Morrisania Band Project

We’ve engaged thousands of people at city parks, farmers markets, senior centers, and festivals like Bronx and Queens Night Markets, Richmond County Fair, “Make Music Day” at Lehman College, and the “Italian Festival at Mount Loretto”. Our high energy performances elicit enthusiastic audience participation and contribute to NYC’s vibrant nightlife at venues like Rockwood Music Hall, Cafe Wha, and Piano’s Lounge.

Morrisania Band Project (also known as MBP) is an award-winning R&B soul collective founded in September 2016. Our mission is to add vibrancy to the Bronx through music, community engagement, and social initiatives. With creative energy and talent, MBP delivers original tunes and the sounds of legendary soul, rock, and funk artists, while promoting awareness for issues like gun violence, disaster relief, and sickle cell disease.

Founder, Elissa Carmona is an Air Force veteran, lead singer, and winner of the 2021 New Work, Arts Fund, and City Artist Corps awards. Since 2018, MBP has presented annual concert series that run year-round through commissions from Bronx Council on the Arts and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Frequent collaborations with Bronx Borough President elect Vanessa Gibson, Representative Ritchie Torres, and more, entertain audiences from all backgrounds and add vitality to some of NYC’s most devastated communities. MBP concerts “keep the lights on in a dark and depressed community” stated one attendee.

Many of our 2020 live performances were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We transitioned to virtual concerts and launched the “2020 Concert Series – Quarantine Edition”, a virtual concert series with sponsors, Bronx Music Heritage Center, Long Island University, and Queens Public Library. From May through November 2021, MBP presented the “2021 Soul Music Explosion”, a series of virtual and live concerts throughout NYC. Most recently, we headlined at Bronx Night Market’s finale event on October 30th, and will tribute the iconic Aretha Franklin at Silvana on November 12th.