FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts: The William Cepeda & Elio Villafranca Sextet: Merging Roots

This exciting concert tour unites two renowned musicians, William Cepeda and Elio Villafranca, in a dynamic exploration of the shared African roots connecting Cuba, Puerto Rico, and New Orleans. Both artists are celebrated for blending jazz with the musical traditions of their homelands, highlighting cultural resilience through rhythm, improvisation, and storytelling.

Elio Villafranca is an acclaimed Cuban pianist and composer who leads the group Jass Syncopators, whose repertoire explores the influence of Caribbean rhythms on early jazz. William Cepeda is a pioneer of Afro-Rican Jazz, which fuses traditional Puerto Rican styles like bomba and plena with jazz, creating a sound that is both innovative and rooted in history. The ensemble features core members of Villafranca’s Jass Syncopators— musicians from NYC well-versed in jazz and Afro-Caribbean genres—along with a saxophonist from New Orleans now based in Nashville. Together, this sextet offers a vibrant, cross-cultural soundscape that celebrates the power of music to transcend borders and connect communities.

Artist Up-Close at 5 PM: Come out to the Boathouse Lawn ahead of the performance for a special up-close-and-personal experience with William Cepeda and Elio Villafranca. They will talk about the history of African musical influence on their cultures; the similarities, differences, and connections between their cultures; the uniqueness of each culture’s music, and how they have each developed musically and learned to combine these traditions into fresh, vibrant new sounds.

This concert coincides with Food Truck Friday, an outdoor food truck festival at the Carousel Village located across from the Boathouse Lawn starting at 5:00 p.m. We invite you to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket, grab some delicious food - and enjoy an evening outdoors with incredible music and community!

William Cepeda - Trombone
Elio Villafranca - Piano
Greg Tardy - Saxophone
Gregg August - Bass
Willie Jones III - Drums
Jonathan Troncoso - percussion

Accessibility info:
- The Boathouse Lawn at Roger Williams Park is accessible to all visitors, including those with disabilities. The area is connected by paved paths. Accessible parking spaces are available nearby, though access isles vary. There are clear pathways leading to the lawn and surrounding attractions. Some seating options are available, including park benches. Concerts take place on the lawn, a mostly flat hard-grass surface. Earplugs will be available on a first come/first served basis.
- Accessible Bathrooms nearby (at the Carousel Village)
- For questions about accessibility, contact Rainy Stanford-Cordaro

Location: Roger Williams Park Dalrymple Boathouse Lawn

Click Here to Register