Three musicians on stage playing electric guitars and bass guitar during a live performance.

riddim section

Vibrant concerts rooted in the Diaspora

Event details

RIDDIM SECTION

2026 Lineup
February 25: Edmar Castaneda
March 25: Kersten Stevens
April 29: Chembo Corniel
May 21: Andre White
June 24: Mark Adams & The Ubiquity Band

Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC)
153-10 Jamaica Ave 
Jamaica, NY 11432
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$10 General admission

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RIDDIM RETURNS

On the last Wednesday of each month, February to June, our Riddim Section concerts explore the music of the African, Caribbean, and Latin American diasporas. Created by JCAL Artistic Director Courtney Ffrench and curated by legendary percussionist Steven Kroon, Riddim Section musicians draw life and inspiration from the cultures of Queens through Afrobeat, Calypso, Chutney, Kompa, Reggae, R&B, and more.

Tickets are $10. Performances are at 8pm. JCAL offers blocks of free seats at every concert for seniors (62+) and students who live or work in a 114 zip code. Simply show your ID and a piece of mail with your current address and your ticket is free.

Riddim Section and its sister series, Thursday Night Jazz, culminate every summer in the annual Downtown Jamaica Riddim & Jazz Festival in King Manor Park.

JCAL gratefully acknowledges public support from NY City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (Speaker’s Initiative), NY City Council Member Nantasha Williams, and the Council’s Cultural Immigrant Initiative.

JCAL gratefully acknowledges operating support from the Mellon Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Matisse Foundation, Altman Foundation, and MacMillan Foundation.

A man singing into a microphone surrounded by drums and microphones on a stage, performing in a dark setting with red lights in the background.

CURATOR STEVEN KROON

Riddim Section is curated by Steven Kroon. Steven Kroon has worked with such notables as Luther Vandross, Ron Carter, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga and much more. He's played on an array of television shows from the Tonight Show to David Letterman, Jay Leno, as well as the Grammy’s. His band is a high-energy electrifying Latin Jazz Sextet. Their musicality consists of Jazz with the blend of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music.

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With Riddim Section, JCAL is proud to extend our tradition of offering live music, performed by diverse, multicultural musicians, to the public.

Artistic Director Courtney Ffrench

An elderly man is performing with percussion instruments, holding a microphone and gesturing passionately, accompanied by other musicians in the background.

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