Music, Film & Spoken Word of the Borough

Now in its 11th season, our signature monthly series Bronx Rising! showcases Bronx artists, music genres, and themes rooted in Bronx history and culture. Multidisciplinary events include artist presentations, comedy, poetry, book readings, film screenings with Q&As, and musical performances. Curated by awarded-winning folklorist Elena Martinez and eight-time Grammy-nominated percussionist Bobby Sanabria, this series attracts visitors from across NYC and beyond to celebrate women in jazz, explore Garifuna and Puerto Rican holiday traditions, engage in conversations with master musicians (e.g. Ray Santos), and much more. Check out clips from past Bronx Rising! events on our Videos Page! YouTube page!

Presented every December as part of the Bronx Rising! program, Puerto Rican and Garifuna musicians and dancers come together to perform their parranda and paranda traditions to showcase the close connections between them.

Check out clips from past parrandas on our Videos Page!

We celebrate women jazz musicians, especially from the Bronx, with a series that honors the jazz vocalist, Maxine Sullivan, who made the Bronx her home and contributed widely to its civic life.

Based on the flamenco concept of song traditions that move back and forth across the

Atlantic both ways, not just from Europe to the Western Hemisphere, this series brings

musical traditions together to share their commonalities and learn about their

innovations. We’ve looked at rumba in flamenco, son jarocho and Cuban traditions; as well as the petenera and fandango  in Mexican and flamenco genres.

During the holidays in Puerto Rico groups of strolling musicians go from home to home singing

the songs of the season—aguinaldos and other carols. This procession is called a parranda. In

the Melrose neighborhood, with the highest concentration of casitas (little houses built in

community gardens, evoking those of the Puerto Rican countryside), our parrenderos go from

casita to casita, ending at the most famous and oldest casita, Rincon Criollo. It happens every

Winter Solstice in conjunction with Make Music New York.

An award given to those Bronx musicians who work spans artistic excellence, education and

civic engagement. Past awardees have included: Arlene Smith, Benny Ayala, Luz Soliz, Valerie Capers, Bertha Hope, Jose Rivera, Gilberto "Pulpo" Colon and Gene Golden. Check out clips from past events on our Videos Page!

Co-sponsored with The Fox & King, this concert series features local and emerging rock, R&B, and reggae bands. Our host is rock drummer and music industry legend, Marco Soccoli.

Inspired by the sounds of the Bronx a generation ago when drums filled the air from parks and

rooftops, during the summer months we present monthly Saturday Cuban rumbas and Sunday

Puerto Rican bomba and plena jams in the BMH Amphitheater.

During the pandemic we began a Friday evening series BM@HC (Bronx Music @ Home Concerts), a weekly musical concert series performed by some of the artists who have performed the BMHC stage - from the artist's home to your home.

Interviews with master musicians from the Bronx. In the past we have interviewed:

Helen Merrill (jazz), Ray Santos (Latin jazz) and Eddie Montalvo (salsa).

Our comedy series hosted by Peaches Rodriguez also includes music, dance and magic!

Open spoken word. All languages welcome. Hosted by Lyrical Bliss.

Led by the BMHC’s co-Artistic Director, drummer and percussionist Bobby Sanabria, this series

explores all things percussion with interviews, workshops and performances.

Hosted by G1 and Rodstarz of Rebel Diaz, this series brings together artists and activists to

discuss issues such as Black Lives Matter, Black & Brown solidarity, The People vs Mass

Incarceration, and the Haitian/Afghan Refugee Struggle.

Interviews by authors who have new books with topics about music, the Bronx or both.

The Bronx UpRise Theater is a program of the Bronx Music Heritage Center. Our goal is to strengthen the voices of our Bronx community by providing theatre training and a space for the creation and presentation of theatre works. The Bronx UpRise Theater Program will help provide a successful pathway for these voice to be heard and their stores to be seen.