Be still my beatboxing heart–10 p.m. is go time for La MaMa’s fourth annual American Human Beatbox Festival.
Veteran vocal percussionist Kid Lucky, the festival’s co-founder, will emcee events through the weekend, beginning with tonight’s open mic featuring 25 curated beatboxing acts.
Tomorrow, artists such as D-Cross, Emcee Grafitti, DECM, Esalaah, Mandibul, Kenny Urban, BBK, Baba, and King Homeboy will compete in the American Beatrhyme Championships (a combination of beatbox sounds and scatting, words, rhymes, humming and scratching). Participants travel from as far as Australia to compete. Julia Dobner-Pereira, coordinator of the festival, said that the winner – as chosen by Kid Lucky, Tah Phrum Duh Bush, and Lethal FX – will receive “a pretty hefty cash prize.” We’re not sure how much that is, but it sounds like a lot.
Kids are invited to partake in a workshop on Saturday morning hosted by Kid Lucky and last year’s champ, Kaila Mullady. Dobner-Pereira said she expects 30 to 40 students, ages 4 to 16. Over the past few months, Dobner-Perera said the two teachers have led virtual courses through La MaMa’s partner organization, CultureHub, with students in underserved communities as far away as Alaska.
“The Sounds of Comedy and Drama,” Saturday evening’s program, will conclude with a midnight jam session.
The encore, Sunday afternoon’s “Hip-Hop Subway Series” is a traveling show that starts at La MaMa’s Great Jones Studios before jumping on the 6 to rap, riff and rhyme on the subway alongside entertainers from the Bronx at the Pregones Theater’s “March is Music” festival.
Tickets are $15 each or 2-for-$20 in advance, and $20 same day.
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