BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Summer Festival Closes Out Historic 45th Anniversary Season

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BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Summer Festival

Closes Out Historic 45th Anniversary Season

Download 2023 Season Images Here

“[BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!] counts itself among the rapidly shrinking number of indisputably good, recurring events.”

Photo Credit: Edwina Hay

BRIC, the internationally-renowned arts and media institution based in Brooklyn, concluded its 45th annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! summer festival on August 24 at the iconic Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park. The longest-running free performing arts festival in New York City, BCB! has become one of the city’s foremost cultural attractions, offering accessible, world-class performances that bring together communities in Brooklyn and beyond. This year’s theme – ‘looking to the future while honoring the past’ – attracted thousands of festival goers to revel in the magic of cultural exchange and global music of all genres, with FADER and NY Daily News touting the diverse artist lineup.

2023 season highlights include:

BRIC Hip-Hop 50th Anniversary Weekend featuring performances by Afro-futurist group Digable Planets, Southern rapper-singer-DJ Kari Faux, and NYC indie rap ingénue Wiki; a special ceremony honoring women in hip-hop with fashion trailblazer April Walker; and a screening of the romantic comedy film Brown Sugar. The Hip-Hop 50 curation underscores BRIC’s commitment to institutionalizing hip-hop culture; BRIC President Wes Jackson penned a guest column on the topic for Billboard.
Juneteenth UNITYFEST show headlined by Grammy-nominated singer JOE and Stokley of the popular R&B group Mint Condition. Actors Aldis Hodge, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Megalyn Echikunwoke also performed excerpts of speeches and other relevant literary works that amplified the meaning of Juneteenth.

A celebration of LGBTQIA+ artists – pop musician and songwriter Jake Wesley Rogers headlined the Pride concert in June, and trans indie/folk artist Izzy Heltai performed during the festival’s closing night show.
Electric performances from indie and experimental artists including Dominic Fike (who packed out Prospect Park for the Brooklyn stop of his Don’t Stare At The Sun Tour), Alvvays and Alex G, R&B wunderkind Kelela, and neo-soul artist Liv.e.
Legendary legacy and new generation rock/alternative acts including John Cale of the Velvet Underground, The Wallflowers, Rickie Lee Jones, The Head And The Heart, The Revivalists, and Band of Horses.
Jazz and blues-infused sets from renowned musician Taj Mahal and Detroit’s “Queen of the Blues” Thornetta Davis as well as a Blue Note Jazz Festival concert co-headlined by NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) and Robert Glasper.
An eclectic mix of global Latino artists – Uruguayan musician and singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler, Puerto Rican vocalist iLe, guitar duo Hermanos Gutiérrez, jazz drummer Antonio Sánchez, Bachata singer Andre Veloz, and dance collective Rueda de Oro, among others.
A showcase of South Asian artistry featuring Pakistani musician and author Ali Sethi, singer-songwriter-rapper Raja Kumari, and DJ Roshni Samlal.
Special performances from “The Empress of Reggae” Marcia Griffiths, Rennie Harris’ Puremovement dance troupe, The Chelsea Symphony featuring acclaimed violinist Lady Jess, and this year’s NPR Tiny Desk contest winner Little Moon.
A series of enlightening “In The Tent” conversations (in partnership with Brooklyn Magazine) featuring NPR’s Bobby Carter, cellist and vocalist Marika Hughes as well as Nabil Ayers, son of jazz-funk legend Roy Ayers.

Anderson .Paak
Photo Credit: Ellen Qbertplaya

Robert Glasper
Photo Credit: Julia Drummond

Dominic Fike
Photo Credit: Toby Tenenbaum

Kelela
Photo Credit: Edwina Hay

Digable Planets
Photo Credit: Ellen Qbertplaya

John Cale
Photo Credit: Ellen Qbertplaya

The Wallflowers
Photo Credit: Ellen Qbertplaya

Rickie Lee Jones
Photo Credit: Ellen Qbertplaya

Jake Wesley Rogers
Photo Credit: Ellen Qbertplaya

Jorge Drexler
Photo Credit: Julia Drummond

FOLLOW BRIC ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Website: https://www.bricartsmedia.org

Instagram: @BRICCelebrateBK
Twitter: @BRICCelebrateBK
Facebook: @BRICCelebrateBK
YouTube: BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
Join the conversation with the official hashtags: #CelebrateBrooklyn #BRICCelebrateBK #BCB #CelebrateBrooklyn

FOLLOW BRIC ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

ABOUT BRIC:

BRIC is a leading arts and media institution anchored in Downtown Brooklyn whose work spans contemporary visual and performing arts, media, and civic action. For over forty years, BRIC has shaped Brooklyn’s cultural and media landscape by presenting and incubating artists, creators, students, and media makers. As a creative catalyst for their community, BRIC ignites learning in people of all ages and centralizes diverse voices that take risks and drive culture forward. BRIC builds Brooklyn’s creative future.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Decota Letman
[email protected]

Naya Samuel
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Brittany Peterson
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Wendy Washington
[email protected]