Boston, MA – The French Cultural Center’s 36th Bastille Day Party returns to Marlborough Street for what promises to be the celebration of the summer! This year’s line-up, programmed by World Music/CRASHarts, Inc., features two incredible francophone acts: Yoro Ndiaye and his Afro-pop band, leading the next generation of Senegalese music with their dazzling new take on Senegal’s popular mbalax dance music, and Rupa &The April Fishes, whose music echoes with influences of French chanson, Argentinean tango, Gypsy swing, American folk, Latin cumbias, and even Indian ragas. Back Bay’s beautiful Marlborough Street will be blocked off between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets to accommodate 2,000 revelers dancing in the street. French food and drinks will be available for sale from area restaurants, making this the only street party of its kind in Boston. The French Cultural Center’s Bastille Day Party will be a celebration in true French style with live music and dancing incelebration of freedom, community, cultural diversity, and friendship between nations.For tickets contact World Music/CRASHarts at 617.876.4275, www.WorldMusic.org.
At an early age, Yoro Ndiaye used to hide in his father’s joinery workshop to create his own handmade guitars. As his love for music grew, Yoro decided to pursue music full time and dropped out of school one year before graduating from university to begin his solo career. Performing with only his guitar, he travelled throughout the center of Senegal, where he built a significant fan base. In 2004, Yoro and his group Le Yoon Wi (The Way) released their first album, “Beug Dèm” (Dreams of Leaving). For nine months in 2007, Yoro performed nightly at five of the top jazz clubs in Paris. Yoro has since become a phenomenon in Senegal and he is now considered by his peers to be a leader of the new generation of Senegalese music. About Yoro Ndiaye www.yorondiaye.net Rupa & The April Fishes is led by a young woman of Indian heritage whose nomadic upbringing and dual life as a musician and a doctor has led her to explore issues of identity and borders. Though Rupa was born in the Bay Area, her parents sent her and her older brother back to India when she was four years old. When she was ten years old, her parents fell in love with southern France and her family moved to Aix-en-Provence. As a songwriter, she began writing in French to explore music through the sound of the words and the melody inherent in the language. Their Bastille Day performance will feature their French repertoire, celebrating the mélange of cultures in the francophone world.About Rupa & The April Fisheswww.aprilfishes.comBastille Day, France’s national holiday, is celebrated on July 14th, commemorating the storming of the Bastille prison on that day in 1789. The holiday celebrates the people’s uprising against the monarchy and espouses the three pillars of the French republic: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. About Bastille Day About the French Cultural Center The French Cultural Center is THE center for francophone culture in New England. Our library houses the second largest private collection of French books, periodicals, DVDs, and CDs available in the US. Our school, a member of the Alliance Française network, offers language classes and programs for adults and children, such as seasonal sessions, immersion programs, intensive weeks, Summer camp and private lessons. As the center of French culture in Boston, we host frequent cultural events featuring exceptional guests and showcasing francophone culture through art exhibitions, lectures, concerts, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, holiday celebrations. Our members enjoy many benefits such as reduced event admission, free Wi-Fi, MFA passes and various discounts at retailers and restaurants through our Club Avantage program.www.frenchculturalcenter.org
