Bronx Music Hall opens in Melrose, ushering in a new era for the neighborhood

BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) -- One neighborhood was the hardest hit when the South Bronx burned in the 1970s.

Melrose.

Now, Melrose residents are celebrating another step in the rebirth of Melrose with the opening of the Bronx Music Hall.

Opening night at the music hall was a tribute to past, present, and future with performers Grandmaster Caz, MC Sha-Rock, Uptown Vinyl Supreme, and Kongo, an Afro-Haitian group.

This 250-seat performance space in the heart of Melrose was just a dream 30 years ago.

“The Bronx has been a bedrock of music for all genres,” Davon Russell, the president of Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation, told PIX11 News. “We typically talk about hip-hop, but there’s also Latin jazz and salsa. It’s been the seat of music and culture across New York City.”

Russell, the president of WHEDco, gave PIX11 News a tour of the 14,000-square-foot facility, which includes a state-of-the-art performance space, a multi-use classroom and dance studio, a green room, a recording studio, and a lobby for interactive exhibits.

The Bronx Music Hall includes an outdoor amphitheater at the back of the performance space.

To those who know the history of this neighborhood in the 1970s, this new music hall is a miracle.

“Probably half of the buildings were abandoned. People came to see what an area looked like without aerial bombardment,” Dr. Mark Naison, Fordham African American studies and History professor, told PIX11 News. “To see what has happened since is so gratifying.” 

“This is one of the poorest communities in the entire state of New York,” State Senator Luis Sepulveda told PIX11 News. “For children to have quality training in art and music. It’s a great source of pride.”   

The Bronx Music Hall is part of The Bronx Commons, which has 305 affordable housing units on East 163rd St.

Residents love the idea of this music venue on their first floor.

“100 percent, I love it,” Sherise Martin, a Bronx Commons resident, told PIX11 News. “I love the building, period,” she added.

“I am grateful, I  mean really grateful for this,” Les Guerrant, her partner, told PIX11 News.