The Bourse de Commerce presents Standing on the Corner, a New York-based musical collective founded by Puerto Rican-American artist and composer Gio Escobar, in resonance with Barbara Kruger’s installation The History of Tears. Drawing on hip-hop, jazz and funk, the collective works at the intersection of music, performance, film, installation, social engagement and sound experimentation.
Founded in 2015, Standing on the Corner draws on the cultural connections between the United States, Puerto Rico and Africa. Blending soul, punk, salsa, doo-wop, jazz, funk, avant-garde music and rap, the collective has developed a sound deeply rooted in New York’s musical landscape. As the group’s only permanent member, Gio Escobar brings together different musicians for each project, embracing collaboration and experimentation across disciplines. Their work adopts many forms, from concerts and spontaneous happenings to performances, therapeutic musical acupuncture sessions, films and video installations. The focus on the fleeting nature of experience and the importance of collective memory remains central to the project’s identity and philosophy.
Combining free jazz, experimental American rap, organ improvisations and gospel influences, Gio Escobar draws on his early experience playing organ in Brooklyn churches to develop a musical language that brings Western musical traditions into dialogue with Latin American and African American influences. This eclectic approach is also reflected in his radio show, Puerto Rican Rumble Rock Radio Offensive, broadcast on New York’s WKCR-FM, where he blends his electronically altered voice with classic salsa recordings to create experimental sound collages.
