Summer Concerts on the Square: ZIKINA

Summer Concerts on the Square

Enjoy free, live music in Downtown Storrs, all summer long! The Mansfield Downtown Partnership will host free concerts on Betsy Paterson Square every Thursday in June, July and August. The concerts place from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM and are free and open to all ages to attend.

Thursday, June 18: Zikina

Zikina is a group of people who came from across continents and cultures to show that despite all the forces in the world that emphasize our differences and try to diminish and pull us apart, we can come together to make something beautiful and new. It doesn’t take long for this music to get you dancing, clapping along, connecting with the people around you, and savoring the beauty of the present moment.

Uganda native Gideon Ampeire draws you in with a variety of traditional East African instruments, including enanga (zither), adungu (harp), and kalimba (thumb piano) - all of which he builds himself. Those beautiful sounds meet the surrounding guitar, bass, and drums in a way that somehow feels both completely familiar and like nothing you’ve heard before. Mike Cardozo (guitar, percussion) improvises intricate melodic conversations with Gideon and dances through the beat with punchy rhythmic lines. Roston Kirk (bass) and Kurt Eisele-Dyrli (drums) weave a sonic landscape that flows seamlessly from intense grooves to joyous dance beats to dreamy textures. Gideon's vocals cut powerfully through the fabric or float lightly above. It all adds up to something truly unique, yet immediately accessible.

Plan your visit

• Limited seating is available on Betsy Paterson Square. You are welcome to bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets.

• Enjoy dinner at your favorite Downtown Storrs restaurant before the concert, or bring your take out to the Square (no alcohol, please). 

• Parking is available in the Downtown Storrs Parking Garage, which is free for your first 2 hours and just $1/hour thereafter. The garage is about a 3-minute walk from Betsy Paterson Square.

• Weather changes will be announced on our website, mansfieldmusic.org, and on the Downtown Storrs Facebook page (@DowntownStorrs).

More info

More information, including transportation alternatives, driving directions, and detailed bios of each band, is available at mansfieldmusic.org.