Rumbón de la Calle
Join Pittsburgh Creative Corps artist Christiane Dolores as she hosts this acoustic musical performance series on the last Sunday of every month, June through August at Mellon Square in Downtown Pittsburgh from 1:00 – 2:30 PM.
About Rumbón de la Calle
Rumbón de la Calle is an ensemble of locally based, world renowned percussionists and drummers of the African diaspora emulating the community gatherings of their respective countries: Puerto Rico, Republic of Congo, Cuba, and the United States. Featuring core drummers: Elie Kihonia, Hugo Cruz, Kelley E Parker, and Geña. Each performance will feature a special guest and is free to attend.
Please note that all musical instruments are to be handled only by professional musicians.
This performance series is presented by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Shiftworks and is supported by the City of Pittsburgh with funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.
About the Core Drummers
Elie Kihonia
Elie Kihonia is the founder of Afrika Yetu and UMOJA African Arts Company. He was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) and exposed to both traditional and neo-traditional African music and dance at an early age. Seeing the need to introduce and promote Africa’s rich and diverse history, culture, and traditions through song and dance, Mr. Kihonia became a co-founder of UMOJA African Arts Company, in order to create an organization in the U.S. to unify and promote the arts of diverse African cultures. He performs, teaches, choreographs, writes, and produces multi-cultural productions internationally.
Hugo Cruz
Hugo Alexander Cruz Machado is a Cuban-born, award winning, international drummer and composer who has performed in South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, and the United States. Hugo is the leader of the group Caminos, who have made appearances at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival 2019, Fábrica de Artes in Havana, Cuba, First Night Pittsburgh 2020, City of Asylum, The Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust events, The Frick Museum, Con Alma, and Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, among others.
He is a graduate of the Instituto Superior de Artes, the leading arts university of Cuba, and in 2014, won the award as the “best drummer” at the international Festival del Tambor Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam in Havana, Cuba.
Kelley E Parker
Kelly E Parker, born in Portsmouth, VA, raised in Washington, PA, and became aware in Pittsburgh, PA, where she currently resides with her domestic partner Lori Russo and their two dogs and three cats. She is the mother of a grown son and many grandchildren. She founded ABAFASI in 2009 an all female hand Drumming ensemble, focusing on West African rhythms. In 2022 she became a guest artist with Rumbon De La Calle. She is the percussionist for Lori Russo and The Uppercuts, playing Originals, Blues, Soul, R &B. She is an African Drum maker, jewelry maker, crochet artist, published poet and not well behaved womyn.
Geña
Geña is a Puerto Rican musician residing in Pittsburgh. She is a lead member of Geña y Peña, Qlitterati and multiple projects in Pittsburgh, and was the band leader and lead singer of Machete Kisumontao and other musical projects in New York City and Puerto Rico. She has performed with countless Pittsburgh-based and international musicians.
Geña envisioned Rumbón de la Calle over a decade ago, inspired by the many gatherings of natural percussionists in her native Puerto Rico and in New York City’s Central Park, where she witnessed an amalgam of musicians playing their ancestral rhythms from the African diaspora. Pittsburgh needed to be exposed to this magical experience, and in her musical trajectory, while performing with some of the most talented, authentic percussionists in town, she began making a mental list and planned the execution of this dream project.
Directions and Parking
Mellon Square is located in Downtown Pittsburgh, bordered by Sixth Avenue, Oliver Avenue, Smithfield Street, and William Penn Place. Paid public parking is available in the Mellon Square Garage, directly below the park.
If taking public transportation, there are Pittsburgh Regional Transit stops at:
Sixth Avenue and Smithfield Street serving routes 61A, 61B, 61C, 71B, and 77
Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street serving routes 81, 82, 83, M, and P17
Grant Street and Oliver Avenue serving routes 1F, 2F, 3F, 4, 14F, P7, P12, P16, P17, P67, P69, P76, and P78.
The closest light rail station is Steel Plaza Station that serves the Blue, Red, Silver Lines.
For more information on public transportation and to plan your trip, please visit the Pittsburgh Regional Transit website: https://www.rideprt.org/
Accessibility and Accommodations
Mellon Square is an urban public park that is ADA accessible from the William Penn Place entrance, across from the Omni William Penn Hotel.
There are no public restrooms available at this location.
Additional accommodations may be limited due to the location of this event. Please contact Ashley Anderson with any questions regarding accessibility accommodations at ashley@shiftworkspgh.org.
Registration
This event is free to attend; no registration is required.
