Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 05/29/2024
Forbidden Tropics - from left, bassist James Nascimento, keyboardist Robbie Sko, guitarist Alejandro Ataucusi, drummer Mike Dick, and drummer/percussionist David Greiff.
(MADISON, NJ) -- The Forbidden Tropics band, led by Perth Amboy-based guitarist Alejandro Ataucusi, blends Afro-Peruvian rhythms with harmonic elements of jazz. The Afro-Peruvian styles evolved from the music of the African slaves brought by the Spanish to Peru during the 17th century. The band will be bringing its festive music to the Madison, NJ, Community Arts Center on Sunday, June 9, 2024 as part of the New Jersey Jazz Society's Jersey Jazz LIVE! series.
Among the styles played by Forbidden Tropics are:
* Festejo, which in Spanish means "celebration", and is the most buoyant of the Afro-Peruvian styles.
* Lando, said to have been handed down from the bantu slaves who came from Angola. In contrast to the lively Festejo style, Landó is often performed in a minor key at a slower tempo.
* Panalivio, originally sung by the slaves while working in the fields. It was brought over by the Spanish colonizers to Argentina, Cuba, and Uruguay and was a forerunner to tango dance music.
Peruvian Rhapsody, Forbidden Tropics' latest album, was released in 2022 on all streaming platforms. The band was a headliner at last year's Middlesex County Jazz Festival, performing in Perth Amboy. Recent appearances have been at William Paterson University's Midday Concert and at the New Brunswick Jazz Project's Tavern on George. Last summer, Forbidden Tropics performed on alternate Friday nights from June through September on the Madison Community Arts Project's Rose Pavilion outdoor stage.
Ataucusi is a William Paterson graduate and a member of the WPU Latin Jazz Ensemble. He has played with such Latin jazz luminaries as trumpeters Claudio Roditi and Ray Vega and percussionist Jose Madera. Members of the band, in addition to Ataucusi, are: bassist James Nascimento, keyboardist Robbie Sko, drummer Mike Dick, and drummer/percussionist David Greiff.
Forbidden Tropics will be preceded by a Rising Star quartet led by Tinton Falls, NJ, guitarist Alexander Rausch, a member of the Case Western Reserve University Jazz Ensemble and Ellipses Jazz Combo. At age 11, Rausch began studying at Red Bank's Jazz Arts Project where he was mentored by such artists as pianist Brandon McCune, drummer Winard Harper, and bassist Gary Mazzaroppi. He founded the first jazz band at Freehold's Biotechnology High School and was a member of the New Jersey Association of Jazz Educators' All-State and All-Region Jazz Ensembles. He was also a participant in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Jazz for Teens program and was selected as a member of the Art Blakey Ensemble and the James Moody and George Wein Scholars Ensembles. A biochemistry major at CWRU, he plans to pursue a career in the medical field while continuing to be an active member of the jazz community.
The other members of Rausch's quartet are: drummer Alex Kavlakian, a senior at Rahway High School; pianist Ben Peters, a freshman at Rutgers; and bassist Damien Dudek from Pompton Lakes, who is part of the NJPAC Jazz for Teens program.
The Madison Community Arts Center is located at 10 Kings Road in Madison, New Jersey. The Jersey Jazz LIVE! concerts begin at 3:00pm. Admission is $10 for NJJS members and $15 for non-members. Student admission is $5 with valid ID. There will be light refreshments for purchase. Tickets are available for purchase online.
Funding for Jersey Jazz Live! has been made possible, in part, by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of The National Endowment for the Arts. This program is also proudly supported by a grant from The Summit Foundation
You can have your events appear here,
whenever someone reads an article about
Madison
click here for more information
EVENT PREVIEWS
WBJB's Songwriters on the Beach series presents Nicole Atkins on August 27th
(BRADLEY BEACH, NJ) -- WBJB's Songwriters on the Beach presents Nicole Atkins on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 7:00pm. Cory Blair will open the night. The free outdoor concert takes place at the Newark Avenue Beach in Bradley Beach. ** The show was rescheduled from July 16th due to the Air Quality Alert issued across New Jersey.
51st Annual New Jersey Folk Festival to Take Place August 29th
(SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Folk Festival (NJFF) is back for the 51st year on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at Davidson's Mill Pond Park in South Brunswick. The event is free and open to the public. It runs from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
The Strand presents Matt Stone as Elvis on August 29th
(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- Most 22-year-olds are chasing the next trend, scrolling through TikTok, and binging Love Island. Matt Stone has spent the last decade looking in the opposite direction.
McCarter Theatre Center presents Mei Semones on September 4th
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center presents Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Mei Semones in the Berlind Theatre on Friday, September 4, 2026 at 7:30pm. Drawing on her background in jazz guitar and her Japanese heritage, she blends inventive harmonies, intricate rhythms, and bilingual lyricism into a sound that is both intimate and exploratory.
51st NJ Clearwater Festival to Take Place Labor Day Weekend in Asbury Park
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Friends of Clearwater invites everyone to start their Labor Day Weekend at its free 51st Annual Clearwater Festival Saturday September 5, 2026, a late summer, family-friendly celebration of great live music, Mother Earth and more in Sunset Park near the ocean in Asbury Park.
The Machine performs Pink Floyd at The Newton Theatre on September 5th
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Machine Performs Pink Floyd on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at the Newton Theatre. The band has forged a nearly 40 year reputation of extending the musical legacy of Pink Floyd. Showtime is 8:00pm.
MPAC presents Melissa Etheridge: Rise Tour on September 9th
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) presents Melissa Etheridge: Rise Tour on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 7:30pm. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Etheridge has remained one of America's favorite female singers for more than two decades.
Prudential Center presents Ella Langley on September 10th
(NEWARK, NJ) -- It's been a landmark year for Ella Langley. Fresh off a sweep at the ACM Awards where she won all seven awards she was nominated for, two recent American Music Award wins, and being the soundtrack of the summer for a trio of German fans on Twitter traveling through America during the World Cup. Ella continues one of the most dominant runs in music. She brings The Dandelion Tour to the Prudential Center in Newark on September 10, 2026 at 7:00pm. Special guests ERNEST and Gabriella Rose will open the night.
The Soundtrack of Resilience: Explore Music's Role in Post-9/11 America at the Lacey Library
(FORKED RIVER, NJ) -- In honor of Patriot Day, the Lacey Branch of the Ocean County Library will host "The Soundtrack of Resilience: Music and 9/11" on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Tony Award Nominee Joshua Henry to open Kean Stage's 2026-2027 season
(HILLSIDE, NJ) -- Kean Stage is thrilled to announce that Joshua Henry, three-time Tony nominee and star of Lincoln Center Theater's Ragtime, will open their 2026-2027 season with two performances of his show Get Up, Stand Up! on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm at Enlow Recital Hall (215 North Avenue) in Hillside.
