Author Archives: Meredith Cutler

An open band of brass, reeds and drums, there are over 30 musicians and dancers in the ERB family. Their musical influences range from New Orleans jazz to Middle Eastern klezmer, Spanish revolutionary songs to funk, rhythm & blues.

This young jazz master from Trinidad defies easy categorization – a student of pan-Caribbean music, as fluent in the horn riffs of New Orleans brass as he is the Spanish rhythms of the islands. Etienne Charles will discuss the many influences in his life and education that have helped shape his career.
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What do you get when you combine sultry Cuban music with propulsive funk beats? PALO!, a Miami-based band that is reinventing the classic Cuban sound for the next generation.

Providence’s favorite puppets from another planet will touch down at PVDFest for an extraterrestrial public spectacle and space-funk dance party!

Rhode Island’s favorite hometown rapper joins forces with our own master of rhythm for a very special PVDFest performance. Chachi Carvalho and Sidy Maiga are the International Rebels. Combining Chachi’s poignant lyricism and positive hip-hop vibes with Sidy’s polyrhythms and propulsive energy, this special collaboration is sure to get the party started.

Montreal’s Betty Bonafassi is a true musical traveler, using her deep, booming voice to explore everything from jazz to electronic to American roots music. Her latest album, “Lomax”, revisits the turn-of-the-century slave songs recorded by famed ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax. Mixing modern electronics with early Delta roots and her signature contralto vocals, “Lomax” is Betty’s tour de force.

Bettye LaVette is a true legend of blues and soul with a career spanning more than 50 years – but it’s only within the last decade that she has truly earned recognition as one of America’s finest vocal talents. Huffington Post dubbed her “the High Priestess of R&B.”

One of Honduras’ most gifted performers, Aurelio is a singer-songwriter known for his powerful and evocative voice, as well as a brilliant guitarist and percussionist.

Now entering our 15th anniversary year, FirstWorks has grown steadily since our founding in 2004. Discover current career opportunities where you can have an impact on creating access and engagement with the arts, and bettering the lives of children across Rhode Island.

Cranston St. Armory: Animated by Art uses the arts as a focal point to engage community stakeholders around envisioning a bright future and multiple creative uses for this historic site, built in 1907 in the heart of Providence’s West End neighborhood.