Central Park SummerStage: Evening of Music & Film

Grammy-award winning musician Frank “Machito” Grillo is considered one of the most influential pioneers of Latin jazz. The poignant documentary Machito: A Latin Jazz Legacy chronicles his journey to fame from Cuba to the bustling 40’s scene in New York City to his tragic death during a London concert performance, and includes tributes from legends Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie and Dexter Gordon.

Over the decades in pre and post-WWII America, stickball - christened "the poor man's baseball" - reigned as one of the most popular of all pastimes for young boys. As played out on the streets of Brooklyn and Queens, the game arguably helped define and mold a generation. Such is the thesis of Sonia N. Gonzalez's documentary Bragging Rights: Stickball Stories, in which Gonzalez traces the history of stickball via a series of deeply personal stories and recollections.

The ever charismatic Cuban vocalist Cucu Diamantes hails from the Grammy nominated band Yerba Buena. She strikes out on her own this year with a highly anticipated live stage set that has evolved to combine influences from the African and Cuban and Diasporas. In addition to her music endeavors, she has a burgeoning film career with roles in El Cantante, Feel the Noise, and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.