Rhythm Exchange
Weekly Cultural Activation on the New Haven Green
In partnership with City of New Haven, Proprietors of the New Haven Green and New Haven Town Green District
Gather on the New Haven Green from 12:00PM–1:30PM for a FREE afternoon of live music and fellowship. From DJs, to Bomba, Latin Funk to Jazz, and Southern Italian Folk Music and Dance, we are celebrating the diversity of our city with new events added as we go! Bring your lunch or grab one from a food vendor and join the party! Food truck vendors, lawn games and seating will be available during the duration of these events.
Past Events
Afro Future, Afro Chic
A Fashionable Showcase
Afro Future, Afro Chic: A Fashion Showcase celebrates innovation and creativity as part of the Rhythm Exchange series. This lunch-time "party" is presented in collaboration with the International Festival of Arts and Ideas and The Elements of Abundance. Attendees will vibe to a live DJ's Afro Beats mix while having access to a pop-up 6th Dimension photo experience curated by Juanita Sunday! A fashion face-off will take place on the New Haven Green.
Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra
Jazz Combo
Allen Lowe grew up in Massapequa Park, New York in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He started playing saxophone in jazz groups at age 15 and had some of his first jazz experiences, as a teenager, at the legendary Lower East Sideclub Slugs, seeing Ornette Coleman’s band and Charles Mingus, among others.
Dooley-O and Ch'Varda
DJ Jam & Dance Party
We're throwing a Dance Party on the New Haven Green! Come on down and get your body moving to the groovy beats of Dooley-O and Ch'Varda as we celebrate the kick-off at Rhythm Exchange 2023.
Tai Chi with The Stressbender
Martial Arts & Tranquility
Join Shirley Chock, aka "The Stressbender," in an hour of stress-relieving Tai Chi on the New Haven Green! New to the form? No problem! Shirley will share solo demonstrations and teach some mini-classes so participants can move along with her. All ages and levels are welcome in this family-friendly class that brings generations together to move and exhale. No equipment required.
Honoring Eastern Woodland Culture
Indigenous Rights & Acknowledgement
Experience a vibrant afternoon of drum, dance and teaching of Indigenous human rights and land rights in this afternoon of cultural sharing on the New Haven Green. Host Dr. Jackson McArthur, Wabbaquasett Nipmuc Tribe, will be joined by members of the Seekonk Wampanoag, Hassanamisco Nipmuc in an honoring of Eastern Woodland Culture.
The Bossa Nova Project
Brazilian Music & Happiness
The Bossa Nova Project was founded by Brazilian singer-songwriter/pianist, Isabella Mendes, with the intent to bring people together to share happiness through music. The project was inspired by the original Bossa Nova movement which took place during the Brazilian "Golden Era" in the 60’s, when Brazil was booming, culturally, socially and economically.
Tarantella with Alessandra Belloni
Southern Italian Folk Music & Dance for the Black Madonna
Alessandra Belloni is the Artistic Director, Founder and Lead Performer of "I GIULLARI DI PIAZZA", an Italian Music, Theatre and Dance Ensemble who is Artists-in-Residence at the Cathedral of St.John the Divine in New York City. She is also the designer of a line of signature series Italian tambourines made by Remo. She is the only woman in the U.S. and in Italy who specializes in traditional Southern Italian folk dances and percussion combined with singing that she learned in Southern Italy.
Sol and The Tribu
Caribbean Vibes & Futuristic Funk
Sol and The Tribu is a group of Cuban musicians who blend traditional Caribbean music and modern technology with a Miami twist. As ambassadors of the New Miami Sound, they pride themselves on what makes Miami “The Magic City,” with its blend of Caribbean influences and American swamp funk.
Proyecto Cimarrón
Puerto Rican Bomba & Afro–Latin Roots
Proyecto Cimarrón is a Puerto Rican bomba performance group based in New Haven, CT. The members were brought together by their love of Afro-Latino culture, a shared commitment to preserving and sharing bomba rhythms, and utilizing bomba as a gateway for advancing social justice.
