Taína Asili y la Banda Rebelde Concert on Thursday, Oct. 21

October 12, 2021

The Cultural Affairs Program’s Celebration of World Music continues with an hour-long concert by Taína Asili y la Banda Rebelde at noon on Thursday, Oct. 21 at the Bulmer Telecommunications Center auditorium on the Troy campus. The event also will be live streamed from that location.

The concert promises an energetic fusion of Afro-Latin, reggae and rock music that exudes spirit and inspiration and is open free to all. (In-person attendees are required to wear a mask.)

When Puerto Rican singer Taína Asili takes the stage, whether solo or with her faithful la Banda Rebelde, she can’t help but attract attention. Raucous and rhythmic, the music dares audiences to stay seated while emphasizing the strong messages of freedom and social justice in her powerful lyrics. National Public Radio featured Asili y la Banda Rebelde in its Tiny Desk Concert series in 2016, and Rolling Stone magazine profiled the singer following her performance at the historic Washington D.C. Women’s March of nearly one million in January 2017.

The familiar duo of Taína Asili and guitarist Gaetano Vaccaro first performed at Hudson Valley Community College in spring 2010, and quickly became perennial favorites. Their most recent visit was via Zoom in fall 2020, one of 27 virtual programs offered during the 15-month COVID-19 “pause.” Asili and Vaccaro, who founded Sunangel Media, a film production company, also collaborate on film projects. “Resiliencia,” their documentary filmed in storm-ravaged Puerto Rico following hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, was screened at HVCC in fall 2018.

Upcoming Celebration of World Music concerts are HEARD on Thursday, Nov. 4 at noon and Golfstrom on Thursday, Nov. 11 at noon. Both concerts take place at the BTC auditorium and via live stream at www.hvcc.edu/culture, and are open free to all.

Contact Debby Gardner at d.gardner@hvcc.edu for more information.