Global Groove Fest at The Academy of Music
WHO: TapRoots, ReBelle, Bomba de Aqui
WHAT: Global Groove Fest
WHEN: August 23, 2025
WHERE: Academy of Music, Northampton, MA
August 23, 2025, Latin-Funk-Fusion band TapRoots, is organizing a Global Groove festival at The Academy of Music in Northampton that celebrates Afro-diasporic and Latin cultural art forms in the Pioneer Valley and beyond through music, dance, song and spirit. It will feature Global Fusion luminaries TapRoots, along with legendary international artists ReBelle and Bomba de Aqui to engage and awaken the community in an outpouring of cultural expression. The powerful musical and cultural presentations will be stylistically varied, but united by a love of rhythm and spirit, as well as phenomenal musicianship and a message of unity and common roots. This event will be a celebration of the cultural vitality of Afro-diasporic and Latin arts, music, spirit and culture in the community, and gather people from the community to celebrate together and explore our shared humanity and cultural forms.Tickets can be purchased at The Academy of Music Box Office and online: https://aomtheatre.com/aom_event/the-taproots-movement-presents-global-groove-with-taproots-rebelle-and-bomba-de-aqui/
TapRoots is a force of nature in the community and world at large, bringing together people of all walks of life to move the body, mind and soul. Always wanting to engage and celebrate with his local community, Matthew King, lead composer and architect of TapRoots, wants to build on his ongoing message of cross-cultural community-arts based celebration, and broaden the area’s awareness and appreciation for the music, cultures, and spirit of the Caribbean and beyond. ”I am always looking for ways to bring together this beautiful and diverse community of ours, to celebrate each other, the cultures that we embody, our arts, this area, the land and life itself. I can think of no better people to do that with than my good friends in ReBelle and Bomba de Aqui, who share this mission and have been growing their presence in the Valley and beyond,” King said. “All of us are always looking for ways to celebrate our shared humanity, and find connections to each other through music and dance. It is what we humans have been doing for millenia, and what TapRoots does is to tap into the root of that shared ancient history to move the community forward so that we can meet the collective challenges of the future.”
ABOUT TAPROOTS: TapRoots is Deep Tracks with Deep Roots for the Body, Mind and Soul! Charting new musical territory with their unique and complex mix of funk, soul, salsa, afrobeat, reggae, Afrocuban jazz, rock, samba and the folkloric and spiritual traditions of Ifa/Lukumi, TapRoots travels beyond the borders of traditional popular music, bringing the listener on a journey filled with catchy hooks, pulsing rhythms, and intricate musical motifs, synthesized into a powerful, deeply rooted, listening experience. Blazing horn lines, danceable grooves, thought provoking lyrics and a tangible sense of the spirit are braided together into a powerful unified statement of joy, community, social change and upliftment
ABOUT REBELLE: ReBelle is a formidable band conceived in love, rebellion and the evocative musical talents of Manou Africa and Kalpana Devi. Kalpana and Manou's powerful voices chant meditations on liberation while instrumentals propel roots, reggae soul. Singing in 5 distinct languages, Wolof, English, Creole, French and Hebrew, their original music infuses a mystical mix of commanding African rhythms while their dynamic stage presence is internationally acclaimed.
ABOUT BOMBA DE AQUI: Bomba de Aqui is a dance and music company that performs and teaches Afro-Puerto Rican traditions throughout western Massachusetts in the central Connecticut area. They educate the community about the history of Afro-Puerto Rican music, foster understanding of the richness of Puerto Rican arts, and encourage active participation in that heritage. Bomba de Aqui is directed by Brendaliz Cepeda, the granddaughter of the famous Bomba performer Rafael Cepeda, and learned the art and its history in her family, first appearing on stage at the age of five. Bomba de Aqui’s musical Director Saul Peñaloza is a well-known master percussionist locally and abroad.
For more information, promo requests or to set up an interview, please contact Matthew King at: tapr00tshome@gmail.com
https://www.thetaprootsmovement.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TapRootz
