Accordions Around the World: La Banda Chuska, Santiago Jimenez Jr., David Wax Museum

La Banda Chuska merges the sounds of vintage Peruvian cumbia and psychedelic chicha with 1960s Latin American and Middle Eastern surf rock. They then add a dose of the surreal intensity of New York City to amplify their diverse musical and cultural backgrounds: Peru, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and various corners of the U.S. The result is a fireball of post-punk energy and subversive playfulness, a sort of tropical funk meets The B-52s. La Banda Chuska's self-titled EP is a darkly cinematic, musically expansive, and eminently danceable weirdo party on wax that's whipped up the fanbase they attract at regular performances at Brooklyn's Barbés and other NYC music mainstays. 

As children in San Antonio, brothers Flaco and Santiago Jimenez Jr. watched their legendary father, Santiago Jimenez, Sr., credited as the “Father of Modern Conjunto Music,” perfect the craft. Today, Santiago Jimenez, Jr., is a Conjunto pioneer, a major figure in Tex-Mex border music as a singer and accordion virtuoso. Nominated for three Grammys and a recipient of the National Endowment of the Arts Medal under former President Obama, Santiago has recorded with several local labels, including Lira, Magda, Discos Grande, and Corona. His songs, in Spanish, are lively and deal with real-life situations – work, love, and dance. The music has a strong cultural identity, representing the Mexican-American people of South Texas who have made their presence known despite the social oppression, forced assimilation, and economic difficulty of the border region.

Hailed by NPR Music as “pure, irresistible joy” and praised byThe Guardian as "global crossover at its best...as cheerfully infectious as it is original," David Wax Museum’s eclectic and exuberant sound blends the ancient and ever-relevant rhythms of traditional Mexican music with amber pop hues and unabashed rock riffs, all tethered together by seductive harmonies. Co-fronted by multi-instrumentalist Suz Slezak with her raucous accordion and sublime fiddling along with the charismatic energy of David Wax, their on-stage chemistry is both captivating and intimate.Since their early breakout as a buzz band at the revered Newport Folk Festival, the band has toured the world with their two young children in tow, performing at festivals in North America and Europe, and sharing stages with The Avett Brothers, Los Lobos, The Wood Brothers, Old97’s, Buena Vista Social Club, Gregory Alan Isakov, Watchouse, Josh Ritter, and Guster, among others. Transmitting their kinetic energy in platforms including CBS This Morning: Saturday, Tiny Desk Concert, and NPR’s World Cafe, they have also soundtracked love stories on and offscreens, from the Netflix #1 show Firefly Lane to the wedding of US Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg. Canada's CKUA Radio praised their latest album You Must Change Your Life as "truly transformative -- a colorful, multi-layered dream world which speaks to both the most earthly and the most ineffable sides of our human existence.”

Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first-come, first-served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs. 

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