International Night Series at Kennedy Plaza

Multi-cultural Lineup to Include Rock Performances

The Atlantic City Library International Night Series will rock Kennedy Plaza in both its opener and finale this summer, while continuing to highlight music and dance from around the globe.

The weekly series, co-sponsored by the library and City of Atlantic City, will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays in July and August at Kennedy Plaza, located on the Boardwalk between Mississippi and Georgia avenues. The shows are free and run approximately 90 minutes.

In celebration of the Fourth of July holiday, the B-Street Band will play classics by Bruce Springsteen, along with other American rock icons, at the series opener July 2.

Also, this August marks the 50^th anniversary of The Beatles’ 1964 concert at Atlantic City Convention Hall (now Boardwalk Hall) – and the International Night Series will pay tribute to that show with a performance by British Invasion in the Aug. 27 finale. The group will cover Beatles favorites, plus songs from other popular ’60s British artists.

The schedule features:

B-Street Band on Wednesday, July 2 – B-Street, which has performed more than 5,000 times in its 30-plus years together, plays almost 200 shows per year throughout the United States. The group’s performance will highlight songs by Bruce Springsteen and other American rock artists, including Billy Joel and Roy Orbison.
Cintron Band on Wednesday, July 9 – The Cintron Band will play songs from its CD, Cintron Live (Manteca), which features a mix of Latin jazz, salsa and popular dance music. The CD was recorded live at The Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino. Timbalero Edgardo A. Cintron fronts this 10-person band.
Taiko Masala on Wednesday, July 16 – By combining the training and discipline of Japanese martial arts with the precision and power of complex drumming, Taiko Masala brings visually stunning and breathless excitement to its performances. The group’s arsenal of instruments, all handmade by the ensemble, ranges from eight-inch hand-held drums to five-foot barrel drums, and includes the giant 250-pound O-daiko.
Caribefunk on Wednesday, July 23 – Caribefunk, which hails from Colombia, combines salsa and elements of Caribbean music – such as calypso, rocksteady, zouk, Haitian compas, bullerengue and cumbiamba – with powerful funk rhythms to create an upbeat and energetic style all its own.
Nritya Creations on Wednesday, July 30 – The creative dance style of Nritya Creations artistically blends various styles of Indian dance with western dance forms, such as jazz, ballet, lyrical and hip-hop. This style is innovative and contemporary, yet maintains the elements of classical Indian dance.
Dendê and Band on Wednesday, Aug. 6 – Bandleader Dendê is a percussionist, singer, composer, teacher and multi-instrumentalist. His band fuses Brazil’s rhythm heavy music with the grooves of afrobeat, reggae and meringue to create a sizzling dance party atmosphere.
Island Jam on Wednesday, Aug. 13 – Island Luau Entertainment presents a show of contrasts. One minute hula girls are gracefully dancing to slow and relaxing Polynesian music, and the next the group turns up the energy and heat, pounding away on the drums as the male members perform a warrior dance or sensational fire dancing exhibition.
Barynya on Wednesday, Aug. 20 – The music, dance and song ensemble Barynya of New York City is a world-renowned group regarded by some as the premier Russian folk ensemble outside of Russia. Barynya presents Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Jewish and Russian Gypsy music, along with traditional dances that are emotional, energetic and often highly athletic.
British Invasion on Wednesday, Aug. 27 – The British Invasion will perform classics by The Beatles and other popular British artists from the 1960s, including the Rolling Stones and The Who, in the International Night Series finale.