Long Tales
Help revive the old tradition of storytelling with Cuento Que Me Cuentan (A Tale I’ve Been Told), an evening of songs and stories for the entire family. Hear about the turmoil that erupts when the captain of a cargo steamboat carrying hundreds of Puerto Ricans across the open seas is kidnapped. Presented in Spanish and English.
Today thru Aug. 22. Pregones Theater; 571-575 Walton Ave. between 149th and 150th streets; the Bronx. 718-585-1202 or pregones.org; Free.
Showing Roots
As the unofficial worldwide ambassador of Colombia’s Afro-Indigenous musical traditions, Totó La Momposina continues to spread the word with “La Bodega,” an album packed with gaita flutes, drums and that unmistakable booming voice. Let the tireless cantadora entrance you, as she takes the stage during the Chase Latino Cultural Festival.
Friday at 8:30 p.m. Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Park, Corona, Queens; 718-760-0064 or Queenstheatre.org. $18-$25.
Dominicana la bella
It’s a surprise that the Dominican Day Parade happens at all considering the infighting of various Dominican sects, but it’s New York and it’s summer and residents love a good street party. Join the nearly 600,000 Dominicans that live in the city to cheer Quisqueya La Bella. You’ll happily shimmy down Sixth Avenue to the sounds of merengue and bachata.
Sunday at noon. Sixth Avenue between 36th to 56th streets; Free.
The Beat Goes On
Lisa Lisa became the queen of freestyle after releasing hits like “I Wonder if I Take You Home” and “Can You Feel the Beat” in the mid-80’s. This summer, the Boricua singer is back with a new album called “Life ‘N Love” that will have fans loving her from “Head to Toe” all over again. Ask her to sing “Lost In Emotion” if you want to relive the glory days of freestyle.
Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. Red Hook Park, 155 Bay St., between Clinton and Henry streets, Brooklyn. cityparksfoundation.org. Free.
Raise the Rufo
Of all the museum parties in the city, only one is a sanctioned Nacotheque danceathon: Spend the Afternoons at ‘El Rufo’ with DJs Marcelo Cunning and Amylu Meneses as the dynamic duo spin indie rock, ska, cumbia, electro and other Latin non salsa rhythms.
Aug. 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Museo del Barrio, El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Ave., at 104th Street. 212-831-7272. Free.
Out of Africa
Follow the beat of the drums to Lincoln Center, where you can trace our Ancestral Connections from the Kongo to the Americas through the music of master percussionists Africa Aye; the rumba and Efik rhythms of Ibboru; and the multilingual repertoire of singer-bandleader Ricardo Lemvo, who may be a son of Angola but he’s also a big fan of Cuba.
Aug. 16 at 7:30. Damrosch Park Bandshell, Lincoln Center, 65th Street and Broadway; 212-LIN-COLN or lincolncenter.org. Free.
Que Viva Mexico
You don’t have to wait till Cinco de Mayo to enjoy a down-home Mexican fiesta. Feria del Sol is an annual fair with mariachis, bands, folkloric dancers and lots of good, chile-infused food. Don’t forget your sombrero to shield from the blazing sun.
Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 14th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues. Free. 212-633-7108 or http://www.tepeyac.org. Free.
Hit and Run
A standout in the “New Argentine Cinema,” Lucrecia Martel makes films that unsettle viewers–and that’s a good thing. Her third movie, The Headless Woman, centers on a middle-aged woman who has a baffling car accident on the highway, only to later remember that she may have killed someone. Did she do it? Only one way to find out.
Aug. 19 to September 1. Film Forum, 209 West Houston St., between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street; 212-727-8112. $11.
El Barrio Blossoms
Still grumbling about the gentrification of East Harlem? It’s time you take back the streets at the Hacia Afuera El Barrio Art Festival, a two-day celebration of community-made and community-shared art for kids and adults. Come and enjoy music and dance workshops, site-specific installations and interactive media pieces in gardens, on sidewalks, and throughout other public patches in the neighborhood. Sponsored by Art for Change.
Aug. 22 and 23 from noon to 5 p.m. 106th Street Between Lexington and Third avenues; artforchange.org; Free.
Less is More
“Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia understands that most girls can’t afford to splurge on clothes with the economy is in such a slump. Thankfully, the Colombian fashionista has penned “The Style Strategy: A Less-Is-More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart” to help guide those of us that want to look great and up-to-date on a teeny, tiny budget.
Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble, 97 Warren St., at Greenwich Street. 212-587-5389. Free.
Hot Stuff
David Ortiz, Big Papi may be in big trouble with recent allegations concerning his alleged steroid use in 2003, but that did not stop the slugger from launching his latest products — hot sauces. The sauces come in mild heat to triple X heat, the Grand Slam en Fuego, which includes habanero, cayenne chili and chipotle peppers. A portion of the Bosox player’s proceeds go to his children’s foundation which helps poor kids in the Dominican Republic and New England.
$7.95. For retailers check out bigpapienfuego.com