The first concert on Friday July 5th will be a double header and feature two full bands starting at 7:30pm: The Mandingo Ambassadors followed by Las Cafeteras. The Mandingo Ambassadors are a well-known, Guinean Afro-Jazz Ensemble lead by New Haven guitarist, Mamady Kouyaté. Through years of performance and musical collaboration, Kouyaté has learned to incorporate over a half-century of his traditional Guinean musical culture and heritage into hypnotically melodic riffs that will absolutely lift you - body and soul. The Mandingo Ambassadors play weekly throughout Brooklyn and have been featured at the New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas.

Listen to their music here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26fZR8lXHdY

Las Cafeteras is a Chicano band hailing from East Los Angeles, California. Their music fuses spoken word and folk music with traditional Son Jarocho, Afro-Mexican music and Zapateado dancing. Described as "creative and socially conscious" by National Public Radio, Las Cafeteras' music "encourages people of all backgrounds to cherish both what makes them unique and what unites them all". They have collaborated with other entertainers such as John Legend, Talib Kweli, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and even Columbian pop star Juanes. This is sure to be a totally unique show.

Listen to their music here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VsJp6xS6rY