BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! throws down some great music, dance, and community. It’s Brooklyn!
Latin Culture
Afropunk BLKTOPIA Music Festival is Headlined by Erykah Badu
LENA HORNE BANDSHELL, Prospect Park, Brooklyn 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇸🇩
Ana Tijoux, Chilean Hip Hop at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
LENA HORNE BANDSHELL, Prospect Park, Brooklyn 🇨🇱
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! News
JUNE
Indigenous House; Mexican Rap; African Diaspora Drum, Song, and Dance
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! opens with a family day headlined by Indigenous Canadian house group The Halluci Nation (A Tribe Called Red), with American Mexican pop rapper Xiuhtezcatl, and the Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble African Diaspora drum, song, and dance crew; at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 3pm. FREE. 🇺🇸 🇲🇽
Chilean Hip Hop, Mexican Dominican Alternative
Ana Tijoux sings Chilean hip hop and Mexican Dominican singer-songwriter Ambar Lucid sings Spanglish alternative; for BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; on Friday, June 21, 2024 at 8pm (7pm doors). FREE. 🇨🇱 🇩🇴 🇲🇽
Mexican Cumbia Punk + Los Angeles Punk
Son Rompe Pera plays Mexican marimba cumbia punk opening for Los Angeles punkers Fishbone; at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; on Wednesday, June 29, 2024 at 7:30pm (6:30pm doors). FREE. 🇲🇽
This reminds us of Afropunk, a wild concept that just worked.
JULY
Brooklyn Movie
“Do the Right Thing” starring Spike Lee, Rosie Perez and many great actors; screens at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; on Saturday, July 6 2024 at 7:30pm (6:30pm doors). FREE. 🇺🇸 🇮🇹 🇵🇷
This film is so Brooklyn because its a Spike Lee joint about the African American, Italian, and Puerto Rican communities that all grew up together once upon a time in Brooklyn.
Nigerian Afrobeat + African American Hip Hop
Seun Kuti leads Egypt 80, his Nigerian father Fela Kuti’s afrobeat band; Lollise of Botswana sings afrobeats; and Rich Medina, the American DJ who brought afrobeats into house music, celebrate Brooklyn’s late Ibrahim Abdul-Matin who advocated for Black Muslims in New York City; at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at 7pm (6pm doors). FREE. 🇳🇬 🇧🇼 🇺🇸
This is an interesting progression because Fela Kuti created afrobeat by mixing American rhythm and blues and social commentary with his native Nigerian and West African traditions. This evolved into what most people call afrobeats, though afro pop is more descriptive. Rich Medina brought afrobeats into American house music.
Both Seun Kuti and Rich Medina are musical royalty. We didn’t know of Lollise, but she is now based in New York, sings in English, and her video concepts are funny and fly.
Afro-Dominican Alternative + African American House
Afro Dominicano plays Diasporic Dominican alternative, and DJ OP! plays Diasporic house; in the Amphitheater at Highland Park, next to Cypress Hills, Brooklyn; on Sunday, July 14, 2024, from 3-7pm. FREE 🇩🇴 🇺🇸
AUGUST
Black Music Festival
Afropunk BLKTOPIA 2024, Brooklyn’s Alternative Black Arts festival, is headlined by Erykah Badu in a benefit for the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Black cultural festival; at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; on Friday-Saturday, August 23-24, 2024, from 1-10pm. From $122. Hurry, this always sells out. 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇸🇩
About BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn
From an African American perspective, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn connects with the entire world because the African Diaspora is everywhere.
It is New York City’s longest-running, free, outdoor performing arts festival.
Most shows are at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Tickets
Shows (except benefits) are free, so there are usually no tickets. RSVP, gets you information and promotions, but entry is still first-come, first-served.
Free events fill up, so to enter, get in line an hour or two before. Don’t take anything with you because of security. But if you don’t get in, enjoy the music at a picnic with friends outside the bandshell.
Lena Horne Bandshell
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Nearest entry is 11th St at Prospect Park West.
Subways
(F)(G) to 7 Ave or 15th St – Prospect Park