Ever wondered what it sounds like when someone uses the jawbone of a donkey as a musical instrument?
People are finding the answer this weekend, as the park Performing Arts Center of Union City scheduled its third annual “Hudson County Showcase” for Dec. 7 and 8 at the Park Performing Arts Center, 560 32nd Street in Union City.
Over the weekend, musicians of many ilks are being showcased. Many are major players on the world music stage. Music styles range all over the map from Latin Jazz to Flamenco guitar to Afro-Cuban. One common thread is that all the musicians are from Hudson County and live in nearby towns such as Union City.
According to Park Performing Arts Center Artistic Director Meriam Lobel, “This county [Hudson] is home to so many dancers and musicians. Many of them have performed in Europe and Japan. We thought it would be great if we had them play at home.”
The annual concert was started by the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs to recognize the contributions of artists from Hudson County.
According to musician David Oquendo of the group Raices Habaneras, which performs weekly in a Union City club, “This means a lot to us to be able to perform in a theater in our own community. Many people are interested in our Cuban folkloric traditions right now, and we believe it is important to pass this heritage on to the next generations.”
Raices Habaneras was formed by Oquendo “to preserve the music and dance of rumba,” according to a press release. The group performs weekly at La Esquina Havanera in Union City (1401 Summit Ave.) They have also been featured in the film The Cuban Americans and in Ivan Acosta’s film How to Create a Rumba. They have performed in New York City at the Beacon Theater and at Town Hall, at Newark’s NJPAC and at the Seattle International Children’s Festival. There are 14 members in the group.
Carlos Hayre, a native of Lima, Peru who is now living in Union City, is a master guitarist and is one of the first composers to add modern harmonies to certain types of Peruvian music. Hayre said last week that he has been playing “as long as I can remember.” Which means he probably picked up a guitar before he picked up a toy. “I have been playing for many, many years,” he said. Hayre has dedicated the past few years to composing and arranging and has also picked up the bass.
When asked about how he felt to be performing in Union City, Hayre said, “I feel really glad and extremely content to be able to play in Union City, especially at the Park Theater.” He added that he will be playing with an American guitarist from Jersey City named Eric Kurinski. Said Hayre, “We will be playing a mix of Afro-Cuban music mixed with jazz.”
The presentation of so many world-class musicians in a town such as Union City, coupled with the fact that many are natives of the surrounding towns, is certainly a positive thing. And the musicians involved certainly feel a communal connection to Hudson County, no matter how far afield their talents and careers take them.
Said Hayre, “I am very grateful to Meriam Lobel and to the Park Performing Arts Center for their courtesy and attention to detail when it comes to the musicians. I am very grateful.”
The program is funded in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, which is a partner agency with the National Endowment for the Arts. Funds are also administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
The performances were slated for Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8. Anyone interested in tickets can call the Park Performing Arts Center box office at (201) 865-6980 ext. 20.