The second annual festival celebrating the life and legacy of one of America’s musical icons, Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World is a day of music, food, and fun in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Featuring performances by Ms. Lauryn Hill, Antibalas, Ozomatli, Rebirth Brass Band, Shannon Powell’s Traditional All-Star Band

The festival’s Backyard Bash features family friendly activities throughout the park and DJ sets in the Queens Museum, recreating the memorable garden parties that Louis hosted for his friends and neighbors at his home in Corona where he lived for almost 30 years. Join us at Pops’ Place here at the Queens Museum, where DJ Cochon de Lait, DJ Sultán Balkanero, and DJ Rekha will play Satchmo-inspired tunes, and we’ll serve refreshments at our indoor beer garden to help you cool down on a summer day.

Queens Museum Visitor Experience Agents will highlight famous jazz spots on the Panorama of the City of New York in English and Spanish. Audio and video of Louis Armstrong will be shown celebrating Queens’ contribution to jazz history.

DJ Cochon de Lait – 12:30-1:30 pm
Having shared the stage with luminaries, such as George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Dr. John, The Metermen with Page McConnell, Galactic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Little Feat, Trombone Shorty, and more, DJ Cochon de Lait has firmly established himself as the region’s pre-eminent DJ for New Orleans music. While his calling card is greasy Nola funk, soul, and brass guaranteed to put a dip in your hip and a glide in your stride, he has something special up his sleeve for the Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World of Music Festival. “As a traditional jazz dancer and a former trumpet player, I’ve always admired the tremendous innovation and swing that Louis Armstrong brought to American music,” explains the long-time Queens resident. “I couldn’t be more excited to play this festival in my hometown, the greatest borough in the greatest city in the world, honoring the greatest musician in American history. Because his reach was so vast, I’m going to unveil something new for this show, a set that traces Louis Armstrong’s influence on New Orleans music from the 1920s to present day. Soul, funk, and even hip-hop owes a large debt to this great man, and I want the audience to leave Flushing Meadows Park with a newfound respect for this unparalleled titan of popular music.”

DJ Rekha – 2:00-3:00 pm
British-born, New York City-based, DJ Rekha is a DJ, curator, record label owner and educator. Called the "Ambassador of Bhangra” by the New York Times and named one of the most influential South Asians by Newsweek, Rekha is among the first DJs to merge classic Bhangra and Bollywood sounds into the language of contemporary electronic dance music. Since establishing herself on the club scene with her inaugural event, Basement Bhangra in 1997, Rekha has produced some of the longest-running and most successful parties in New York, including Bollywood Disco, and Mutiny. Rekha also produces a weekly radio show, Bhangra and Beyond. Rekha’s musical accomplishments include sound design for the Tony award-winning Broadway Show, “Bridge and Tunnel” and the off-Broadway show, "Rafta Rafta.” She also served as the associate producer for the NPR Radio Documentary, “A Feet in Two Worlds.” She marked the ten-year anniversary of Basement Bhangra in 2007, with the compilation, DJ Rekha presents Basement Bhangra, featuring an array of international stars, including Wyclef Jean, Panjabi MC, Tigerstyle and Bikram Singh. In 2010 at a White House Asian Pacific Islander reception, President Obama said, “I want to thank DJ Rekha who’s been spinning a little East Room Bhangra for everybody, mixing a hip-hop beat with the sounds of her heritage, making a uniquely American sound that may not have been heard in the White House before.” Rekha has curated shows for NYC’s Summerstage, Celebrate Brooklyn and the Desi Diaspora’s film series at the 92YTribeca. She has a BA in Urban Studies from Queens College.

DJ SULTÁN BALKANERO – 3:30-5:00 pm
Born in Mexico City, Sultán Balkanero is one of the founding members of the Mexican electro balkan combo La Internacional Sonora Balkanera; he has been spinning music since the late 90s, shaking audiences from Montreal to London and Mexico to Buenos Aires with his peculiar blend of Balkan beat, funky groove, nortec vibes and Latin rock. Currently living in New York, Sultán has performed at Le Poisson Rouge, Barbès, Bizarre, Glasslands and Joe’s Pub, among other NYC venues. He is also a founding and active member of the NYC-based DJ collective Digital Guaracha.

Presentation in the Queens Museum Auditorium: “Louis Armstrong: King of Queens” by Ricky Riccardi – 4:30 pm
Louis Armstrong made his home in Queens–but why? Louis Armstrong House Museum Archivist Ricky Riccardi will take attendees through a multimedia exploration of Louis Armstrong’s life in Queens, filled with exclusive audio and video clips that will bring the trumpeter to life for the Festival crowd. Ricky Riccardi is the Archivist for the Louis Armstrong House Museum and the author of “What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong’s Later Years” (2011). He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Jazz History and Research from Rutgers University and has delivered lectures on Armstrong at the Institute of Jazz Studies, the Satchmo Summerfest in New Orleans, and the Monterey Jazz Festival, among other locations. He has also co-produced Armstrong releases for Mosaic Records and Universal.

The video Louis Armstrong Live in Concert, East Berlin 1965 will be playing in a loop in the Theater.