Chris "Ifatoye" Theberge

Chris “Ifatoye” Theberge is a NYC-based musician, producer, and curator with decades of experience in international performance, music production, and cultural event curation. He is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Groove Collective, releasing albums on Warner/Reprise and Universal/Impulse! and touring globally, including performances at Montreux, North Sea Jazz, Red Rocks, WOMAD, and Mount Fuji. Deeply committed to cultural community and service, Chris directs The Bowery Jazz Messengers, a New York City–based non-profit that helps high-school jazz musicians develop their craft while performing for NYC’s homeless communities. He specializes in Afro/Latin drumming and has studied and produced music in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Nigeria. Founder of Music Works NYC, he co-produced the album Ilú Keké: Transmisión en la Erita Meta, which won Cuba’s prestigious national Cubadisco award and documents batá drums and Afro-Cuban traditions. Chris served in the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative and continues to produce projects in support of NYC’s music community while curating “House of Drums,” a live series celebrating Afro-descendant music and culture in New York City.