Ghost Band
Ghost Band Plays Ghost Venues, a project of musician Stefan Zeniuk and HONK NYC!, honors creative spaces that once were. Parade through multiple generations – and genres – of music history, haunting once revered but now shuttered music halls, sites currently home to boutiques, banks, and hotels. The hallowed incubators of NYC’s musical heritage may be gone but are not forgotten. Touch the past and sing a song for the town that continues to inspire.
A ghostly parade for long-lost local music venues - EV Grieve
Afoxé Alkebulan Acá
Afoxé Alkebulan Acá is an Afro‑Atlantic practice of percussion, song, and public ritual based in the global crossroads known as NYC. This project, led by master percussionist Okai Musik and educator-leader Deinya Phenix, is inspired by African Diasporic artistic traditions and cross-cultural experiences that have led to fusions such as jazz, salsa, and hip hop. In that in-between space, we have called upon disparate peoples into a musical Black family reunion enriched with aché, solidarity, joy, and belonging.
Instagram:
@deinya
@okaimusik
Inconvenient Brass Band
Inconvenient Brass Band puts a horn in your side.
Instagram:
@inconvenientbrassband
No Small Money Brass Band
NYC's premier brass band playing the music of Africa and the Caribbean since 2008
Instagram: @nosmallmoney
Bhangra Liberation Orchestra
The Bhangra Liberation Orchestra makes rebellious and joyful music to fortify our hearts on and off the dancefloor. Rooted in the genres of bhangra, qawwali, Afrobeat, and jazz, BLO draws from Punjabi ancestral wisdom with a heavy dose of musical improvisation to deliver a clear message of love, unity, and liberation in these times of rising authoritarianism and attacks on the marginalized. Anthemic brassy melodies intersect with angular guitar lines, hype dhol beats, and ecstatic vocals in Punjabi, English, and Spanish.
HONK Family Band
To close our opening night, Indofunk Satish will curate a jam session celebrating the spirit of jazz, New Orleans street bands, and spontaneous collaboration. Bring your instrument, meet some fellow musicians, and jump into the music. Songs will be drawn from the New Orleans brass band repertoire, but all you need is your enthusiasm for improvisation!
Artists For a Free World
In 2017, Arts for Art began Artists For a Free World (AFFW), a marching band that supported citywide demonstrations through joyful noise and movement. It was an empowering experience. We saw the importance and power of music to bring people together. AFFW is a direct artistic response to oppressive fascist ideology and regime. Artists For a Free World empowers all Positive Creative Healing Actions. We are committed to long-term engagement to ensure survival of our Shared Humanity. No one is free unless we are all free.
Instagram: @artists4afreeworld
artistsforafreeworld.com
