This past winter we played home to a series of concerts presented by The New York Folklore Society. New York Folklore is a membership organization, open to all, concerned with furthering cultural equity and strengthening the understanding of the role of folk and traditional arts in our lives. They support folk and traditional artists, community cultural experts, community-based cultural organizations, and academic and public sector folklorists. In this case, they were tasked with identifying and presenting traditional artist from our community and present them in a series of free public concerts to help spread the joy of art and culture. We were happy to oblige, and these performances really something special. Let’s jump right into it. This is going to be a great evening of great music. We’re starting our New York Folklore Society showcase with Wa Lika.
Patrick Kasongo is a Capital Region musician that has been performing in festivals and social events in the region for more than a decade. His ensemble, Wa Lika interpret Congolese Rumba and Sebene. Patrick grew up in Kinshasa, Capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo and started playing music at a young age with a self-made one string guitar similar to Diddley bows found in the US blues tradition. This set is infectious and if it doesn’t translate to the radio very well, know that we were joined on this date by 40 odd children from the Albany Refugee Center who danced the Sunday afternoon away, and for a couple hours in February 2022, the world was a fine place to be. Here is Wa Lika, live at The Linda.
We are presenting the NY Folklore Society showcase tonight on “Live At The Linda,” with the engaging, infectious and enlightening traditional cultural sounds from international artists from our own community. Here are some more fantastic performances, this time from India and Pakistan.
Veena Chandra is an internationally renowned sitarist, composer, teacher, and choreographer. She is the founder and director of the Dance and Music School of India in Latham, NY where she teaches Indian classical music. She has been a faculty member at Skidmore College. She has been performing and teaching sitar for the last 60 years. She continued her advanced training under the late Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb. Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb very much enjoyed listening to her sitar and grew very close to Veena and her son Devesh. OK here we go, more of the New York Folk Lore Society live at The Linda.
One more performer for tonight’s “Live At The Linda” NY Folkore Society Showcase. And this one was a party. An Afrofuturistic Experience is a performing arts show curated by Jordan Taylor Hill and friends. The show includes traditional drumming and dance from the African Diaspora as well as spoken word and song. Jordan is an artist rooted in traditional music from West Africa and the diaspora combined with today’s sounds. His early influence in song writing and performance is coupled in a unique way meant to equally inspire and entertain. Jordan offers traditional drum and dance workshops, performances, and private lessons. The native New Yorker began his musical career tape recording radio segments and instrumentals in his headphones in middle school. Since his first trip to Senegal, West Africa in 2011 his unique style of traditional drumming and songwriting has combined to deliver a fusion of Hip-Hop, World, and all things Afro. And hey, remember those refugee children we heard dancing earlier I n the show, well they are back on this set, drumming and singing. Here we go with Jordon Taylor Hill, live at The Linda.
Thanks for sticking with us this week. Join us next week as we “Come Together,” with TriBeCaStan 2014, Brucker – Weisse – Canterbury Jazz Orchestra 2022, and Rock Voices 2022. For more information about The Linda or any upcoming events follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or visit thelinda.org.