Free Folk Festival in Westerleigh Staten Island

NEW YORK - Sept. 17, 2013 - PRLog -- Cat Cosmai Band Soul & R & B  and Leila Hegazy’s Soulful Jazz featured at Westerleigh Folk Festival

Traditional and soulful sounds pepper the free all day music, art and craft event

The 6^th Annual Westerleigh Folk Festival, to be held on Saturday, Sept 21st, 2013 from 11:30 am to 7:00 pm features talents with local connection and far reaching buzz. The FREE all day music, art and crafts event is held yearly in beautiful Westerleigh Park, Staten Island. Last year’s festival drew approximately 1200 attendees.

This year’s lineup includes twenty-three year old Leila Hegazy, a singer-songwriter with soulful and powerful voice who is equally impressive on the piano. Also as part of the lineup and recently seen representing Staten Island at Battle of the Boroughs is Cat Cosmai, a Staten Island-based soul and R&B singer (see bios below).

The festival, now in its 6th year, features 19 musical acts on 3 stages, playing Folk, Folk Rock, Country, Blues, Traditional, Americana and children’s music. Local artists will be present showing their work along with craftspeople displaying handmade items such as jewelry, silk scarves, soap and candles. Children’s activities such as face painting, balloons, Origami by Hiroko, and pony rides are provided free of charge. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

Westerleigh Park is located at the corner Maine & Neal Dow Ave. in the Westerleigh section of Staten Island. Street parking is available. Park seating is limited so bring a blanket or chair and enjoy a great day in the park. Rain date is Sunday, Sept. 22^nd.

Among the musical acts appearing will be Phoebe Blue; Leila Hegazy; Omnia Hegazy; Julia & Kacey;Tom Cat & Gary; Mara Levine with Caroline Cutroneo; Joan Caddell; Janet Savage of Music Together; Queen Tipsy; Karlus Trapp; The North Shore 4; Christina Rubino, the Cat Cosmai Band, children’s entertainer Patrick Raftery of Music with Patrick;  12 year old Catherin Michetti and the Snuggs.

This event is hosted by the Friends of Westerleigh Park.


Leila Hegazy

Twenty-three year old Leila Hegazy is an old soul. Inspired by female jazz vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, and soulful singer-songwriters like Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones, and Alicia Keys, her music aims to be timeless, like that of the artists she admires.

Leila was born in San Diego, California to an Italian mother and Egyptian father. Raised in Staten Island, New York, she discovered her passion for singing at an early age and became a frequent soloist in her school chorus. Motivated by a need for independence, Leila started taking piano lessons so that she could accompany herself while she sang. By the age of eleven, she had written her first song, and transitioned from a talented young vocalist to a self-contained artist, poignantly expressing her thoughts and emotions through music.

Armed with a powerful voice, killer piano chops, and a knack for writing soulful melodies, Leila braved the two-hour commute from Staten Island to Manhattan to attend the world-renowned La Guardia High School of Music, Art, and Performing Arts, also known to many as “The Fame School”. In addition to her training in classical voice, it was there that she studied songwriting under the guidance of Juilliard-trained pianist and composer, Robert Apostle, who was instrumental in her decision to become a professional singer-songwriter. While actively gigging in NYC with her band, Leila earned her B.M at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College. She recorded her debut EP (The Black and White EP) with Grammy-nominated producer and chair of Studio Production, Dr. Joseph Ferry. Her first full-length album 'Looking Glass' (recorded by producer/guitarist Dan Berry) was funded by online fans and enthusiasts she collected from her live shows, and was released independently on September 28, 2012.

Cat Cosmai

Cat Cosmai is a Staten Island-based soul and R&B singer, steeped in the grand tradition of the great soul divas of old while adding a modern punch to her own music. Her voice has been hailed for its blend of Tina Turner’s 70’s bluesy belting, Mariah Carey’s 90’s soul wailing and Amy Winehouse's deep ache. Cat and Frank Schiazza,veteran blues-rock songwriter, made the final round of WNYC/WXQR's fourth annual Battle of the Boroughs (http://www.thegreenespace.org/events/thegreenespace/2013/...).

Cosmai, a former model, dancer and Ms. Staten Island runner-up, first started singing in high school, and was selected to sing the National Anthem at the commencement ceremonies for Pace University in 2008. Her first band experience came with Breezy Grass in 2008, but Cosmai didn't try her hand at performing solo until she met Frank Schiazza, a veteran songwriter and musician.

Cosmai & Schiazza spent nearly one year writing and recording the tracks for THE LINE (http://www.amazon.com/The-Line/dp/B00AS0DZPE/ref=sr_shvl_...), her first album, which was finally released on December 13th, 2012. The reviews for the album were glowing across the board and hailed Cosmai as one of today's brightest young talents.

Hearing Cat Cosmai’s thin, New York inflected manner of speech, one would never imagine the husk and bravado of her singing. But it’s there in all its glory on THE LINE (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/catcosmai2), front and center on a record that is rich with textured grooves and varying styles. Despite all the big boy sounds around her, it is the grace and power of her voice that reigns supreme.

In that way, Cosmai, a native Staten Islander who favors danceable soul and R&B music and sings it all with gusto, is reminiscent of a young Cyndi Lauper, unabashed in her own squeaky sense of self – all Gotham, no regrets. She is pop, no doubt, but she has no problem paying homage to all the little bits of things that make her who she is.