Heritage in Motion: Identity Through Music

A Three-Day Music Festival: September 14 – 17, 2023 · Fri. & Sat. 7 p.m.; Sun. 4 p.m.

A three-day music- and history-based collaborative event held at Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center. Each day’s program will feature a performance by exceptional Connecticut-based musicians, as well as an interactive experience, all designed to explore the evolution of cultural heritage and the part music plays in identity.

Friday, September 15: The Origins of Salsa: The Puerto Rican Heritage

Salsa has its roots firmly based in the Afro-Caribbean musical traditions of Cuba, but its worldwide popularity is largely attributed to the Puerto Ricans of New York. The Torres Trio – Marcos Torres, guitar & vocals; Marcos Torres, drums; Daniel Torres, bass guitar – explores the musical origins of Salsa, from its early influences to the identity of today’s Connecticut-based musicians and their audience.

Saturday, September 16: Connecticut Composers: The Musical Identity of Our State

Connecticut has been the home to great American composers of a variety of musical genres, from Charles Ives to Dave Brubeck to John Mayer. Composer, pianist, and songwriter Marc Chan explores the heritage of music in the Nutmeg State. Marc will be joined by Gunnar Sahlin, cellist; Suzanne Corey-Sahlin, violist; Benjamin Steinhardt, pianist.

Sunday, September 17: Samba, Choros, and Bossa Nova: The Music of Brazil

Featuring acoustic Brazilian jazz quartet Brejeiro: Beryl Diamond Chacon, concert violinist; Roni Ben Hur, renowned jazz guitarist; Café, Grammy-winning Brazilian percussion legend; Eduardo Belo, brilliant Brazilian upright bassist. Brejeiro will perform a creative and engaging concert, including an interactive discussion and exploration of Brazilian rhythms and percussion instruments. During the performance, Brejeiro will highlight pieces that connect American jazz, classical compositions, and Brazil’s iconic composers, as well as showing how these musical trends and genres intersected resulting in the music we identify with today.

Buy single-day tickets, or purchase a three-day pass and save!

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