Afro-Cuban Concert & Dance Party
featuring Yissy García and Bandancha
Michigan League Ballroom
February 9, 2018 at 8pm

University of Michigan Center for World Performance Studies hosts the sensational young Cuban drummer, Yissy García and her band Bandancha from February 8-12, 2018. The highlight of this four day residency will be a performance by the band at the Michigan League Ballroom at 8pm on Friday, February 9, followed by a dance set by DJ Jigüe.

Growing up the daughter of famed drummer Bernardo García in Cayo Hueso, a neighborhood in Havana considered the cradle of rumba and Afro Cuban rhythms, Yissy Garcia was already immersed in the tradition when she discovered jazz as a teenager. But the founding of her own band, Bandancha, was rooted in a desire to see people dance to her music. She says, “The reason I put this band, this fusion, together is because I love to see people dancing, enjoying themselves and ignoring that chip that says that jazz is not for dancing.” In order to accomplish this task, she recruited well known Cuban DJ El Jigue, accomplished in the hip hop art of scratching, who plays live with the rest of the musicians in the group. Not only do Yissy & Bandancha exemplify the adaptation of traditional music to new forms and younger audiences, but also the adaptation of technology to a new performance environment.

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Center for World Performance Studies, at 734-936-2777, at least one week in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the University to arrange.