Bronx Summer Jam returns for the borough’s ultimate music celebration, featuring performances from a unique lineup of local artists and DJs on June 21 at Bronx Park East.
Hosting the festival is Bronx-based production brand Sirens & Kings, a collaborative effort between production companies The Fox and King, founded by Fernando Michael and founder of Sounds & Sirens Michael Nickerson.
The Bronx has continually suffered from a critical lack of arts funding, posing a detriment to the community’s immersion in various cultures and engagement with local artists.
“The Bronx is very underserved, has a lot of very underserved communities when it comes to the arts and music. Many schools are self-sustaining out their music and arts programs. We’re hoping that for our community that we can bring a little bit of that back in a DIY value,” Nickerson said.
Despite the many funding disadvantages the borough faces, Michael and Nickerson have managed to carefully curate Bronx Summer Jam into the community event of the summer.
“What we’re doing is really bringing attention to the existing music and art scene that’s found here in the borough. We’re showcasing local talent, local artistry and in that all to kind of highlight and energize the community at large and really showcase what the Bronx has to offer within New York City as well,” Michael said.
The fourth annual installation of Bronx Summer Jam continues its mission to uplift the talents of local artists and celebrate the rich cultural history of the Bronx through this fun, free, all-ages festival, which runs from 2 to 7 p.m.
“This is what’s beautiful about the Bronx is that it’s actually so diverse. There’s a multitude of people of community, demographics, cultures, and especially the genres here. is here. You know the Bronx is the birthplace of Hip Hop, but we also have rock, reggaeton, hardcore underground music, alternative,” Nickerson said. “There’s so much here, and at Bronx Summer Jam each year, we try to show a piece of that,” we also have a blog, like a blog, um gen, blog, or underground music, alternative. There’s so much here and there are so many gen each year. We try to show a piece of that.”
Though the Bronx Summer Jam is well-known for its day of free fun, Michael and Nickerson want the festival to represent even more for the community.
“That’s kind of one of the things that we’re we’re about is bridging community with music and this year we’re hoping more people in the local community and in the Bronx community at large will recognize that what we’re doing is important,” Nickerson said. “Promoting local music and community engagement is the big thing, we’re hoping that people come out more, look up these artists, check them out on their Spotify and Instagram.”
This year’s festival presents a dynamic experience with two exclusive stages, The Kings Artist Stage and The Sirens DJ Stage, named after the two founding production companies. Each stage offers performances from a variety of local artists, showcasing the diverse artistry that flows from the Bronx.
Kicking off the performances at The Kings Artist Stage is reggaeton artist Adrian Read, up and coming R&B singer-songwriter Saay Park and pop punk band Ghost Tour, with several featured performances from a variety of other local artists.
Three DJ’s are set to take on The Sirens DJ Stage; emerging talents To The Top, F1rstClass and The Other Day.
“We always try to incorporate a big like a different a wide array of genres. We have rock bands, we have Hip Hop artists, we have solo artists, we have DJs that play hip-hop and EDM and a lot of these are locals,” Nickerson said. “It really is important to bring all the different flavors that we can really show in the Bronx that are usually not focused on.”
After only four years, Bronx Summer Jam has earned its first series of sponsorships from several Bronx small businesses and local vendors, allowing the festival to expand its activities and heighten engagement for festivalgoers.
“The local community and local sponsors are the heart of our summer camp. We definitely would love to partner with larger sponsors and marketing partners, but we want to do that while keeping our community groups and our local grassroots approach,” Nickerson said.
Though this year’s Bronx Summer Jam is geared up to kick off for a day of brightening the borough, for Michael and Nickerson, the borough brightens them.
“Compared to all the major festivals in New York City, I think East Village as a whole, a lot of the Bronx know that we are here, we are providing for them. This of course has caused a lot of attention to be focused on the Bronx, and a lot of the people figure what we have or what we can deliver as Bronxites, as community organizers,” Nickerson said. “So at every level we love that intensity we love that appreciation but at the heart it is for our community as well.”
To keep up with everything Bronx Summer Jam has to offer now and in the future, visit the festival’s official website here.
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