Greek Tunes Meet Garifuna Beats at Flushing Town Hall

What happens when the dynamic beats of Greece and the vibrant rhythms of Garifuna music meet? On Saturday, October 3, Flushing Town Hall, in partnership with Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, will present a high-energy GLOBAL MASHUP concert featuring KELEPOÚRI and Gogo Norales together onstage for the first time.

In the heart of the “World’s Borough,” the most diverse borough in the world with hundreds of languages spoken, Flushing Town Hall’s signature GLOBAL MASHUP series brings artists from different musical traditions together to perform, collaborate, and create something entirely new.

During Global Diversity Awareness Month, KELEPOÚRI and Gogo Norales will each play a set showcasing their distinctive sounds before joining forces for this one-night-only musical mashup.

“Where else can you hear the sounds of Greece collide with the infectious beats of Garifuna music, all on one stage?” said Ellen Kodadek, Executive and Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall. “That’s the magic of our GLOBAL MASHUPS: bringing together musical traditions you might never expect to meet and watching something completely new come to life. Greece Meets Garifuna is a joyful celebration of cultural connection, musical discovery, and the incredible global spirit of Queens. And it’s guaranteed to get everyone dancing!”

Audience members can expect a delightful convergence of international sounds, where musical traditions rooted in Smyrneiko Greek and Latin American Afro-Indigenous cultures blend to create an electrifying musical experience.

The global dance party kicks off with dance lessons at 7 p.m., inviting audiences to learn the foundational steps of Garifuna and Greek dances before the music starts. At 8 p.m., KELEPOÚRI and Gogo Norales will take the stage for separate sets before coming together for an improvised musical finale.

Advance tickets are $30 for general admission and $25 for members. Day-of tickets are $35 for general admission and $30 for members. For more information or to purchase tickets for Flushing Town Hall’s GLOBAL MASHUP: Greece Meets Garifuna, visit
https://www.flushingtownhall.org/show-details/global-mashup-greece-meets-garifuna

About the Artists

KELEPOÚRI is a collective of musicians and dancers rooted in the Smyrneiko tradition. Infused with a diasporic perspective, the group brings a fresh interpretation to the music and dances of Asia Minor Greeks while honoring their cultural origins and embracing contemporary identity. Inspired by the historic Café Aman spaces of Asia Minor, as well as modern rebetika communities in Greece, London, and New York, the collective bridges histories, cultures, and identities through performance and collaboration.

Dance is central to each performance, merging body and soul through improvisational movement, fluidity, and feminine sensuality. Audiences are invited into this shared experience through Tsifteteli and traditional line dances, creating a space for connection and release.

At its core, the project reflects an evolving shift within New York City’s Greek subcultural spaces: an expansive and unapologetic expression of diasporic identity. Its performances have become communal spaces where people across the diaspora can rediscover a sense of home, belonging, and cultural continuity.

Gogo Norales is a Bronx-based Garifuna musician and cultural ambassador whose work bridges traditional Afro-Indigenous sounds with modern global influences. Leading his project, often billed as “Gogo Norales and Friends,” he blends folkloric Garifuna rhythms, such as paranda, with contemporary elements and creates a sound that feels both rooted and forward-looking.

With an emphasis on percussion, call-and-response vocals, and vibrant rhythmic interplay, his music carries both a celebratory and activist spirit. Whether performing at festivals or community-driven events, Gogo Norales uses his band as a platform to uplift Garifuna identity and connect generations through music that’s as danceable as it is culturally resonant.

Coming up in November, Flushing Town Hall will continue to celebrate the borough's cultural diversity with its GLOBAL MASHUP: Hollywood Meets Bollywood on Saturday, November 14.