Article Contributed by Shore Fire Media
Published on 2026-07-07
Photo Credit: Sachyn Mital
Celebrating 15 years of Carnegie Hall's Musical Connections program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, with performances by 6-time GRAMMY winner O’Farrill and formerly-incarcerated musicians in The Freedom Trap.
When
Saturday, July 11
3PM
Where
Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park
West Harlem
679 Riverside Dr, New York, NY
6-time GRAMMY winner and 2-time Latin GRAMMY winner Arturo O'Farrill will lead the world-famous Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in a free, outdoor concert celebrating the 15th anniversary of Carnegie Hall's Musical Connections mentorship program with incarcerated individuals at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. They will be joined by The Freedom Trap, a dynamic ensemble of musicians whose artistry was developed through Musical Connections and who carry this work forward today.
O'Farrill, who was instrumental in helping establish Musical Connections with Carnegie Hall, is the founder and artistic director of NYC-based nonprofit cultural organization Belongó. Belongó and O'Farrill have provided free music education to thousands of children across New York since 2007, collaborating with schools in all five boroughs, including East River Academy on Rikers Island. Belongó also produces the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's annual performance season, as well as presenting music and cultural events throughout the city, across the U.S. and internationally. They are currently building Casa Belongó, an unprecedented cultural and education center in East Harlem that broke ground in February.
More information on Saturday’s event:
https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2026/07/11/Carnegie-Hall-Citywide-Arturo-OFarrill-and-The-Afro-Latin-Jazz-Orchestra-with-0300PM
belongo.org
About Belongó
Belongó, formerly the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, was founded by Arturo O’Farrill in 2007. The non-profit institution is dedicated to performing, educating about, and preserving the music of all of the Americas, emanating from African and indigenous roots, through the entry point of jazz. The organization produces the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's annual performance season in New York and worldwide. Its educational programs include the Afro Latin Jazz Academy of Music (ALJAM), an in-school residency program serving public schools citywide with instrumental and ensemble instruction; the Fat Cats, a pre-professional youth orchestra that prepares the next generation of musicians; and the Global Rhythms in Our Tribe (G.R.I.O.T.), a music program that connects youth with rhythms and storytelling from global cultures as a way to engage them in anti-violence activities. In addition, it holds a world-class collection of Latin jazz musical scores and recordings.
