03/27/2025
Here's the press release about what's in store for this weekend's Under the Beams concert in New Harmony!
Under the Beams Concerts presents Biribá Union
Under the Beams continues its 25th Anniversary year celebration of concerts, and their motto of “bringing the world to our stage,” as they present Biribá Union in New Harmony’s Murphy Auditorium on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 7:30pm.
The ensemble, Biribá Union, brings an incredible fusion performance that will leave you amazed that three musicians can produce such amazing music! Borrowing its name from a Brazilian wild sugar-apple, Biribá Union features Mike Block (cello, vocals), Christylez Bacon (beatbox, guitar, rhymes) and Patricia Ligia (electric bass, vocals). The trio met through Silkroad Ensemble’s Global Musician Workshop, initially bonding over their shared love of Brazilian music. They quickly began co-writing new music that draws on the freestyle theatrics of hip-hop and Go-go music; the effortless beauty of Brazilian forró and choro rhythms; the earthiness of American roots music, and the improvisational spontaneity of jazz. Mike Block is a multi-style cello player, composer, singer, and educator, with a passion for cross-cultural collaborations. Hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene.” (Gramophone), he was acclaimed by the New York Times for his “vital, rich-hued solo playing,” and “a true artist... a sight to behold” by Salt Lake City Desert News. In addition to solo performances, Mike’s touring bands include Biribá Union, Mike Block Trio, duo with Indian tabla player Sandeep Das, and a West-African fusion band with Balla Kouyaté. Since 2005, Mike has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, founded by Yo-Yo Ma, with whom he earned a 2017 Grammy® Award. As an innovator, Mike is among the first wave of cellists to adopt a strap to stand and move while performing using his own patented design, The Block Strap, and is the Musical Instrument Consultant for Forte3D, the world’s first 3D-Printed carbon fiber cello. In 2020, Mike founded Play For The Vote, which organizes musical performances at polling locations across the country on Election Days, with the goal of creating a more positive voting experience. As an educator, Mike is dedicated to creating transformative experiences and is the Founder/Director of the Mike Block String Camp in Vero Beach, FL, Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop in Boston, MA and Hangzhou, China, and teaches over 400 cello students online through his Multi-Style Cello School at ArtistWorks.com. Mike earned his master’s degree from The Juilliard School and since 2018 he has been on faculty at the New England Conservatory. Christylez Bacon (pronounced: chris-styles) is a Grammy Nominated Progressive Hip-Hop artist and multi-instrumentalist from Southeast, Washington, DC. As a performer, Christylez multi-tasks between various instruments such as the West African djembe drum, acoustic guitar, and the human beat-box (oral percussion), all while continuing the oral tradition of storytelling through his lyrics. With a mission towards cultural acceptance and unification through music, Christylez is constantly pushing the envelope – from performances at the National Cathedral, to becoming the first Hip-Hop artist to be featured at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, composing and performing with the National Symphony Orchestra and Princeton Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions, collaborating with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and creating an intentional culture exchange project and subsequent documentary between Washington, DC and Brasilía, Brazil. Patricia Ligia is an electric bass player and composer from Montevideo, Uruguay. In addition to playing regularly in pop superstar Karol G’s touring band, with whom she has performed on Saturday Night Live, NPR’s Tiny Desk, The Today Show, and stadium shows around the world, Patricia is co-founder of the band Mestizas - a musical group specialized in the fusion of flamenco, jazz, and various Latin American and Caribbean folklore genres, where she plays bass, sings, and arranges the music. Patricia leads Group ‘O’, with whom she has performed in the Boston and Miami area, playing original music and her own arrangements of Brazilian and Latin music. She constantly collaborates with other artists as a bassist and as an arranger and has short-term plans to record her own 100% original music album. She graduated from Berklee College of Music with a major in Jazz Composition. These three world class musicians come together on our stage, forming a dynamic trio that blends original music with global influences, creating a fresh and accessible sound. Each member draws from their diverse backgrounds, such as Brazilian, Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical, Hip-Hop, Funk, and Pop styles, synthesizing them through original compositions and songs that highlight their improvisational spontaneity and high-energy, stage presentation. Don’t miss this concert!
Our final concert will be April 12th, featuring the Cajun supergroup, The Revelers. Helping us wrap up our 2025 season and celebrate the 25th Anniversary milestone, this high energy group knows how to have a good time! The Revelers’ brand of Louisiana music is a masterful mix of Cajun, zydeco, and ‘50s inflected swamp rock, featuring new compositions that capture the spirit and drive of their stylistic origins, presented by a band of musicians playing at the top of their game.” A great celebration concert to conclude our 25th season!
Under the Beams is a non-profit, 501c3 organization dedicated to bringing arts and educational programming to the New Harmony region through concerts and musical outreach programs for area students of all ages. This programming is not possible without contributions from our supporters and our all-volunteer staff and crew. Adult Single Tickets are $40; Student tickets $10/concert. ($5 fee/order) To order tickets or make a contribution to Under the Beams, or make a donation for education programs to the Terry Becker Music Legacy Fund, please contact us at 812-682-3128, www.underthebeams.org, or send to Under the Beams, PO Box 813, New Harmony, IN 47631.
