France Rocks Summer Fest will celebrate the 40th anniversary of La Fête de la Musique with a concert at Central Park SummerStage.
The event is co-presented with French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF). Headlined by MC Solaar, undoubtedly the most famous French rapper of all time, the concert will also feature performances by the female fronted electro-pop outfit Hyphen Hyphen and the electro-pop trio Bon Entendeur. Strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community, Hyphen Hyphen is also performing in celebration of Pride Month.
The Central Park concert is the anchor of this year’s month-long France Rocks Summer Fest, the largest festival of French music in the US, which returned to NYC this month for its 5th anniversary.
Featuring a high-profile line-up of electronic, jazz, world music, and pop/rock artists, the month-long music festival—the largest of its kind in the US— highlights the most exciting music coming out of France today, as well as international artists who draw their inspiration from French culture.
June 21st also marks the 40th anniversary of La Fête de la Musique, an international celebration of music that began in Paris in 1982.
All around the world, citizens and residents are encouraged to play music outside in their neighborhoods, or in public spaces and parks.
This year’s France Rocks Summer Fest is supported in part by the city programming initiative NY Music Month, the official celebration of New York City’s vibrant and dynamic music ecosystem, presented by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
The month-long series aims to support songwriters, established musicians, emerging artists, and NYC’s entire musical community, many of whom were severely impacted by the pandemic. For more information, visit www.nymusicmonth.nyc
“Congratulations to the organizers of FranceRocks Summerfest on their 5th anniversary, which kicked off in June and continues throughout the summer at venues throughout New York City,” said Anne del Castillo, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “The largest festival of French music in the United States is a prime example of the many wonderful programs taking place during New York Music Month, an annual celebration of the city’s diverse music scene.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate the 5th edition of France Rocks Summer Fest and the return of live music to New York City, which is once again thriving,” said France Rocks founder Michele Amar. “I am proud to present this diverse group of edgy, up-and-coming artists and can’t wait to witness the beautiful energy of audiences enjoying this tremendous music.”
Over the past five years, France Rocks Summer Fest has hosted more than 100 concerts across more than 25 venues and parks in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx and featured such cutting-edge artists as Phoenix, Air, Matthieu Chedid, IAM, Stromae, CharlElie Couture, Wax Tailor, Angelique Kidjo, La Femme, Yael Naim, Ibeyi, Yann Tiersen, Rone, Tony Allen, Ala.Ni, Her, Emilie Simon, and Ayo.
Additional highlights of this year’s festival include the punk and electonic-influenced classical composer Yann Tiersen, the Haitian singer Emeline Michel, the Gypsy swing band Sedi Dona Balkan Band, and many more.
France Rocks SummerFest is also supported through partnerships with France Rocks, French Institute Alliance Francaise, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Make Music New York, French Morning, A2IM Indie Week, SummerStage in Central Park, and the Lincoln Center.
France Rocks Summer Fest
The largest festival of Francophone music in the U.S., France Rocks Summer Fest highlights the rich diversity of music from these countries featuring Free and Ticketed concerts across 25 New York venues.
The festival presents a high-profile lineup of diverse artists for a series of concerts showcasing the best of French electronic, Jazz, World Music, Pop and Rock artists across multiple cultures in iconic New York venues throughout June.
This year’s fifth edition will culminate with La Fête de la Musique 40th Anniversary co-presented with French Institute Alliance Française NY and SummerStage in Central Park, and in partnership with Make Music NY and Villa Albertine
MC Solaar
The best and most popular French rapper, MC Solaar found success in America among fans of acid jazz and jazz-rap (if not the larger hip-hop community) after guesting on Guru‘s acclaimed ‘Jazzmatazz’ project.
His fluid phrasing makes up for his lack of English, and the production on his solo work (by DJ Jimmy Jay and Boom Bass of La Funk Mob) surpasses that of most of his hip-hop contemporaries.
Born in Dakar to Chadian parents, Claude M’Barali could’ve had a career as a footballer, but hip-hop culture caught him, and he became MC Solaar.
His first album ‘Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo’ was released by Polydor and propelled him as the legend who popularized rap in France.
His music and the quality of his texts are the result of various inspirations, ranging from Serge Gainsbourg to African music (Ivorian, Malian, Chadian) through black American classics (jazz and US rap).
MC Solaar has managed to capture the widest audience with the rhythms and lyrics of his songs, but also by his requirement to make original and very beautiful clips of his greatest hits.
Bon Entendeur
Bon Entendeur is before anything else, a French trio of friends who shares the same passion of music and who wants to use it to sublimate French culture and its personalities. The idea is simple: one celebrity, one topic, and one hour of musical discoveries.
No less than 25 million listening all around the world show the success of their concept. Today, with DJs set, mixtapes and events, they are number 1 on the French electronic scene.
From a friendship and common passions was born an extraordinary project. A collective formed by Arnaud Bonet and Pierre Della Monica, two friends who are music lovers, in love with French culture and curious to invent hybrid formats nourished by their passions.
After the success of their first album, ‘Aller-Retour,’ which certified gold, their flagship song, “Le temps est bon,” which certified diamond single, and a sold-out tour, including a performance at the Olympia, Bon Entendeur recently released a new album, ‘Minuit.’
Hyphen Hyphen
Hailing from the coastal town of Nice, Southern France, meet the explosive award-winning pop trio Hyphen Hyphen for their North American live debut at Summerstage.
Crowned with the Best New Live Act Award at the French GRAMMYs, those who did not know them yet would discover Santa (lead vocals, guitars, synth), Adam (guitars, keys, vocals) and Line (bass, vocals) on the prestigious Victoires de la Musique stage for an explosive performance of their debut single “Just Need Your Love.”
A logical coronation for those multi-instrumentalists and Art school graduates designing also their own artworks, shows and music videos.
Having become masters of the art of embracing the crowds during intense concerts – Hyphen Hyphen made a name of themselves via 500+ dates in the biggest venues & festivals in Europe.
Accompanied by drummer Zoé Hochberg, Hyphen Hyphen makes crowds dance for sure, but with their heads full of everything which has made up this zeitgeist : sexual freedom and feminism.
Dates
Tuesday, June 21
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Doors open 6PM)
SummerStage, Central Park
Rumsey Playfield, Manhattan, 10021
For more information, please visit the FRANCEROCKS SUMMERFEST official website
https://www.francerocks.com/summerfest2022/
For more information on France Rocks Summer Fest, please contact Jon Bleicher at Prospect PR [jon@prospectpr.com, 973.330.1711]
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