Pamela Means presents ‘The Power of the Protest Song’

TURNERS FALLS — Jazz musician, activist and educator Pamela Means will bring “The Power of the Protest Song: Our Shared History & Present Day” to Peskeompskut Park on Saturday, May 18, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Part performance, part presentation, this free family-friendly event explores the lineage of protest songs, how their meanings were transformed over time, and how they inspired cultural shifts within the realms of racial and social justice. This curated assortment of original songs and recognizable covers will be integrated into a presentation that demonstrates how grounding, unifying and mobilizing protest songs can be. Means will also share her personal experience of becoming an artist and using her voice.

Means has performed on three continents, sharing stages with Pete Seeger, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Gil Scott-Heron, Adrian Belew, Violent Femmes and Holly Near. Learn more about Means at pamelameans.com.

“The Power of the Protest Song: Our Shared History & Present Day” is supported by a grant from the Montague Cultural Council, RiverCulture and Greenfield Cooperative Bank. The rain date is Sunday, May 19, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Juan Carlos Marin Band, Myrtle Street Klezmer to perform

TURNERS FALLS — Two bands featuring music from different world cultures will perform a free concert at Peskeompskut Park on Saturday, May 25, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

The Juan Carlos Marin Band and Myrtle Street Klezmer will take the audience on a family-friendly, multi-cultural journey from Eastern-European Klezmer music to traditional Mexican folk music.

Directed by clarinetist Jason Ditzian, Myrtle Street Klezmer is an exploration into the past, present and future of Klezmer, an instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. Myrtle Street Klezmer also features Dan Baker (tuba, trumpet, banjo), Bea Carlson (accordion), Myk Freedman (guitars), Jesse Olsen Bay (bass, vocals) and Doug Plavin (percussion).

The Juan Carlos Marin Band is an ensemble of internationally acclaimed musicians led by Son Jarocho maestro Juan Carlos Marin. Son Jarocho is a traditional music and dance form from Veracruz, Mexico, featuring fast, danceable rhythms played on the eight-string jarana, and catchy call-and-response melodies. For more than 20 years, Marin has brought the traditions of the southern countryside of Veracruz to communities all across the United States, contributing music to multiple musical projects such as Latin Grammy Award-winning children’s album “Colorin Colorado.”

The El Sotano Taco Truck will serve food at the concert.

Prior to the concert, Marin will offer a workshop in Son Jarocho music for musicians of all skill levels at The Brick House Community Resource Center, 24 Third St., on Saturday, May 25, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Participants will learn the rhythms, chords and melodies of Son Jarocho, and will have the opportunity to play together as an ensemble. There is a suggested donation of $20, with no one turned away for lack of funds. Advance registration is encouraged by emailing weathervane.community.arts@gmail.com.

The 2024 Turners Falls Cultural District Summer Series is presented by RiverCulture, the Montague Parks & Recreation Department and Montague Public Libraries, with financial support from Greenfield Cooperative Bank and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The rain date for the Peskeompskut Park concert is Sunday, May 26, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.