Indie Shows in Central Park

In association with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad, and Maroc Festivals, SummerStage brings a handful of artists showcasing the diversity of sounds and rhythms from the North African nation to Central Park. Headlining is Hoba Hoba Spirit, a Moroccan rock band from Casablanca that fuses rock, reggae and Gnawa (a Sufi style brought from West Africa) into a sound they call “haiha”—evoking the controlled chaos and randomness of their live experience. They joined by Hamid El Kasri, a Gnawa master trained in the Chemeli style with a distinctively deep and rich voice who performs with the three-stringed bass guembri; Dakhla Casa Xpress beginning with the stillness and warmth of the desert, and building toward the electric energy of the city; Mr ID, the DJ and producer who brought American rap beats, funk rhythms and the spirit of Jazz back home with him to Morocco, where he fused the sounds with violin airs and African percussion; and NDRK, a rising star on the dance floors of Marrakech, Casablanca, and Dubai, who also produces gems like the track selected as the anthem for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Founded in 2005, Anjunadeep is the supergroup Above & Beyond’s label, dedicated to highlighting deeper, more progressive sounds in the club and electronic music scene. With a catalogue spanning nearly 15 years, the label has brought artists such as Lane 8, Ben Böhmer, Dusky, and Eli & Fur to the world stage. Their shows have drawn audiences from Brooklyn to London, selling out across 15 countries and five continents with their friendly, welcoming, and always bumping party vibe. With releases that range from melodic house, electronic, ambient, to techno, the diversity and integrity of the label’s sound has earned Anjunadeep a fiercely loyal following around the globe and a reputation as one of dance music’s most respected imprints. For their show in Central Park, they’re sure to bring some of their best beats.

A sampling of Spanish-language pop hits Central Park, in association with the Latin Alternative Music Conference. GRAMMY-winning Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas has been a mainstay of Mexican pop since her breakout 2003 LP Sí , a lovestruck collection of sun-drenched hits that’s been described as “relentlessly perky.” She’s best known for the catchy pop found on that record and its follow-up Limon y Sal, but the one-time member of ska band Tijuana No! debuted with the significantly edgier rock en español records Aqui and Bueninvento , and has written songs for and performed with a wide range of Latin artists, from Paulina Rubio and Mala Rodríguez to Miguel Bosé and Los Tigres del Norte. She’s joined by the Venezuelan singer and composer Lasso, known for his brand of Latin pop, rock, and romantic ballads; his 2011 debut album Sin Otro Sentido made him an overnight star in Venezuela (and landed him a starring role in a TV soap opera). He would later win the Best Pop Rock Latin GRAMMY for “Ojos Marrones” in 2023.

A trio of rising Latin hip-hop stars head to Central Park for this show, presented in association with the Latin Alternative Music Conference. Of the various figures in the red hot Argentinian rap scene, none has shined brighter than Trueno, the son of Uruguayan rapper Peligro and a veteran of the scene’s battle rap circuit. His early appearance on producer Bizarrap’s freestyle show BZRP Freestyle Sessions launched him to nationwide fame and helped establish the show as a chart-topping vehicle, landing the pair at the number one spot on Argentina’s Hot 100. He’s since released several solo albums, collaborated with the likes of Bad Gyal, Feid, and J Balvin, and is responsible for one of the Argentinian rap scene’s biggest hits in 2020’s “Mamichula.” He’s joined by Milo J, who leveraged his viral hit “Milagrosa” into collaborations with Nicki Nicole, Duki, and Peso Pluma; he also benefited from an appearance on Bizarrap’s YouTube series, which led to the pair’s collaborative EP En Dormir Sin Madrid . His latest LP La Vida Era Más Corta saw him take a hard left turn into art-pop, fusing Argentine folklore with urban and experimental sounds. Opening the show is the dynamic Dominican rapper J Noa, a nimble-tongued MC with a rapid-fire flow who stunned the world at her NPR Tiny Desk performance, her first outside of her own neighborhood in the Dominican Republic.

For a century, China Institute of America has been dedicated to deepening the world’s understanding of China. In celebration of their Centennial, SummerStage brings two takes on the future sounds of Chinese pop to Central Park. The K-pop boy band NCT is so massive that it’s become its own ecosystem, spinning off members into their own sub-groups that establish their own voice. WayV are the fourth such to spin off—and its first China-based collective—recording pop songs that fuse hip-hop and dance with R&B-stylized vocals sung in Mandarin since their 2019 debut EP The Vision . They’re joined by THE EITHER, formed in New York in 2017. Their sound — Post-Orientalism — rebuilds Eastern elements for today, blending electrified traditional instruments, Chinese opera-inspired vocals, progressive rock energy, and compositions with a strong Eastern melodic identity into a bold, future-facing performance.

The violinist, singer, songwriter, and composer Andrew Bird has stretched the musical boundaries of folk in an eclectic career that spans 18 albums, developing a multi-layered sound with diverse instrumentation. His most defining work is arguably 2005’s The Mysterious Production of Eggs , which demonstrated an avant-pop sophistication with a mastery of elaborate loops, multi-tracked violin, and his remarkable prowess as a whistler. Bird has headlined shows at iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but he’ll celebrate the 20th anniversary of that record at SummerStage in Central Park with the Wordless Music Orchestra, performing the record for the first time in its entirety alongside a full orchestra, followed by a suite of fan-favorites from his nearly 30-year repertoire. Surma’s presentation is presented with support from the Arte Institute. Learn more about Arte Institute at https://arteinstitute.org/ .

Funk Flex has been spinning hip-hop and R&B across NYC’s airwaves for the better part of four decades, becoming a hip-hop institution. His R&B picnic in Central Park celebrates his birthday and this year he is bringing some R&B heavy-hitters for a not-to-be-missed throwback show. They include Jon B, a platinum-selling R&B artist discovered by Babyface whose first three LPs climbed the Billboard 200 album chart and whose collaboration with 2Pac, ”Are U Still Down,” was among the late rapper’s final recordings; Fonda Rae, an American R&B singer best known for her club hits like “Over Like a Fat Rat” and “Touch Me”; Taana Gardner, who saw early success in disco with West End Records in the late ‘70s-early ‘80s, and whose 1981 single “Heartbeat” was famously remixed by Larry Levan into a staple at the Paradise Garage; Strafe, aka Brooklyn native and producer Steve Standard, who is best known for the 1984 single “Set It Off,” which has been extensively sampled in hip-hop, house, and techno circles; and Dres, best known as one half of the duo Black Sheep, the Native Tongues group whose debut LP A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing remains a foundation of New York City’s early ‘90s boom-bap era. Joining Flex on the ones and twos spinning records between sets is his fellow Hot97 DJ M U.