photos by Graeme Flegenheimer

King Sunny Adé @ Rothbury 2009

Celebrate Brooklyn!'s annual all-day festival of music, food and crafts features a lineup of music selected to keep dancers moving into the night. This year's headliner is the great King Sunny Adé of Nigeria. The bill also includes a rare U.S. appearance by South Africa's Freshly Ground; The Mandingo Ambassadors, from NYC by way of Guinea, whose music "has been structured to make you feel good" (The New York Times); the wild Senegalese drum troupe Cheikh M'Baye & Sing Sing; the powerful Brooklyn-born, Ghanaian vocalist Abena Koomson; and whirling traditional Egyptian dancer, Yasser Darwish.

King Sunny Adé, who plays juju music, "a Nigerian style characterized by interlocking guitars, talking drums and lap-steel," will also be inducted into the Afropop Hall of Fame at the free concert. He recently played a set at the 2009 Rothbury Music Festival. More pictures from that, with Saturday's times and videos of King Sunny Adé, below...

Continue reading "African Music Festival in Prospect Park Saturday - lineup includes King Sunny Adé (who played Rothbury - pics) "

A performing arts program of BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn, Celebrate Brooklyn! is one of New York City's longest running, free, outdoor performing arts festivals. Launched in 1979, as a catalyst for a Brooklyn performing arts scene and to bring people back into Prospect Park after years of neglect, Celebrate Brooklyn has been an anchor in the park's revitalization and has become one of the city's foremost summer cultural attractions. Over the course of its history Celebrate Brooklyn has presented over 1,700 artists and ensembles reflective of the borough's diversity, ranging from internationally acclaimed performers to emerging, cutting-edge artists. All Celebrate Brooklyn performances are free. The festival attracts upwards of 250,000 attendees from across New York City to the Prospect Park Bandshell each summer.

All performances except Benefit Concerts are free with a $3 suggested contribution. They are listed below...

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn! 2009 Prospect Park concert schedule "