served as Chairman of the Accordion department at Adagio Conservatory in Lugo, Spain.
Gaston Jean-Baptiste, who goes by the name Bonga, is a musical virtuoso who has studied and performed traditional Haitian drum, dance, and song since the young age of seven. He got his start playing drums in his family’s peristil in Crois-des-Mission in La Plaine, an area of Haiti known for its culture and history. Today, he is regarded as a master of the Afro Haitian drum and pan-African rhythms.
A dynamic performer, session player, and teacher, Bonga can be found on stage, in the recording studio, and in educational settings. He is one of the few drum makers and experts outside of Haiti who continues to build traditional drums using centuries-old techniques.
Bonga was a core member of the seminal Haitian roots band Boukman Eksperyans and Foulà. He first came to the U.S. in the 1990s and has since performed with Peter Yarrow, Grace Jones, Dan Zane, and Urban Tap. His drumming opened the New York premier of the Rolling Stones’ Voodoo Lounge tour, and he is prominently featured on recordings by Wyclef Jean and Salif Keita.
“Audiences are going to love this pairing of Victor Prieto and Bonga,” says Ellen Kodadek, Flushing Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director. “This is sure to be a jazzy and rhythmic concert with great energy and color.”
Tickets to Spain meets Haiti are $15 general admission or $12 for members, seniors, and students. To purchase tickets, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/spain-meets-haiti 
For Flushing Town Hall’s full schedule of upcoming events, visit: https://flushingtownhall.org/fth-presents
The Mini-Global Mashup concert series is made possible thanks to funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Center For Cultural Vibrancy.
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COVID Policy: 
Although as of March 7, 2022, New York City has relaxed its COVID policies for indoor arts and entertainment events, Flushing Town Hall will maintain its prior policy for the safety of its audiences, artists, and staff. This policy will remain in effect until further notice: Flushing Town Hall requires all visitors, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 with matching identification. Additionally, masks will be required 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 give you exclusive Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends membership benefits including a Smithsonian membership, ticket discounts, and more! Donations in any amount are appreciated to support the artists and the nonprofit cultural organization as they continue to provide programming and entertainment across New York and the world.
Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization and receives major support in 2022 from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assembly Member Ron Kim; The City of New York, Mayor Eric Adams; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Laurie Cumbo; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; The 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), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.
Flushing Town 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 across all five boroughs with a distinct private-public partnership with the City of New York and a commitment to serving all New Yorkers.
Land Acknowledgement:
Flushing Town Hall acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock People, one of the original tribes of New York, and the first people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecock continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing Town Hall honors their elders who have stewarded this land throughout generations.
For more information:
www.flushingtownhall.org
(718) 463-7700 x222
137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, NY 11354
A graduate of Empire State College with a dual major in journalism and Latin American studies, Editor-in-Chief Tomas Peña has spent years applying his knowledge and writing skills to the promotion of great musicians. A specialist in the crossroads between jazz and Latin music, Peña has written extensively on the subject. His writing appears on Latin Jazz Network; Chamber Music America magazine and numerous other publications.

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