Cambridge
Arts Council presents the 26th See
the ripples:
Then
get together and join us June 18th for a magical
day along the Charles River. Click to see River Festival Map (PDF) |
A RIPPLE CAN MAKE A MIGHTY WAVE: The Cambridge River Festival Ripples Through Cambridge
Music, dance and art of all kinds will flow freely along a one-mile stretch of the Charles River bank during the 26th Cambridge River Festival on Saturday, June 18 from Noon - 6 p.m. Produced by the Cambridge Arts Council, the Festival showcases the creative talent and endless imagination for which the City of Cambridge is internationally known.
This year’s Festival theme is "Ripple" -- a nod both to the splendors of the Charles River parklands that serve as the festival’s scenic setting, and to the ripple effect that arts have in enriching daily life.
For more than a quarter century, the Festival has drawn more than 100,000 enthusiastic festival-goers each year to enjoy a day of music, dance, poetry, food and visual art. Highlights this year include music, family entertainment, temporary public art, a variety of hands-on art-making activities, and vendors selling food and handmade arts & crafts.
Activities take place along Memorial Drive between Harvard Square and Central Square. Events are free of charge and open to the public.
Back to the topThroughout its history the Festival has served as a showcase for outstanding music. Three stages will be programmed and produced this year by venerable Cambridge musical institutions ~~ the Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center (Club Passim), Regattabar and The Middle East Restaurant and Night Club.
For 47 years, the Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center has nurtured folk artists and was the starting point for superstars Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman and many others. Passim presents their Culture for Kids program at the River Festival’s family entertainment stage. Culture for Kids was established in 1999 by Passim to bring free, multicultural performances to children on a monthly basis. Each program fuses music, history and performance, visual arts and traditional cooking, with the goal to provide children with exposure to other cultures.
12pm Sarah Nagel, a Norwegian fiddler and NEC student;
1:00pm Rosalba Solis & La Pinata, a locally based Central American children’s dance troupe;
2:00pm Odaiko New England, regionally based Japanese taiko drumming group;
3:00pm Ricardo Frota, interpreter of Brazilian rainforest sounds;
4:00pm Vance Gilbert, the nationally known American roots music singer; and
5:00pm The Zydecats, playing in a uniquely contemporary Cajun fusion style.
2005 marks the 20th year anniversary of The Regattabar at the Charles Hotel. The famed club opened in Harvard Square in January 1985 and has become the leading jazz club in Boston and New England. The award winning club is regularly recognized among the best in the city and in the world. This year the club has added worlkd music, gospel music and Latin music to its already eclectic mix.
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12pm David Maxwell Blues and other color ~ Maxwell has played with nearly every blues legend
1:00 p.m. Nicole Nelson Band, 26 year old blues, R&B and soul star in the making
2:00 p.m. Harlem Gospel Choir, a world-famous choir that has toured the world
3:00 p.m. David Maxwell Maximum Blues
4:00 p.m. Chiara Civello, young Italian songstress and Berklee alumna
5:00 p.m. Tiempo Libre, Cuban-influenced, Miami-bred timba musicians
A third music venue brings the driving rhythms of rock to the riverbank, produced and programmed by The Middle East in Central Square. Celebrated as a breeding ground for exciting new rock groups, The Middle East also has become a mecca for diverse cultures with its unique Kenyan Night, Rock in Spanish, Noche Mexicana, Latin Night and Russian Rock Club programming.
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12pm Harry & the Potters, local rockers on post-UK, pre-West Coast tour
1:00pm Freezepop, a rising, electropop band with two well-received CDs
2:00pm Modelo '78, Latin rockers making a name for themselves
3:00pm Beat Circus, this unique cabaret band treads the circus/burlesque line
4:00pm Apollo Sunshine, straightforward kaleidoscopic rock
5:00pm Waltham, melodic rock from Boston Music Award Best New Band winners
Cambridge choreographer Jody Weber, co-executive director of Green Street Studios, will create a site-specific dance using the famed Charles River as an inspiration. Weber’s dance will explore the relationship of dance to landscape ~ how do they speak to each another and how do they intersect in an aesthetic experience? Weber previously collaborated with landscape architect Ann Kearsay to create "Breather" on a Davis Square bike path in 2002. Weber will work with movement inspired by water, land and festival-goers.
Back to the topAs the home to street performers year-round, Cambridge brings these buskers into the mix to create small circle shows and unplanned artistic encounters. Inman Square’s ImprovBoston brings its ImprovBuskersto engage festival-goers in spontaneous participatory performances. Tunefoolerymusicians will perform traditional and original folk music throughout the day in intimate spaces carved from the mile-long festival site.
For more information about "Ripple," the 26th Cambridge River Festival, visit http://www.cambridgeartscouncil.org or call 617-349-4380.
Sponsors: The Cambridge Arts Council gratefully acknowledges the generous support of its sponsors: Novartis, Harvard University, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Bank of America, boston.com, The Boston Phoenix, Community Newspaper Company, Huggies, Avery, Dunkin' Donuts, WGBH 89.7-FM, Verizon Foundation, Cambridge Trust Company and WUMB.
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