Iconic New York-born freestyle singer Lisa Lisa will perform in Yonkers on Saturday, Sept. 19, as part of Yonkers Riverfest 2026.
Few music genres are as closely associated with New York as freestyle, an electronic-based fusion of hip-hop, dance and Latin music that emerged in the region in the 1980s and gained popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Born Lisa Velez in Hell's Kitchen, Lisa Lisa was a pioneer of the genre and fronted Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, one of freestyle's best-known groups.
The group broke onto the Billboard charts with hits including "I Wonder If I Take You Home," "Can You Feel the Beat" and "Head to Toe."
Four decades after freestyle's peak, the genre remains popular at block parties, quinceañeras and old-school DJ sets
throughout the New York City area and beyond.
How to see Lisa Lisa at Yonkers Riverfest
Lisa Lisa is scheduled to perform at Yonkers Riverfest 2026 on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Riverfest, billed as Westchester County's largest one-day festival, is expected to draw more than 15,000 people. The event will feature three stages of live music, pop-up shops along the downtown Yonkers waterfront and food vendors serving cuisines from around the world.
Lisa Lisa is expected to take the Main Street stage after DJ Frankie Cutlass, who has appeared on Hot 97 and La Mega 97.9.
Admission is free.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Lisa Lisa to perform at Yonkers Riverfest 2026 in September
