Brooklyn Parents and Musicians Suggest Their CD for the Holidays

Charles and Fati performed at the Bibliobus over the summer.  They are now selling their CD of Spanish language children's songs for $12 - just in time for holiday gift-giving.  See below for how to get yours.



from the email:

I wanted to write to suggest that as you start making your gift lists for sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, and any special kids in your life, you consider our CD, El Baile Del Sombrero.  El Baile Del Sombrero is a CD of children’s music in Spanish composed and performed by Fati and me.  It's a really fun CD with lots of dances, games, and laughs that we'd love you to share with people you care about.

The CD is wonderfully illustrated by Nina Frenkel who has brought to life all the characters from the songs on the CD--from Fermin the Cat to Teo, the little rabbit who forgets he likes carrots.  It's something that kids will enjoy looking at and poring over as they listen to the CD.  El Baile Del Sombrero is perfect for families that already speak Spanish but families that have an interest in exposing their kids to Spanish will have fun with it too!  At our website, abbasubi.com, you can listen to songs, see a video of Fati & I performing live, and download a lyric sheet.

Now that some other people have heard El Baile Del Sombrero, we've gotten some really positive feedback.  There's a few reviews of the CD online that really describe all the reasons it will be a great gift.

Wanna Jugar with Migo?
Spanglish Baby Finds
Bilingual Fun

El Baile del Sombrero costs $12.  You can order it from CD Baby by clicking on this link http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/faticharles. It's also available on Amazon, or you can support a great Brooklyn business and order it from Nairobi's Knapsack!

I'd really appreciate it if you could pass this email along to people you think might be interested in El Baile del Sombrero for their own friends and families!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this email and have a wonderful holiday season!

Charles

Sunset Park Singer/Songwriter to Release "Taking Back Brooklyn"

photo from pitchengine.com

She goes by Krista, and she grew up in Sunset Park. She is finishing up a stint as the opener for Kelly Clarkson, and you can check out a video and a description of the album (is it still called an album?) to be released next month. The song in the video is pretty good (my toddler asked to hear the song Again?), and I'd agree with the Pitch Engine description of her influences. Worth a listen.

Irish Tenor to Perform at St. Michael's in November

Plan ahead! If you need a super-special gift for someone who likes the Irish Tenors, here's your chance to REALLY impress. According to The Examiner:

It has just been announced that Irish tenor Karl Scully, the newest member of the famed Irish Tenors, will be performing at St. Michael's Church in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 8.

Ticket sales will support St. Michael's, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Angels (Bay Ridge). And Irish Soprano, Deirdre Masterson, will also be performing. You can buy tickets at $35 by calling 718 768-6065. Check out the link to the article for more information.

Saturday and Sunday have Free Music for the Kids

Two chances for free music over the weekend. Both are lovely, child-focused, and I can personally recommend each set of performances (as if you trust my opinion).

On Saturday, enjoy the sounds of Fati & Charles, the wife and husband team that sings fun children's songs in Spanish. They will be singing at Coco Roco (392 5th Avenue), starting at 3:30 PM. They also use props like shaker eggs and animal-shaped sponges to help the kids participate in the songs. Check out their website and listen to clips of songs.

On Sunday, check out City Stomp at 4 PM in Slope Park (6th Avenue and 19th). Kevin, the creator of City Stomp, used to do Music Together of Greenwood Heights.

from the email:

Come see Kevin and Nick play City Stomp songs and other originals at Slope Park this Sunday at 4:00. The park is hosting a party for kids and we will be playing for about 40 minutes. The party goes from 3:00 to 6:00, so come out and play! Slope Park is located on 6th Avenue between 18th Street and 19th Street.

Ill Style & Peace in the Park

Ill Style & Peace will provide this Wednesday's entertainment at 10:30 AM in the Park. As far as I can tell, this show will include music, dance, puppets, and readings. It's geared towards ages 3 - 10. That's courtesy of the "Where to Go" calendar from The Brooklyn Paper.

Tomorrow's Green Market Will Be Musical

If you stop by the Green Market on 4th Avenue and 59th Street tomorrow, hang around for the 10:30 AM music from Fati & Charles. They have a new CD out with children's songs, and they plan on sharing lots of music will us all tomorrow.

from their email:

The songs are from our new CD called El Baile del Sombrero...There's a salsa about a rag doll, a story about a rabbit named Teo who forgets he likes carrots, and a song about Chloe's best friend, her manta. We will have hats, shakers, and sponges for the kids and adults to play with.

We are Brooklyn parents (Fati comes via Argentina) who love playing music and dancing and singing with kids. To see some more about us or hear some of our music go to abbasubi.com

We're playing at the Sunset Park Greenmarket this Saturday, July 18th at 10:30 am and then in Sunset Park at the Bibliobús near the 6th Avenue and 44th Street entrance on Wednesday, July 22nd at 2:00 pm.

See you there!

Salsa at the Waterfront

It's rain or shine, and it starts at Noon on June 27th. Head down to the 58th Street Pier on 1st Avenue for lots of music and good times.

Fat Free Guacamole at Under Minerva

So I saw the Rolie Polie Guacamole post that Under Minerva put up on Twitter, and I got really excited. I love guacamole. I figured they had decided that champagne is nice with art, but guacamole will really bring 'em in. However, going over to the website description of the event proved to be slightly disappointing. But only for a couple of seconds.

Apparently, Rolie Polie Guacamole is a band that makes music for kids. They are playing at Under Minerva on Saturday at 3 PM. It's $5, but kids 0-2 are free. Check out the details at the website.

A Music Man Spotted at Sunset Library

photos courtesy of Rachel, Sunset Park event attender extraordinaire

Sadly, I only found out about this event after the fact. Last Thursday, the Sunset Park library hosted a kiddie concert with Louie Miranda. From what I heard (thanks, Rachel!), "he had the kids eating out of his hands by the end." There were songs, instruments to play, and everyone's favorite activity: the parachute. Louie Miranda (formerly of Sunset Park, now living in another area of Brooklyn) has some videos on YouTube. Here's one that teaches you a musical mnemonic, or you can listen to a lullaby in Spanish. They are both great for kids and those who love them.

It takes a special kind of person (in a really good way) to entertain kids without being creepy. He's able to do that. And he can sing without using goofy voices! Bonus! Check out the link to his website above for more songs and information about booking him for events and parties.

Diapason Gallery hosts Electro-Acoustic Musicians

The relatively new arrival to Sunset Park's Industry City, the Diapason Gallery is continuing its artistic offerings tonight at 8 PM. The greatest thing about the description of tonight's event is that the bio for Dan Joseph includes (b. 1966). I guess I'm getting close to an age when the birth year is so far away that it needs a parenthetical. Sheesh.

Anyway, the show at Diapason Gallery is FREE (gotta love that), and it will include two musicians: Dan Joseph and Miguel Frasconi. As described on the website, they will "improvise within Diapason Gallery's multi-channel sound environment." What is a multi-channel sound environment? If you don't know, I suppose you'll have to check out the show to find out.

Diapason Gallery 882 Third Avenue (between 32nd and 33rd Street), 10th floor
Brooklyn NY 11232
Subways: D, N, R to 36th Street
Phone: 718.499.5070

Shara Worden is Doing the Rounds

When new movies come out, the actors show up on talk shows and entertainment shows. When a tour comes to town, or a new album is released, the musicians are interviewed by TimeOut and, apparently, Gothamist. Shara Worden is doing her duty as My Brightest Diamond's leader.

Check out how TONY highlights Shara Worden's apartment, and read the Gothamist Q&A here.

The image is the cover of A Thousand Shark's Teeth, the new album from My Brightest Diamond.

St. Jacobi Hosts its Messiah Community Sing-In on December 14

Need some help getting into the holiday spirit? Want more music in your life? Prefer holiday music when its indoors and live? Like free events? Well, stop by St. Jacobi's Messiah Community Sing-In on December 14th at 4 PM. The Sing-In will be conducted by Dr. Thomas Schmidt, the director of music for St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Manhattan.

St. Jacobi is located on 4th Avenue at 54th Street, and its concerts are free and open to the public.

St. Jacobi Hosts Concert for the Public on November 9th

The final St. Jacobi concert before their Christmas concert will be November 9th at 4 PM. It will feature Michiyo Tanaka and the Praise in the Wind Singers. St. Jacobi is on 4th Avenue at 54th Street, and the concerts are free and open to the public.

2nd Sunday Concert at St. Jacobi

Drop by 54th and 4th on October 12th for a concert featuring harpsichordist Rebecca Pechefsky.

St. Jacobi hosts free, public concerts every second Sunday at 4 PM.

Light Industry: Live Saxophone with a mix of whiskey, crooked grins, and Kinky Sex (kind of)

This Tuesday at 8 PM Light Industry will be home to the kidnapped sounds of the saxophone. The artists' goal is to "make it sing...divert its song from the eternal fonts of dime-store muzak...[get it] stripped down, naked and raw" to take a different look at the saxophone's "ecstatic squeal." Phew! I guess the promised whiskey shots are a good idea.

The saxophone will be played (and stripped) by Briggan Krauss, and Rebecca Cleman, a writer, curated the show. See Light Industry's site for more detail.

Light Industry hosts film, music, art, and more every Tuesday. Tickets are $6 at the door. The door is at 55 33rd Street, on the 3rd floor.

St. Jacobi Hosts Concerts on the 2nd Sunday of Each Month

I wish I'd known about this a long time ago. Every second Sunday of the month St. Jacobi hosts free concerts for the community. The concerts are with professional musicians from around New York City. The September 14th concert is with The Sepia Ensemble. I haven't been able to find much information about The Sepia Ensemble, so if anyone knows what type(s) of music they perform or some background, please let me know! Concerts are at 4 PM, and they are free and open to the public.

St. Jacobi is on 4th Avenue at 54th Street. It was the first "Then and Now" that I featured here.

Enjoy!

What You See in Sunset Park: Impromptu Music Performances

This man was playing towards the sunset earlier in the week. He was pretty good, but it sounded more like practice of excerpts than performance of pieces.

These two men were deep in discussion instead of playing when I walked by, but I'm sure it made for pleasant listening for other passersby and the coops they were facing.

Sunset Park Mom at the Lyceum

Heather Bennett, a Sunset Park resident, will be performing with the Cortelyou Composers Collective for Jazz on Wednesdays at the Brooklyn Lyceum tomorrow night. There are two shows, one at 8 PM and the next at 9:30 PM. The price is $10 at the door. The Lyceum is at 227 4th Avenue, a short walk to President from the Union R stop. Stop in and support Heather and the Collective.

The Collective is a group of ten artists, and they will be premiering new works. Here's a list of the band members:

Arun Luthra, Matt Renzi, Norbert Syatchel: Reeds
Mike Boscarino, Jack Davis: Trombones
Heather Bennett, Julie Milgram: Vocals
Gary Fisher: Piano
Mary Anne McSweeny: Bass
Chris Benham: Drums

They have a MySpace page, if you want to check them out.

Fun Friday Mentions Involving Sunset Park

The New York Times included 23rd Street in Sunset Park for a positive event! Let's hear it for murals.

The Brooklyn Paper highlights The Mumbles, a Sunset Park-based band (even though they are performing in Williamsburg).

What You See in Sunset Park: Drumming and Ribbon Waving

Every morning you can see members of the Chinese community singing, waltzing, practicing sword-dancing, and exercising in Sunset Park. However, some days are more colorful than others. This morning was particularly interesting, as shown by the photos sent by Vanessa of veesvision.com. The ribbons are brighter than usual, and the drums don't come out everyday. Quite a visual treat.