The group, led by Senegalese artiste Meta Dia, will perform at the multimillion dollar Jamaica Center for the Performing Arts theater in Jamaica, Queens this Saturday, February 26 at 8 p.m., showcasing how they fuse the popular Caribbean art form with Afro-pop, hip-hop and soul with lyrics in English, French, and Wolof and Fulani, the Western African languages.
The production, a collaboration between the newly-invigorated Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) and the World Music Institute, should transcend borders and languages as patrons embark on a global musical journey which starts at 153-10 Jamaica Avenue (at 153rd Street) in Southeast Queens and continues to Africa, the Caribbean and across the globe.
"Every song reflects a story of my life about when I moved from Senegal to the United States; about not being able to speak English; love; fighting with friends; surviving - I write about my emotions and experiences," said the 29 year-old Meta Dia who eagerly anticipates this weekend's performance.
The Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC), formerly the First Reformed Dutch Church of Jamaica, is a state-of-the-art, mid-size multi-purpose performance complex managed by JCAL. The facility recently underwent a $22 million renovation and features a 400-seat flexible multi-use performance space.
"We are so excited about bringing the powerful and vibrant sounds of Meta & the Cornerstones to Jamaica, Queens," said Philip Willis, Executive Director of JCAL, a 39 year-old multi-disciplinary arts organization that advances the borough of Queens as the frontier of the contemporary art scene.
Watch a preview performance of Meta & The Cornerstones, www.sflcn.com/multimedia.php?id=ssJ27b5asx4
Meta and The Cornerstones have opened for reggae stars Luciano and Steel Pulse as well as Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour who personally invited them to perform at his annual Great African Ball concert at the Nokia Theater in New York City.
