Article Contributed by Anat
Published on 2026-04-04
On Saturday, April 11, Flushing Town Hall transforms into a vibrant crossroads of Latin and Caribbean rhythm with a genre-bending double bill featuring the acclaimed Guachinangos and the masterful Shiva Lakhan. Brooklyn World Wide Comes to Queens, FTH’s latest Global Mashup concert, is produced in partnership with Jalopy Theatre. The one-night-only event brings together Guachinangos’ playful blend of Colombian cumbia and Mexican son jarocho with Shiva Lakhan’s enchanting renditions of Trinidadian chutney, bhajans, and Indian classical songs.
"Our partnered shows with Flushing Town Hall are so rewarding in that we all hold the collective mission to keep folk traditions alive and evolving through performance, education, and practice. The Global Mashup series is such an apt way to highlight how cultures live alongside and influence each other in our city,” said Talia Keren-Zvi, Program Director at Jalopy Theatre and co-curator of the festival. “Brooklyn World Wide as a festival speaks to the cultural fabric of New York, how it is shaped by diaspora, and the idea that so many of us have found homes outside of our homes here. It's an honor to be able to extend this festival beyond the reach of our Brooklyn-based venue, and to share it with such a warm and receptive community in Queens."
The global dance party kicks off at 7 PM with dance lessons, inviting audiences to learn the foundational steps of cumbia and chutney before the music starts. At 8 PM, Guachinangos and Shiva Lakhan will perform separate sets, showcasing their distinct styles—from Guachinangos’ playful fusion of Colombian cumbia and Mexican son jarocho to Lakhan’s renditions of Trinidadian chant and classical song. The event culminates in a one-night-only musical mashup and improvised set. Audience members can expect a joyful convergence of international sounds, where genres rooted in Indigenous, African, Indian, and European rhythms blend to create an electrifying musical experience.
“We can’t wait to shake off our winter blues to the vibrant sounds of son jarocho, cumbia, chutney—and beyond!” said Ellen Kodadek, Executive and Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall. “Global Mashups are the musical heartbeat of Flushing Town Hall–and this time around, we’re partnering with our friends at Brooklyn’s Jalopy Theatre for the best of what today’s folk music has to offer, while continuing to pay homage to the creative diversity of Queens.”
For more information or to purchase tickets for Flushing Town Hall’s GLOBAL MASHUP: Brooklyn World Wide Comes to Queens, visit:
https://www.flushingtownhall.
About the Artists
Guachinangos delivers a high-energy fusion of Mexican son jarocho and Colombian cumbia, blending traditional and electric instrumentation to create what they call "folk fusion from another dimension." Their shows are known for an irresistible swing that turns every performance into a community dance party.
A versatile and award-winning artist from Trinidad and Tobago, Shiva Lakhan is a master of chutney, bhajans, and Indian classical song. With a career spanning decades, his accolades include winning Trinidad's Mastana Bahar (1999), the International Chutney Soca Monarch title in the USA (2006), and the Trinidad Nationwide Independence Classical Competition (2019).
About Brooklyn World Wide and the Jalopy Theatre
Brooklyn World Wide, a two-day celebration of the music and culture of the diverse immigrant communities of New York City, is presented by Brooklyn’s Jalopy Theatre. Through dance, music, workshops, and lectures, this Festival presents an array of international and diasporic musical traditions extant in NYC, exploring how they are sustained and evolve within the various enclaves of the city. The Festival has presented Iraqi maqam, Georgian harmonies, Korean percussion, Haitian Folk, traditional Chinese music, Son Huasteca, Guinean Afro-Jazz, and more.
About Flushing Town Hall
Flushing Town Hall (FTH) is a nonprofit cultural institution that presents and celebrates global arts in the heart of one of the world’s most diverse communities. As a Smithsonian Affiliate and a member of the New York City Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), FTH is dedicated to fostering mutual appreciation through multi-disciplinary programming, arts education, and hands-on learning. Housed in the historic 1862 landmark, FTH honors its legacy as the “home of Jazz” while championing immigrant, local, and international artists. We serve all New Yorkers by upholding a tradition of inclusiveness that dates back to the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.
