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SAT, APR 5, 2025, 8 PM at LEFRAK CONCERT HALL
Welcome to Kupferberg Center for the Arts!
Thank you for joining! In partnership with the Jalopy Theatre & School of Music, we are proud to present an evening celebrating the very best in American and world folk traditions.
Tonight’s program features the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society Trio, bringing to life the vibrant rhythms and textures of traditional Chinese music. Next, the Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, Valerie and Benedict Turner, will share their deep love for Country Blues through the distinctive Piedmont fingerpicking style and authentic roots percussion. Closing out the evening, the New York City Salsa All Stars, led by Grammy-winning percussionist Willie Martinez, will light up the stage with their high-energy sound, featuring some of the finest Salsa musicians in the country.
We’re thrilled to share this celebration of folk music’s diverse roots and global reach with you—right here in Queens. Enjoy the show!
The Ba Ban Chinese Music Society of New York is a Chinese music group that conserves, generates, and performs Chinese traditional and modern performing arts. Named after an ancient piece of folk music, “Ba Ban” literally means “Eight Beats” which is the structural basis for the grouping of notes in traditional Chinese music. Founded in 1999, it is based in Queens, New York. The musician Zhou Yi co-founded the group. The ensemble includes highly accomplished artists who graduated from the top conservatories in China and have performed in concert halls around the world. The ensemble performs on “silk and bamboo” (sizhu) instruments: a classical instrumental grouping dating from the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) that includes various dizi (bamboo flutes), sheng (mouth organ), pipa (lute), qin (seven-stringed zither), ruan (alto lute), huqin (fiddles) and yangqin (dulcimer). In 2015, the group was recognized by the New York City Council for exemplary cultural service to the community.
The Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, comprised of Valerie and Benedict Turner, are ambassadors of Country Blues music, the Piedmont style of fingerpicking, and roots percussion. Their mission is to help bring awareness to these unique aspects of African-American culture and the contributions of early blues artists through performing and teaching. Valerie’s fingerpicking is reminiscent of the intricate stylings of Mississippi John Hurt, Elizabeth Cotten, and Etta Baker. Although the Piedmont style is her main focus, her repertoire also includes pieces from the Delta Blues tradition. Benedict tastefully accompanies Valerie with a washboard style he developed after being inspired by Newman Taylor Baker, a classically trained drummer, and Washboard Chaz of Louisiana fame. Sometimes, he chimes in on bones or harp.
Led by percussionist Willie Martinez, the New York City Salsa All Stars are comprised of the most talented and accomplished Salsa musicians to be found anywhere in the country. The various members of the ensemble can be found on scores of iconic recordings by such notables as multi Grammy Award winners Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Chico O’Farrill, Mongo Santamaria and dozens more. The incomparable swing of this great orchestra transcends musical genres, consistently leaving audiences on their feet screaming for more!
The Brooklyn Folk Festival presents the best in American and world folk music and is a celebration of down home music, cultural diversity and memory. Each year, it draws talent from the New York, the national and the international world of folk, traditional and vernacular music. The annual festival provides an opportunity for community to come together, enjoy music and take part in workshops, film screenings, contests and jam sessions. The Festival is presented by the Jalopy Theatre & School of Music, a grassroots community space that is a music venue, presenting organization, music school, and record label. By growing the Brooklyn Folk Festival since 2009, the Jalopy has created a substantial and unique community event that brings together thousands of music lovers and hundreds of musicians to celebrate the valuable musical traditions of the world’s peoples.
