The PPH Museum Presents: Tony Vacca and World Rhythms!

The Wednesday Folk Traditions concert series at The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum continues  its 42nd season on July 19th  at 6:30 pm with Tony Vacca  and World Rhythms, performing a rhythm-heavy, free-flowing combination of jazz, world music, and spoken word. The ensemble combines elements of traditional African, Middle Eastern and Afro-Cuban rhythms into an athletic and dynamic musical tour-de-force. 

The concert will be held in the museum’s Sunken Garden  at 130 River Drive, Route 47, Hadley MA 01035. Admission is $12, $2 for children 16 and under, or free for participants in the Card to Culture program. Cash only please. Picnickers are welcome starting at 5:00 pm. In the event of rain, performances will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church in Hadley. The museum and its grounds are a carry in/carry out, smoke-free site. For further information please call (413) 584-4699 or view www.pphmuseum.org.

Tony Vacca’s World Rhythms uses music, spoken word and rhythm, to address topics of cultural diversity, global and social awareness, and. mixes tradition and innovation to create a tour-de-force of jazz, Ju-ju, samba, hip-hop, and blues. The band features Tony Vacca on balafon, donso ngoni and percussion. Vacca has performed in Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Burkina Faso. His work expands the boundaries of World Music and incorporates his signature blend of rhythms, spoken word, and undeniably spectacular sounds. 

Joining Vacca in this Wednesday Folk Traditions performance are Derrik Jordan and Jo Sallins.  Jordan performs on the electric violin, strings, and percussion. Jordan is an award-winning singer-songwriter and composer who has released many CDs including Brazilliance’s “Everyone Loves Brazil,” which highlights original sambas and bossa novas written in the classic Brazilian style. Jordan also performs with Jo Sallin’s Three Man Quartet, Simba, and Natural History. Jo Sallins performs on bass and percussion. Sallins has toured and performed across the United States, Canada, and Singapore with the band NEW STAR as well as collaborated with numerous musicians including the Uhuru Drummers, Matt “Guitar” Murphy of the Blues Brothers, Vishnu Wood, Charles Greenley, Dan Akroyd, and Lenny Baker of Sha Na Na. Sallins also conducts workshops and has years of experience in musical education. Tony Vacca’s World Rhythms Ensemble has received acclaim from various publications, including Jazziz Magazine, who wrote that “Their music dazzles the mind and spirit.”

Wednesday Folk Traditions continues on July 26th with The Afro-Semitic Experience. For 25 years, The Afro-Semitic Experience has been preserving, promoting, and expanding the cultural and musical heritage of the Jewish and African diaspora. Comprised of African-American and Jewish-American musicians, their performance creates an artistic response to antisemitism and racism, expressing a shared humanity and building toward a more inclusive society.

Wednesday Folk Traditions is funded, in part, by grants from: the Marion I. And Otto C. Kohler Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts;  Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through its Festivals and Programs Grants; the Amherst and Hadley Cultural Councils; local agencies funded by Massachusetts Cultural Council;  Robinson and Cole; The Adams Foundation; Easthampton Savings Bank; Gage-Wiley and Company, and with generous support from many local businesses.