Lehman Center for the Performing Arts and GOYA FOODS in association with SAL ABBATIELLO of Fever Records presents for the Latin-flavored Dance Music Sensation FOREVER FREESTYLE 14 on Saturday, March 21st, 2020 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 fourteenth year in a row, the concert will feature performances by TKA “Maria”, JUDY TORRES “No Reason To Cry”, NAYOBE “Please Don’t Go”, THE COVER GIRLS “Show Me”, SAFIRE “Thinking of You”, SWEET SENSATION “If Wishes Came True”, CYNTHIA “Change On Me”, NYASIA “Who’s Got Your Love”, LISETTE MELENDEZ “Together Forever”, CORO “Where Are You Tonight”, SOAVE “Crying Over You”, BRENDA K STARR “I Still Believe”, and GIGGLES “Love Letter”. Hosted by SAL ABBATIELLO. Music by DJ LUCHO, DJ SOLO, & DJ WHITEBOY KYS....
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Lehman Center for the Performing Arts and GOYA FOODS in association with SAL ABBATIELLO of Fever Records presents for the Latin-flavored Dance Music Sensation FOREVER FREESTYLE 14 on Saturday, March 21st, 2020 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 fourteenth year in a row, the concert will feature performances by TKA “Maria”, JUDY TORRES “No Reason To Cry”, NAYOBE “Please Don’t Go”, THE COVER GIRLS “Show Me”, SAFIRE “Thinking of You”, SWEET SENSATION “If Wishes Came True”, CYNTHIA “Change On Me”, NYASIA “Who’s Got Your Love”, LISETTE MELENDEZ “Together Forever”, CORO “Where Are You Tonight”, SOAVE “Crying Over You”, BRENDA K STARR “I Still Believe”, and GIGGLES “Love Letter”. Hosted by SAL ABBATIELLO. Music by DJ LUCHO, DJ SOLO, & DJ WHITEBOY KYS.
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.
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 14 on Saturday, March 21st, 2020 at 8pm are VIP*$100, $65, $60, $55, $50 and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm, and beginning at 4pm on the day of the concert), or through online access at www.LehmanCenter.org. *VIP Reception: The Havana Café, Goya Foods and Lehman Center special VIP pre-concert wine & hors d’oeuvres reception will start at 6:30pm. VIP tickets include the reception and the best seats in the house. Sponsored by Havana Café Restaurant and Goya Foods. 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.
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’.
COVER GIRLS were formed by Sal Abbatiello, the Fever music promoter and owner of the famed club Disco Fever, after an extensive talent search. Both glamorous and talented, they lit up the domestic and international charts with their first single “Show Me,” followed by “Because of You” and “Wishing on a Star.” Other major hits include “My Heart Skips a Beat” and “We Can’t Go Wrong.” Originally from the Bronx, the group released four albums, selling over 3 million records, with 11 charted singles in a row on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.
SAFIRE released her debut single “Don’t Break My Heart” in 1986, followed by the even bigger hit “Let Me Be The One.” “Boy, I’ve Been Told” crossed over to pop radio and became the #1-selling single in New York for twelve straight weeks. On 1988 she released “Love Is On Her Mind” and the following year she wrote her biggest hit, “Thinking of You”, which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming one of the most played records of 1989. In 2000 she released the Michael Jackson/Paul Anka tune “I Never Heard.” After Jackson’s death, a demo tape was made of that song with the same lyrics, and was remixed and released in 2009 as his first posthumous single with the title “This Is It.”
SWEET SENSATION is a trio from the Bronx that included Betty “Dee” LeBron and sisters Maggie and Mari Fernandez. Sweet Sensation was one of the biggest groups in the freestyle genre. The ladies skyrocketed to fame with their 1986 club smash “Hooked On You,” which was rereleased in 1988 on their album Take It While It’s Hot that also included the hits “Victim of Love,” “Never Let You Go” and “Sincerely Yours.” In 1989, Mari left the group and was replaced by Sheila Vega. Their 1990 album Love Child included the ballad “If Wishes Came True,” which reached #1 on Billboard Hot 100.
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.
NYASIA is a freestyle and dance-pop singer from Florida who released her first hit “Now & Forever” in 1990. Her second single “Who’s Got Your Love” was an international smash. Her most recent album Nyasia This Is Me was released in 2010.
LISETTE MELENDEZ grew up in East Harlem and in high school formed her first singing group, which led to her discovery by producer Carlos Berrios. Her Fever Records debut, A Day in My Life, made the Hot 100 Album chart and had two Hot 100 singles, including “Together Forever” and "A Day in My Life Without You.”
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).
SOAVE, who was born Jeffery Martinez in 1968 in Jersey City, NJ of Puerto Rican descent, is best known for his smash freestyle classic “Crying Over You.” His follow-up hits included “If You Want Me,” “Don't Look Back” and “Where Did We Go Wrong?”
BRENDA K STARR was discovered by Harry Belafonte and became one of the biggest names in ‘80s Freestyle music scoring a #1 hit single with her Grammy-nominated song “I Still Believe”, later by covered Mariah Carey. Other hits include “Pickin’ Up Pieces” (1985), “Suspicion,” “Over & Over” and “No Matter What,” a duet with George LaMond released in 1991. Hailing from New York City, Brenda did film work before becoming a name in urban dance music and has also been repeatedly nominated for Latin Grammy awards for her Latin Tropical/Salsa pop songs.
GIGGLES’ first hit “Love Letter” was released in 1987 and was quickly followed up by “Hot Spot” in 1989 and “What Goes Around…Comes Around” which won the New York Music Award for best dance song of the year in 1992.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts spectacular 2019-2020 Season celebrates 40 Years of Excellence in the Center’s newly renovated, 2,278 spacious seat concert hall, with a redesigned entrance, lobby, and elevator accessible balcony. Lehman Center is one of New York’s top nonprofit performing arts centers and the Bronx’s largest entertainment venue serving over 200,000 audience members each season. Eva Bornstein, who is beginning her fifteenth season as Executive Director of Lehman Center, says, “During this milestone year, Lehman Center proudly welcomes audiences and community members to the top entertainment destination in the Bronx, which is now better than ever. The improvements that have been made will help ensure the comfort and convenience of all who attend our world class performances and events. Funding for the 15.4-million-dollar renovation was in part 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. Additionally, we will be continuing our “Take Your Seat” fundraising campaign, which will give you a chance to be a part of Lehman’s history by purchasing a tax-deductible seat(s) in your name or a loved one.”
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 2019-2020 Season is also made possible through the sponsorships by Goya Foods, The New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Department, the New York State Council on the Arts, Con Edison, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, Havana Café, and the Friends of Lehman Center.
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