Forever Freestyle 13 @ Lehman Center at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts and Goya Foods in association with SAL ABBATIELLO of Fever Records presents for the thirteenth year in a row the Latin-flavored Dance Music Sensation, with FOREVER FREESTYLE 13 on Saturday, March 16th, 2019 at 8pm. To Latino teenagers in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Freestyle, a hybrid of Hip Hop and disco, was known simply as “Our Music.” Returning to Lehman Center for the twelfth year in a row, the concert will feature performances by 13 groups: TKA “Maria”, JUDY TORRES “No Reason To Cry”, CYNTHIA “Change On Me”, JOHNNY O “Memories”, ROB BASE “It Takes Two”, NOEL “Silent Morning”, CORO “Where Are You Tonight”, NAYOBE “Please Don’t Go”, FASCINATION “Do You Think Its Time”, ALY-US “Follow Me”, STRAFE “Set It Off”, TONASIA “Wondering”, and SAMMY ZONE “Running”. Hosted by SAL ABBATIELLO & SPEEDY. Music by Dj LUCHO & WHITEBOY Dj KYS. Produced by Lehman Center and Sal Abbatiello....

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Lehman Center for the Performing Arts and Goya Foods in association with SAL ABBATIELLO of Fever Records presents for the thirteenth year in a row the Latin-flavored Dance Music Sensation, with FOREVER FREESTYLE 13 on Saturday, March 16th, 2019 at 8pm. To Latino teenagers in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Freestyle, a hybrid of Hip Hop and disco, was known simply as “Our Music.” Returning to Lehman Center for the twelfth year in a row, the concert will feature performances by 13 groups: TKA “Maria”, JUDY TORRES “No Reason To Cry”, CYNTHIA “Change On Me”, JOHNNY O “Memories”, ROB BASE “It Takes Two”, NOEL “Silent Morning”, CORO “Where Are You Tonight”, NAYOBE “Please Don’t Go”, FASCINATION “Do You Think Its Time”, ALY-US “Follow Me”, STRAFE “Set It Off”, TONASIA “Wondering”, and SAMMY ZONE “Running”. Hosted by SAL ABBATIELLO & SPEEDY. Music by Dj LUCHO & WHITEBOY Dj KYS. Produced by Lehman Center and Sal Abbatiello.
SAL ABBATIELLO, one of the pioneers of Hip Hop, discovered many rappers and DJs such as Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C. at the legendary night club Disco Fever. Abbatiello’s Bronx Latin dance club, The Devils Nest, is where Latin Hip Hop was born and is now called Freestyle. There he discovered Little Louie Vega, TKA, The Cover Girls, Lisette Melendez and many more. Abbatiello’s record label Fever Records is credited with releasing the first Freestyle recording in 1984, Nayobe’s “Please Don’t Go”. He is now known as the “Godfather of Freestyle” and has been promoting Freestyle concerts for over 30 years.
This concert continues the completion of the first phase of renovations at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts. Concert goers will find that the lobbies have been upgraded for ADA compliance with new ramps and carpeting, and the interior of the theater will have new seating, carpeted aisles, and finished flooring as well. The $15.4 million dollar refurbishment of the Center, which is expected to be completed by mid-2019, will also include 5,400 square feet of enlarged space, with a new main entrance and a redesigned box office, plus new administration offices and restroom facilities on the first and mezzanine floors, and an elevator. The Center seats 2,278 people in the concert hall and is the largest of its kind in the borough. Funding for the project is being provided by the Office of the Governor, the New York State Legislature, the Bronx delegation of the New York City Council, and the Office of the Bronx Borough President. Additional funding is being raised with a seat naming initiative, which allows community members to make a personal connection with one of New York City’s most important not-for-profit entertainment venues
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets for FOREVER FREESTYLE 13 on Saturday, March 16th, 2019 at 8pm are $100, $65, $60, and $55 and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Thursday, 10am–5pm, and beginning at 4pm on the day of the concert), or through online access at www.LehmanCenter.org. Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low-cost on-site parking available for $5.
TKA is a Latin-influenced Spanish Harlem hip-hop group that garnered success in the early ‘90s with their hit “Come Baby Come.” Other hits include “Maria” (1982), “One Way Love” and “Tears May Fall” (1987), “You Are The One” (1989) and “Louder Than Love.” Led by K7 (Louis “Kayel” Sharpe), the former lead vocalist of the Freestyle super-group TKA, TKA/K7 also features Tre Duece and LOS.
JUDY TORRES, known as the “Queen of Freestyle,” was discovered at age 18 in her hometown of the Bronx and quickly became a star with such hits as “No Reason to Cry” (1986) and “Come Into My Arms” (1987). Her second album produced the hit single “I Love You for All Seasons.” In late 2005, she released popular hit cover of a song by the band Journey titled “Faithfully.” Her most recent release is 2010’s MP3 album Stay.
CYNTHIA hails from New York City’s Spanish Harlem and started singing at age sixteen in a group with Safire. Her first album Cynthia (1989) featured the hit singles “Change On Me,” “Endless Nights” and “Thief of Hearts.” A year later Cynthia II was released which included the hit songs “Break Up To Make Up,” “Love Me Tonight” and the hit duet with Johnny O, “Dream Boy/Dream Girl” that reached #53 on the Billboard Hot 100.
JOHNNY O (Juan Ortiz) was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and is of Cuban/Puerto Rican Descent. His debut 1988 album, the self-titled Johnny O, featured the famous Freestyle song “Fantasy Girl” as well as the hits “Memories” and “Highways of Love.” 1990 saw his hit duet with Cynthia, “Dream Boy/Dream Girl,” and in 1993 his single “Runaway Love” made it to #4 on the Billboard Dance chart and to #87 on the Hot 100.
ROB BASE is a hip-hop rapper from Harlem in New York City that was born in 1967. His 1988 multi-platinum breakout single “It Takes Two” was recorded with DJ E-Z Rock and uses multiple samples from the James Brown/Lyn Collins song “Think (About It).” As a duo, their second hit song “Joy and Pain” also proved to be a smash the following year. Going solo in 1989, Base released “Turn It Out (Go Base)” which went Gold on the hit dance charts. In 2008, “It Takes Two” was ranked number 37 on VH1’s 100 greatest songs of hip-hop.
NOEL was born in the Bronx of Puerto Rican descent and hit the dance singles charts in 1987 with “Silent Morning” his first Top-10 hit. 1988’s “Like a Child (at play)” became his first #1 single. He topped the dance charts again later that year with “Out of Time” and released the hit song “The Question” in 1990.
CORO got his start in the entertainment business playing numerous roles in TV shows such as Miami Vice. He went on to work with pop artist, Stevie B. In 1998, Coro got his big break with the song “Where Are You Tonight,” a huge hit in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., reaching Top-25 on Billboard's Club Chart, and #1 on DMA's Dance Chart. He is also known for his hit dance songs “Can’t Let You Go” (1990) and “My Fallen Angel” (1991).
NAYOBE (Gomez), discovered at age 16 by Sal Abbatiello, recorded “Please Don’t Go” in 1984, arguably the first Latin Freestyle song ever recorded, which quickly gained airplay in nightclubs. “Second Chance For Love,” “Good Things Come To Those Who Wait” and “It’s Too Late” solidified her standing as a Freestyle innovator. She was also the voice of Selma Hayek in the film ‘54’.
FASCINATION, born in the Bronx, had a huge success with her first release, “Why Ya Wanna Go,” followed by another huge hit, “Don’t You Think it’s Time.” “Remember” hit Billboard’s Dance charts and led to a major endorsement deal with Coca Cola.
SAMMY ZONE is a freestyle singer and break dancer that grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City. He first performed and recorded with the group Release. In 1988 he joined N.V. (Noel Valei) to form the group One on One, recording the single “Parting in Tears”. Zone is best known for his freestyle song “Running” (2010). His most recent single is 2015’s “Anything”.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. The 2018-2019 Season is also made possible through the sponsorships by Goya Foods, New York State Council on the Arts, Con Edison, the Hyde and Watson Foundation, Havana Café, and the Friends of Lehman Center.
For high resolution photos, click these links:
TKA - http://lehmancenter.org/th_gallery/tkak7/
Judy Torres - http://lehmancenter.org/th_gallery/judy-torres-2017/
Cynthia - http://lehmancenter.org/th_gallery/cynthia2017/

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