SUMMER CONCERTS ON THE SQUARE: ZIKINA
The Mansfield Downtown Partnership and the Town of Mansfield host free concerts every Thursday in June and July on Betsy Paterson Square in Downtown Storrs. All performances will take place from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. All of the concerts are free and open to the public. The rain dates are on the following Tuesday, unless otherwise noted.
Mansfield residents and friends will enjoy a diverse line-up of musical entertainment for all ages. Visitors are welcome to bring a blanket or a lawn chair and enjoy the music with their friends and neighbors.
JUNE 7: ZIKINA
Kicking off the series for 2018 is Zikina! Led by Gideon Ampeire, Zikina released their debut album, The Introduction, in December 2016. Gideon Ampeire has been performing internationally for almost 20 years as a bandleader, instrumentalist, singer, dancer, educator, and master instrument maker. For over a decade, he has been the leader of Echo Uganda, a group that has spread traditional Ugandan folk music throughout the northeast US and beyond, including an appearance at the United Nations.
In 2015, Gideon met up with western MA producer and guitarist Mike Cardozo, who has performed and recorded for nearly a decade in a variety of acts including Show of Cards and Cold Duck Complex. Gideon and Mike shared the bond of having studied West African drumming at Wesleyan University under legendary professor Abraham Adzenyah. Berklee School of Music graduate Roston Kirk and western Massachusetts drummer Kade Parkin rounded out the group, and what began as a casual set of jam sessions started to progress into something special that stretched musical boundaries in a unique way. Today, Gideon, Mike, Roston, and Kade are always forging ahead, continuing to imaginatively blend Gideon's musical and cultural heritage with the wide palette of sounds and ideas that each member brings to the table.
The Summer Concerts on the Square are made possible with the generous support of The Oaks on the Square, UConn Summer & Winter Programs, Amazon@Storrs, Barnes & Noble UConn, Mooyah, National Institute of Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM), and Storrs Center Retail.
For more information, please visit mansfieldmusic.org. For weather updates and other announcements, please follow Downtown Storrs on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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