Mothers Rest Is Swingin' with Free World Music and Jazz

Mothers Rest will be "swingin'" with a free concert for the 12^th year in a row on Wednesday, July 28 at 6:00 p.m. courtesy of Berklee College of Music, Fenway Civic Association, and ParkARTS. Swingin' in Mothers Rest will feature renowned world music performers Christiane Karam and the ZilZALA Ensemble and Gian Aurelio Faraone and his quartet. The Mothers Rest playground is located down the stairs from the Boylston Street Bridge in the Back Bay Fens at the corner of Boylston Street and the Fenway. Picnics and folding chairs are encouraged, and the event is wheelchair accessible. Learn more about the event. 

Led by internationally acclaimed vocalist Christiane Karam, who has performed and collaborated with Bobby McFerrin and graced the stages of Carnegie Hall and Summerstage among other notable theaters, ZilZALA is a Boston-based world music band that draws from several cultures to reinterpret classical, traditional, and Arabic folk music. Bringing an uplifting blend of Eastern and Western influences to the stage, ZilZALA is a two-time nominee for the Boston Phoenix's Best World Music Act. When Karam isn't performing with ZilZALA, the award-winning songwriter is an assistant professor at Berklee, where she teaches in the voice, ensemble, and songwriting departments.

Gian Aurelio Faraone incorporates the signature sounds of 20^th-century Italian crooners from Sinatra and Bennett to Pavarotti and Caruso. Born in Venezuela and raised in Italy, Faraone gained popularity in Caracas and on Margarita Island, performing at jazz clubs, casinos, and hotel showrooms.  The Berklee graduate, who has performed with musical legends such as Brian McKnight, was known as the "crooner of Boston's North End" during his years on campus.

Swingin' in Mothers Rest is part of Berklee's 2010 Summer Concert Series, which brings free musical performances by Berklee faculty, students, and alumni to neighborhoods in the Boston area and beyond. For more information on the Summer Concert Series and to find out if Berklee artists are performing in your neighborhood, please visit berklee.edu/events/summer.

Now in its 14th year, ParkARTS began as Mayor Thomas M. Menino's initiative to present a year-round program of arts- and culture-related workshops, concerts, and events in Boston's park system. ParkARTS, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department's multifaceted arts program, incorporates the visual, performing, and participatory arts. The 2010 ParkARTS performing arts program, sponsored by Bank of America, will present concerts in Boston neighborhood parks that range from jazz to symphonic music. 

The Fenway Civic Association, the area's oldest community organization, works with residents, public agencies, and institutions to enhance urban living for residents and visitors. Run entirely by volunteers, it sponsors an annual Rose Garden picnic, Back Bay Fens Bird Walk, and other civic events that highlight Olmsted's historic parks and the natural, cultural, and academic riches of the Fenway. For more information about the Fenway Civic Association, visit fenwaycivic.org.