Latino Cultural Guide

2 About this guide Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

3 About this guideLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

This publication is intended as an introduction and guide to the Hispanic perfor-mance arts in the Washington, D.C. area, especially within the nation’s capital

itself. By “Hispanic” in this context we mean from countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where Spanish and Portuguese are predominant, and also, in the case of flamenco, from southern Spain. Africa and Native America, impor-tant sources of our culture, are represented here through folk ensembles of special focus, but influences from three continents—America, Africa, and Europe—are noticeable throughout the spectrum of Latin American music.

The Guide is a reference for anyone looking for artists to perform at venues as varied as home and office entertainment, dances and concerts, and folkloric festivals; it also lists some schools and instructors, and describes our two his-toric bilingual theaters, both known internationally.

The Guide includes a few groups and performers from the English-speak-ing Caribbean, which shares a common spirit with other Caribbean nations whose languages may be Spanish, French, Creole, Garifuna, or Dutch.

The Guide lists the genres and styles, and, where applicable, national fo-cus, of the respective groups, as well as contact information and links to Web sites for each group or performer.

Information concerning the groups comes principally from the groups themselves. Fiesta DC does not evaluate or rank the different artists.

The groups and performers are organized in sections by general catego-ries. However, a section on special genres, from flamenco to tango, lists those genres first in alphabetical order, while folk dance and music groups are or-dered first by national origin. Groups and performers then appear, always in alphabetical order.

In addition, a general index of performers appears towards the end of the Guide.

About This Guide

Next pages: Dancer of Maru Montero Dance Company and a Bolivian girl participating in an Arlington festival.

Front Cover (clockwise): General view of Gala Theatre at the Tivoli, in Columbia Heights; a collection of Andean pan pipes; Orquesta Ashe; dancers from Centro Cultural Bolivia.

.... PHONE

.... E-MAIL

.... WEB SITE

Executive Editor: Alfonso AguilarEditor: Luis RumbautResearch: Ligia X. Muñoz Gretta A. Rivero

Art Director: José SánchezAdditional Research: Kenia LoboPhotography: Oswaldo Camerón Rafael Crisóstomo Kenia Lobo Gilberto Meza José SánchezDistribution: Horacio Olivas

Photo Credits: Most of the photos were provided by groups or artists or downloaded from their Web sites. Although these came generally courtesy of the respective artists, in some cases we were able to identify the individual photographer's name. Other photographs came from Fiesta DC's archives and contributors: Rafael Crisóstomo, Kenia Lobo, Gilberto Meza, José Sánchez and Dr. Oswald Cameron.

Page 1: Dancer at the Caribbean Festival in D.C.

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4 About this guide Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

5 About this guideLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

6 Letters Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

7 LettersLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

F iesta DC's 2008 Cultural Guide is a compila-tion of the rich cultural contributions of our

Latino artists in the Washington, D.C. metropoli-tan region, including additional groups from the English-speaking Caribbean and from Spain. In so doing, the Guide becomes a cornerstone in support of Fiesta DC's mission, "To contribute to the preserva-tion, diffusion and promotion of Latino culture in the Washington metropolitan area, as well as to enhance, promote and assist the artistic cultural expressions of the Latino community residing in Washington, D.C."

The Guide also serves to connect potential clients with the featured artists. It will come to play an important role in our local history as a snapshot in time that documents the multi-cultural tapestry of our family of artists, whose dedication and talent have enriched our lives.

I extend my sincerest gratitude to the Mayor of Washington, Adrian Fenty, who has been an unwavering supporter of Fiesta DC's numerous year-round programs. I would also like to convey special thanks and recognition to our key partners, Mercedes Lemp, Director of the Mayor's Office of Latino Affairs, George Escobar, Deputy Director, Ward 1 D.C. Council Member Jim Graham, and D.C. Council Member at Large Kwame Brown. Without their support this guide would not have become a reality.

I want to thank Alfonso Aguilar, the Executive Director of Fiesta DC, who spearheaded this important project, and his staff and the consultants and con-tractors of Fiesta DC. To our Board of Directors: thank you for providing the vision and leadership to ensure that Fiesta DC fulfills its mission (Roland Roe-buck, Vice Chair; Leda Hernández, Treasurer; Elizabeth Schrader, Secretary; and Directors Ted Loza, Nitza Seguí, Pedro Avilés, and Ingrid Gutiérrez.)

To our public: we hope that you enjoy the Cultural Guide as a true reflection of the deep cultural roots of our proud community and as a bridge of cross-cultural understanding. Our goal is that you, our readers, will use this guide as a means to support and promote our local artists!

Rodrigo B. LeivaBoard Chair & PresidentFiesta DC, Inc.

From the ChairmanGOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

OFFICE ON LATINO AFFAIRS

Adrian M. Fenty Mercedes Lemp

Mayor Direc tor

2000 14th Stree t , NW, 2nd Floor , Washing ton , DC, 20009 - Te l ephone (202) 671-2825 - Fax (202) 673-4557

OLA.DC.GO

V

On behalf of the Mayor of the District of Columbia, I would like to congratulate the

staff and board of directors of Fiesta DC for compiling the first ever Latino Cultural

Guide for Washington, DC.

The Office on Latino Affairs (OLA) has long partnered with and supported Fiesta

DC’s mission to contribute to the preservation, diffusion, and promotion of Latino

culture in Washington, DC. Fiesta DC’s commitment to this mission has never been

more evident than through what we witness today in this complete, first of its kind,

guide highlighting the artistic contributions of over 150 groups and individual

performers located throughout our city and metropolitan area. Never before have

these performers been presented in such a comprehensive and accessible manner.

It’s our hope that this guide will help residents and visitors alike enhance and enrich

their understanding of the rich cultural heritage brought to our city by the vibrant,

diverse and ever growing Latino community residing here in Washington, DC.

Please enjoy this wonderful guide!

Saludos!

Mercedes Lemp

Director



It is my pleasure to welcome this first edition of Fiesta DC’s Latino Cultural Guide, the latest project of an organization with which we work every year to make possible the Latino Festival of the District of Columbia.

I hope that this introduction to Latin American and Caribbean music and culture will add to the mutual understanding and appreciation of the people of our very diverse Ward 1, the multiracial and multicultural ward at the center of the District of Columbia.

Congratulations to the Board of Directors and staff of Fiesta DC, and to all of those who contributed to the making of this outstanding publication.

Jim GrahamCouncilmemberWard 1



August 7, 2008

Dear Fiesta DC:

Congratulations on publishing the first edition of the Latino Cultural Guide. LEDC is

very proud to support this effort. As the D.C. area’s premier economic development

corporation working to improve the capacity of the Latino community to build wealth, we

are thrilled at how this guide showcases the many artistic talents of our community.

The Latino Cultural Guide is an excellent tool to introduce the broader community to

hundreds of talented Latino artists, actors, and musicians. We hope that it will help them

market to the non-Latino community and strengthen the ties that bind all of us as

Washingtonians.

Thank you for all your hard work and commitment to the Latino community.

Saludos,

Manuel Hidalgo

Executive Director

Dear Friends:

When we think about the Latino community, the first thing that comes to mind is its culture and traditions. The Washington, DC metropolitan region is fortunate to experience the international confluence that makes it one of the most dynamic regions of the country.

This new publication, “The Latino Cultural Guide”, by Fiesta DC aims to extol the talents and creativity of the Latino community. As President & CEO of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, I consider this our newest tool to boost the economic development of the community at large.

The Latino Cultural Guide has two purposes: First, to introduce all residents and visitors to the richness of Latino talent in the region and, second, to direct our efforts in supporting those included in the publication.

For Washington, DC to become a world-class city, it must incorporate the array of cultures that makes the city their home. With this book, Fiesta DC has given us a starting point.

I encourage you to use this guide to support our unique artistic talents. I hope that you find the information useful today and in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Ana Recio Harvey President & CEOGreater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

12 Introductions Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

13 IntroductionsLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

I n 1997 a group of activists re-established in Washington, D.C., the Centro de Arte, a cultural entity founded in the 1970s that sooner or later, directly or indi-

rectly, attracted all the local Latino artists to its programs in music, dance, theatre, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and painting, including of murals.

The new Centro de Arte was short-lived, but it should be remembered that at the re-opening ceremony a complete inventory of local productions by Latino art-ists was unveiled. The collection included recordings from the first documented LP in 1971, “Los Internacionales de Washington,” to “La Chanchona de Moncho” of 1977.

During that time there were numerous musical groups such as La Tribu, Izalco, Liberación, Esmeralda, Banda Angélica, Alborada, Sonora Nuevo Amanecer, Am-nistía 87, Eclipse, Laya, Estrellas de El Salvador, Generación 2000, Lilo y los de la Mt. Pleasant, and los Hermanos Villavicencio, and soloists like Luciano Santa-maría, Humberto Antonio, Lesly Daily, Julio Coco Sosa, Tony Gil, and Zully de Venezuela, most of them with at least one recording.

With the passing of the years most of these soloists and groups merged with oth-ers, became inactive, or simply disappeared. Nonetheless, many of the “old guard” are still performing: María Isolina, Jorge Anaya, José Reyes, Amín Segundo, Charro Javier, Gustavo Nieto, and Miguel Chacaltana, and bands like Zeniza, Rumba Club, Mystic Warriors, and Dúo América.

At the same time, folkloric dance groups became regular participants in festivals, independence day celebrations, and a wide variety of local and nationals events. A quick look back brings to mind groups such as El Pulgarcito, Ballet Folklórico Dominicano, Viva Flamenco, Grupo Folklórico de Paraguay, Acuarelas Peruanas, Pallas de Corongo, Asociación Folklórica Negritos de Huánuco, Raíces del Perú, Danzas Peruanas Matices, Unión de Instituciones Peruanas and Unión Cultural Huancayo.

Most of these groups are now inactive or no longer in existence.During the 70s and 80s there were at least two ground-breaking theatrical com-

panies that have since dissolved: Teatro Nuestro, in its early stages under the aus-pices of Centro de Arte, and LatiNegro, under the leadership of Quique Avilés.

We bring to mind these recollections of our cultural past with the hope that one day there will be time and resources to analyze and document the artists and groups which gave form and substance to our community’s artistic expressions from 1970 to 2000.

For now, Fiesta DC and its research team for the Cultural Guide take pleasure in pre-senting this first effort to document, in a single publication, the work of, and to promote,

our Latino artists and their non-Latino colleagues who enrich our culture. In these pages you will discover talented musicians who have shared the stage

with international figures in a variety of musical genres. You will learn of dance groups and instructors with numerous presentations in countries from Argentina to Mexico to Germany to Japan. And you will also enjoy a tour of two existing theaters of international renown.

I extend my appreciation to the consultants and staff responsible for the produc-tion of this Guide. A special mention is due Luis Rumbaut, a familiar name in our community’s history, who assumed the weight and responsibility of editing the publication. His vast knowledge of Latin America’s culture and his experience as a member, and in some cases, founding member, of a variety of folkloric and per-forming groups is easily perceived and enlivens these pages.

Our creative Art Director José Sánchez needs no introduction, as these elegant and imaginative pages so dearly demonstrate.

Ligia X. Muñoz and Gretta A. Rivero, our principal researchers, completed their tasks promptly and intelligently without neglecting their daily responsibilities as Administrator and Marketing Director, respectively.

Special mention must be made of Kenia Lobo, a 15-year-old student who under-took the research for our section on Norteña groups and on various soloists.

Finally, we give special thanks to all of the artists and groups whose years of work give substance to this Guide, and whose interest and ideas helped bring the project to life.

History and AcknowledgementsAlfonso AguilarExecutive Editor of the Guide

Above: A collection of recordings by local Latino artists exhibited in 1997 at Centro de Arte de Washington.

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I t would take a book to cover adequately the scope of Latin American cultural tra-ditions. Geography has served to separate and to give a distinct sound to regions

defined by mountains and valleys, rain forests, great plains, and coasts. History and demography also have come into play: Latin American culture shows influences from hundreds of original American as well as African tribal and language groups, and from an assortment of European national and intra-national cultures.

Spain brought different languages and cultures besides those of the Castilians, including those of the Celts in northwest Galicia and Asturias, the Basques in the mountainous north, the Catalans on the upper Mediterranean coast, and the Roma (gypsies), not to mention the results of 800 years of occupation by the North African Moors, especially in the southern province of Andalusia, named after the Arabic Al-Andalus.

Colonial-era African slaves came from regions such as present-day Guinea, Gha-na, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon, down to Congo and Angola. The greatest Native American civilizations arose in the Andes, where the Incas became the dominant empire; and in Mesoamerica, the region comprising today’s Mexico and Central America, where the Olmec gave way to the Maya and the Toltec and finally the Aztec as successive dominant civilizations before the Spanish arrived. Brazil adds a combination of Portuguese and African, as well as sounds from an Amazonia that is shared by the nations that surround Brazil. Portuguese fadó and a touch of jazz blended with Brazilian samba, famous at carnival time, into the now equally-famous bossa nova.

Similarities and CoincidencesThe plains of Argentina and Uruguay, like the plains where Colombia and Ven-

ezuela meet, are a region of open spaces and distant horizons, cattle, and asados (outdoor grills), home to the self-reliant gaucho and llanero, respectively. Argentina and Uruguay compete for the championship in tango, which sounds the same in both countries. There is no difference between the Colombian and the Venezuelan music of the plains, defined on both sides by the joropo and its variants.

The original zamacueca became the cueca in Chile and Bolivia, the marinera in Peru, with a more distinct African influence, and the melancholic zamba in Argen-tina (which is nothing like the Brazilian samba).

The harp appears, in hopscotch fashion, in Mexico’s Gulf coast, the Colombian-Venezuelan plains, Paraguay, and high in the Andes.

Peruvians and Bolivians may claim for themselves the origin of established An-dean genres like the huayno, but people from both countries also point out that it does not matter much, as that music developed long before the current national bor-ders were set, and spans both countries.

Our Music and FolkloreLuis RumbautEditor

The AndesAndean folk music has ancient roots, with an original instrumentation—wooden and

reed flutes, pan pipes, sea shells—supplemented by the Spanish guitar and its unique derivative, the charango, a small string instrument made from wood or from armadillo shells. A great many forms exist within the general category of Andean music, extend-ing from northern Chile and Argentina through Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador into Colom-bia and Venezuela.

The CaribbeanThe Caribbean has produced a variety of rhythms that, perhaps because of the re-

gion’s nearness to the U.S., became well known here, even turning into popular fads. Cuba and the Dominican Republic, small island nations, have generated a dispropor-tionate share of the Latin American music familiar to U.S. Americans, such as meren-gue, cha-cha, conga, rumba, bolero, and, more recently, bachata. Mexico and Puerto Rico adopted the bolero and contributed greatly to its development, while Mexico did likewise with the Cuban danzón.

Salsa Cuba in particular has had a long history of musical interchange with the U.S., be-

ginning in New Orleans at the very birth of jazz, of which it was part. Later on, island greats like Machito, Mario Bauza, and Arsenio Rodríguez brought Afro-Cuban rhythms to New York, giving rise to Latin jazz. The break in relations between the two coun-tries in the 1960s isolated the Cuban sound from the U.S. The son, the heart of Cuban popular music, then evolved in New York, the eternal Iron Babel, into salsa, blending with Puerto Rican bomba and plena and rhythms from Panama and Colombia as well as from the local jazz scene. The resulting sound was taken up enthusiastically around the Caribbean and then elsewhere. The Dominican merengue (also from Haiti), guar-anteed to get people up and dancing, does not fit into the family tree of son/salsa, but it was unavoidably present in a city with a growing Dominican population, and it was played alongside salsa by the same bands. Today’s Latin dance bands and orchestras play mainly salsa and merengue.

Colombia Colombia, too, has been a musical powerhouse. Among its very many styles, two

have stood out in the US: the slow and sinuous cumbia and the faster vallenato, or born-in-the-valley, so called because of its origin in Valledupar (Valley of Upar), where the northern Andes point to the Caribbean Sea. Vallenato was built originally around an accordion player/singer, a caja or drum, and a scraper (guacaracha), but now has expanded to a fuller format. The cumbia, originally in a simple format of drums and hand percussion, later adopted the native wooden flutes (gaitas) and subsequently, like vallenato, a larger format. It expanded to Central and South America, especially to El Salvador and to Ecuador and Peru, in local versions called cumbia and cumbión, whose roots are evident but with less of the coastal-African cadence of the original.



Mexico and Central AmericaFarther north on the continent, Mexico dominates the sounds of Central America.

Mexican corridos and rancheras, and songs from the northern states, norteñas, are also favorites in the rural areas of many other countries in the region, including the Caribbean. The mariachis, characterized by violins and trumpets in combination with unique Mexican guitars, are said to derive from string ensembles that during the French occupation entertained at marriages, a word with the same meaning in French as in English. Mexico is best known for the son of Jalisco, and also the son of Veracruz (birthplace of the original La Bamba). Along the U.S. border, the traditional norteña (northern) small ensemble typically includes a 12-string guitar, snare drum, and accordion. Across the southern border, in Guatemala, the national instrument is the marimba. Its tuned wooden staves, struck with mallets, produce a gentle sound that today typifies Guatemalan music. Salvadorans have brought to the US not just their version of norteñas and cumbia, but also of merengue and, more recently, Dominican bachata, a modern favorite.

Small GuitarsEvery region has its own version of small guitars. The Puerto Rican cuatro is

emblematic of the island’s identity; similarly, the Cuban tres, although there is also a Cuban cuatro. That one is different from the Puerto Rican version, which sounds much more like the pear-shaped Cuban laúd. Venezuela, too, has a cuatro, also rep-resentative of the nation, but it is smaller than the island cuatros, with nylon rather than steel strings. It is played also in parts of Colombia, as is the related bandola, which comes in different flavors. Beyond the cuatro, Venezuelans have taken the time to develop the cinco, cinco y medio, and seis. Colombia, for its part, is known for the tiple, a kind of small 12-string guitar. There is a tiple in Chile, too.

Mexico’s son jarocho, from Veracruz, uses the small four-string jarana and re-quinto. But different requintos, which look like standard six-string guitars but smaller, are widespread throughout the continent. Mariachis use the vihuela, with a back that protrudes sharply, and its king-size cousin, the guitarrón, a bass guitar held horizontally in front of the performer.

Panama has two related instruments, the mejorana and the socavón, which differ in the number of strings but share a very small fingerboard of only five frets. Brazil has the strange viola de cocho, which uses only two or three frets, as well as the popular little guitar, the cavaquinho. The Andes have produced several styles and sizes of charangos. Various mandolins, bandolins, and bandurrias make the rounds of the continent.

DrumsAs with small guitars, Latin Americans use a startling variety of drums. The best

known in the U.S. are surely the dance-band congas and the bongos of Ricky Ricardo and beatnik fame, both from Cuba (indirectly, in the first case: the conga drum comes originally from the Congo region), and then the timbales, made famous here by the Puerto Rican Tito Puentes. But even in Cuba there are a variety of other drums, such

as those played in abakwa ceremonies, the hourglass-shaped batá drums, and, on the eastern end of the island, drums that first came from Haiti, made in sets. The Dominican tambora, a small two-sided drum played horizontally with one hand and a striker, is at the heart of the merengue; the Puerto Rican plena uses a set of three tuned hand drums, the pleneras. Venezuelans celebrate San Juan Day with very long drums, the minas (also from the Congo), placed on supports parallel to the ground, over which the players stand, and with other, smaller, drums.

The traditional cumbia makes use of specific drums: the alegre, or lead hand drum, the llamador, a smaller hand drum, and the tambora, a double-skinned bass drum played with drumsticks. In the currulao, one musician plays a drum known as a cununo, striking the drumskin with one hand and tapping the side of the drum with a small stick, while a second musician keeps time on a shaker known as a guasá or guache, a hollow cylinder made of metal, wood, or guadua bamboo, filled with light seeds and sometimes rice. Other musicians play a syncopated melody on paired marimbas, one in the lower register and one in the high register.

A Brazilian batucada or parade percussion group, an assault on the senses, re-quires a small store’s worth of drums of varying sizes, from small hand drums to large cylinders hung from the shoulders. For sambas there is also the cuica, the small drum that makes a squeaking sound when a rod attached to the inside of the drum’s skin is rubbed.

The snare drum—like the tambourine, very much an import from Europe—is used in norteñas in Mexico and with other percussion in Brazil. In the Andes and northern Argentina, the deep-voiced bombo rules. It’s made from wood, with goat or a similar skin still with the fur on it. Its position, hung from the shoulders and to the side, may indicate an adaptation from European military drums, which of necessity were to be played while in motion.

Parade ContingentsFolk expressions are common at festivals like Fiesta DC’s own annual Latin

American Festival. The highlight at many festivals is the parade of comparsas, or groups that combine music and traditional dances with costumes that match the theme or story of each comparsa. The roots of these are found partly in ancient European carnivals, but in modern festivals the contents present the mixed cultures of Latin America, in which indigenous and African elements feature prominently.

The largest ensembles in this area are those from Bolivia. Parade groups com-

pete with dazzling large-scale costumes imported from the home regions, rep-resenting characters and stories that reappear in such parades everywhere from Oruro, Bolivia to Stockholm, Sweden and, of course, Washington. Musicians, especially percussionists, often perform live during the parades. Uruguay’s par-ticipation typically comes in the form of candombe, an African inheritance of that country. Other nations with large populations of African descent, like Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, Panama, and Venezuela, also bring percussive contin-gents, while a different music is heard from the contingents that represent coun-tries such as Guatemala, Mexico, or Paraguay.

18 Choral and Symphonic Music Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

19 Choral and Symphonic MusicLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

We begin with what may be the unexpected: choral and symphonic music. Coral Antigas' repertoire ranges from folk and popular songs to orchestral and sacred works, music that is both ancient and modern, sung in various European and Native American languages. Coral Antigas has collaborated with a remarkable number

of other musical groups and appeared at a variety of local, national, and international

venues. It has presented the local and U.S. premieres of significant works.

The Pan American Symphony Orchestra, a resident program of Trinity University in the

District of Columbia, showcases orchestral works of Latin American composers and

is known especially for its performances of symphonic tango. Its director, who

teaches music at the University, has conducted in Agentina, Honduras, and Russia as well as in Washington. These two organizations remind us of the many dimensions of Latin American music and of the multiple talents and interests of performers who reside in Washington and its surroundings.

CONOZCA SUS DERECHOS

O�cina de Derechos Humanos de D.C.ADRIAN M. FENT Y, ALCALDE

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del Distrito de Columbia deben proporcionarle

servicios en su idioma sin ningún costo?

Para obtener más información sobre sus

derechos, visite www.ohr.dc.gov

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Choral and Symphonic Music

20 Choral and Symphonic Music Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

21 Choral and Symphonic MusicLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

Founded in 1991, Coral Cantigas is the only chorus in the Washington, DC area that spe-

cializes in music from Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean. Through performances and workshops, Coral Cantigas shares the artistic and cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world and serves as a bridge between the Span-ish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking com-munities. The choir performs in Spanish, Portu-guese, and a variety of American languages and dialects such as Nahuatl, Quechua and Creole, with bilingual concert program notes and texts.

Coral Cantigas has appeared at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Mex-ican Cultural Institute, Strathmore Hall, Wash-ington National Cathedral, Capital Children's Museum, and performed under the auspices of the Washington Performing Arts Society, the In Series, the National Council of La Raza, the American Choral Directors Association and the American Guild of Organists. Coral Cantigas has also performed in collaboration with the Pan American Orchestra, The Men-delssohn Club of Philadelphia, the Cathedral Choral Society, New Century Singers, VOCE Chamber Choir, Tepuy folk ensemble, and The Chamber Singers of Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges.

In addition, the choir has hosted area perfor-mances by "Coral del Banco Industrial de Vene-zuela," the Argentine group "Opus Cuatro," and "Cantaré", a local Latin American ensemble for children. Guest artists for previous years include Tina Chancey and Scot Reiss of the early-music group Hesperus, and the Children's Chorus of Silver Spring, among others. Coral Cantigas also hosts a workshop led by outstanding Latin American scholars and performers, who teach

and demonstrate performance styles from Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean.

The choir has presented the area and U.S. premieres of Paco Peña's Misa Flamenca, An-tonio Mir's Misa Coral, Luis Morales Bance's oratorio Berruecos, Ernani Aguiar's Cantilena and the anonymous colonial Bolivian work, Misa Encarnación.

In 1996, Coral Cantigas represented North America at the "IV Encuentro Coral José An-tonio Calcaño," one of the premier international choral festivals, held in Caracas, Venezuela. In 2001, the choir opened its 11th season with a tour of Puerto Rico.

The choir is named after cantigas, Spanish homophonic songs of the 13th Century that develop from both folkloric music and sacred chant. Coral Cantigas' repertoire ranges from folk music and popular song performed with folk instruments to classical works with orches-tra. The choir performs sacred and secular mu-sic of many traditions.

The members of Coral Cantigas, its board of directors, and its audiences demonstrate the organization's commitment to serving as a bridge between the Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking world, with half being native Spanish speakers and half being from other cul-tures.

Coral Cantigas has been awarded grants from the Arts and Humanities Council of Mont-gomery County, Bank of America Foundation, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Marpat Foundation, the Maryland State Arts Council, The Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foun-dation, the Executive Ball for the Arts and Hu-manities, the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain, and the WGMS 103.5 Performing Arts

Fund.

Coral Cantigas

Contact:

Diana V. Sáez, Founder, [email protected]

The PASO is dedi-cated to promot-

ing new symphonic works by Latin Amer-ican composers and to showcasing new His-panic music talent.

A native of Rosa-rio, Argentina, Maestro Sergio Alessandro Bus-lje studied music from an early age and won the prestigious Alberto Williams Award for Young Musicians when he was only ten years old. He continued his studies in conducting, piano, vio-loncello, and tuba at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires. In 1986, he was the Boronda Scholar of Hartnell College in California, which took him to the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and Japan to study music with major national art-ists.

Before founding the Pan American Sym-phony Orchestra in 1991, Maestro Buslje was Assistant Conductor of the American Univer-sity Symphony Orchestra and conductor of the American University Camerata. Since 1990, he has been frequently featured as guest conduc-tor in Argentina, and, since 1999, the principal guest conductor of the National Symphony Or-chestra of Honduras. In 2001, he was a Ful-bright Scholar to Honduras, where he conduct-ed the National Symphony Orchestra of Hondu-ras and developed its season programming. In June 2001, he conducted the Sochi Symphony Orchestra in Sochi, Russia.

In May 2002, he conducted the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, a new ensemble made up of tal-ented musicians from across Lat-

in America. They performed a special program featuring tenor Placido Do-mingo at the Orga-nization of Ameri-can States. He has also invited talented

musicians from the area's high schools to per-form in selected concerts of the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, giving young musicians a rare opportunity to showcase their skills with a full orchestra. In addition, Maestro Buslje is a favorite guest conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Honduras and hosted their visit to Washington, D.C. in the Fall of 2003.

Maestro Buslje teaches music at Trinity Uni-versity in Washington and is a regular advisor to the Maryland State Arts Council. He has been the creative force behind the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, bringing to Washington audiences a refreshing alternative to mainstream orchestral repertoire.

The Washington Post described his pro-gramming as “utterly unlike anything else that is likely to happen in Washington this season” (1996). With his “sure command of the music’s expressive scope” and his sensitive balancing of orchestral commentary (Washington Post 1998), Maestro Buslje has “quietly created a valuable Washington institution” (Washington Post 1999).

Pan American Symphony Orchestra

Contact: Sergio Alessandro Buslje, Founder, [email protected]

22 Bands and Orchestras Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

23 Bands and OrchestrasLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s



Bands and Orchestras

Preceding pages: Bolivian dancers at Fiesta DC 2007.

Right: Pedestrians crossing at the heart of Georgetown neighborhood.

The largest section of this Guide is on bands and orchestras (orquestas). For these purposes,

a band is simply a musical group composed predominantly of related instruments such as

percussion, brass, woodwinds, or strings. An orquesta, however, has a more specific

meaning for dance music from the Caribbean area. It is composed of several sections: 1)

congas, timbales, bongos; 2) keyboard, bass, electric guitar; 3) trumpets and saxophones, or violins; 4) voices (with the singers often accompanying with hand percussion such as claves, maracas, or scrapers); and 5) varied instruments such as flute, clarinet, tres or cuatro. Some groups use “Orquesta” as part of their

names; others don’t. The Guide follows their preferences. In broad terms, bands and orchestras

correspond to small and large formats, respectively, although some bands are large.

This section includes two bands from the English-speaking Caribbean, Image Band and Panmasters

Steel Orchestra.



Afro NuevoTraditional Cuban rhythms and up-beat Latin jazz

Contact: Benito López, Booking [email protected]

Founded in 2006, Afro Nuevo focuses on traditional Cuban rhythms and up-beat Latin jazz. The band has performed at private events,

restaurants such as Havana Village and Mag-giano's, and other settings in the DC-Baltimore area.

Its current members are Roberto Dominich (congas, back-up vocals), Trey Charles (piano), Américo Méndez (bass and lead vocals), Benito López (timbales and back-up vocals), and Tila (trumpet).

Above: Afro Nuevo at a Fiesta DC event in 2008.

Below: The band at a rehearsal.

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Antoni809 The band plays not just merengue, but also salsa, bachata, reggaeton and Latin jazz

Musical director and lead saxophonist Antonio Carr created Antoni809 in 2003 with the sole purpose of re-inventing the image of meren-

gue. Merengue, from his native Dominican Republic, has taken a back seat in

the past five years due to the hype and publicity of reggaeton and bachata music. These new genres, with their great beats and fresh new images, have attracted more audiences all over Latin America, Europe, and the United States. It has been decades since stars Johnny Ventura and Wilfrido Vargas took merengue music to that level of popularity. Antoni809 is about to take it a step further.

Antoni809 is currently working on its first CD, with completion expected by Fall 2008. Simultaneously, the band is performing all over the East coast entertaining audiences of all cultures and backgrounds.

Antoni809 is made up of 14 musicians, most of whom live and work in the Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. areas. The band members are most-ly Dominican, while four others come from Puer-to Rico, Haiti, Nicaragua, and the U.S. Most of the musicians have played with other well-known Latin artists such as La Cocoband, Fernando Villa-lona, Los Hermanos Rosario, Mannikomio, Oro Sólido, La Artillería and La Banda Loca. The set-up, or layout, of the band is typical of other merengue bands--but with a twist: three vocalists, four horn players, three percussion-ists, piano and bass.

Antoni809 plays not only merengue, but also salsa, bachata, reggaeton and Latin jazz. Antoni809 is dedicated to entertaining audiences all over the

world for a very long time. With their hip new image and powerful performance ethic, they are sure to succeed!

Contact: Anthony Carr, Musical [email protected]

Eclipse, a famous Latin rock band made up of Salvadorans and Peruvians, was one of three groups with three records each in the 90s: Mundo metal (1992), American Way (1994), and Asesinos en el tiempo (1997). Dúo América was another group with three productions at that time: Cantando a Latinoamérica (1993), Cantando al Corazón (1994), and Dúo América por siempre (1995).Mystic Warriors also had three records in the market: Mystic Warriors (1993), The Shadow of the Sun (1995), and Beyond Reality (1997). While Eclipse disappeared years later, Dúo América, although not listed in this guide, is still active, as well as Mystic Warriors.



photo: JoSe SANChez



Founded in 2008. Under the musical direction of Francisco Aguayo, Armonía Latina plays a wide variety of tropical, Caribbean and South

American Latin rhythms such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, bachata, reg-uetón, cha-cha-chá, bolero and even traditional Afro-Peruvian music. The group also caters to non-Spanish speakers with a repertoire of songs from the 50s to current dance hits.

Armonía Latina has been performing in clubs, weddings, anniversa-ries, birthdays, and corporate and special events throughout Virginia, Washington and Maryland.

Armonía LatinaThe band plays a wide variety of tropical, Caribbean and South American Latin rhythms and traditional Afro-Peruvian music

Musical Tips

Contact: Francisco Aguayo, Artistic Director301-275–8700, 703-968–[email protected]

Brazil, the sixth most-populous country in the world with approximately 185 million people, has decided to teach Spanish as a regular subject. That is proposed to happen also in the Philippines.

Preceding pages: Dancers at Mexico Lindo Night Club in Va.

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S ignifying life force and energy in Yoruba language and culture, Ashe is also a powerful concept in Cuban popular and folkloric culture. Timba,

or modern Cuban music at its most energetic and multifaceted, is an urban expression that fuses native African and Cuban rhythms, as well as Afro-American funk, jazz, soul, and go-go. Aramis Pazos Barrera, a native of the neighborhood El Cerro in Havana, Cuba, has formed his own group to con-tinue to promote this tradition in the United States. He and his musicians want to introduce U.S. Americans to another style of salsa, different from Puerto Rican salsa and "salsa romántica."

Orquesta Ashe is composed of three singers, three percussionists (drum set/timbales, congas, and bongos), bassist, pianist, saxophonist, flute player, trombonist, and trumpet players. Although Ashe appeals to young popular audiences, it celebrates the traditions that are nostalgic for older audi-ences as well.

AsheThe first Latin American LP by a local group was recorded in 1971. Los Internacionales named their historical recording Los Internacionales de Washington. César Donald (below), who died in the mid-90s, was a member of the band.

César Donald.

The musicians want to introduce their audiences to a different style of salsa

Contact: Aramis Pasos, Director202-689-5015info@tumbaoproductions.orgwww.tumbaoproductions.org



W ashington, D.C.’s Batala is part of a larger Batala family created in 1997 by Giba Gonçalves. Born and raised in Salvador, Bahia in Bra-

zil, Giba was living in Paris when he first had the idea for the band. Open to anyone with an interest in learning the samba-reggae beat, the band started off with 60 people. From Paris it spread to other cities in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. In 2003, the band finally made its way back to its origins, brought to Brazil by Paulo Garcia, also the founder of the Portsmouth Batala.

A composer and musical director, Giba en-listed the help of friends from the bands and from Salvador in order to create the visual iden-tity of the band. The instruments and clothing are all manufactured in Salvador, Bahia, where the band has a social program that gives jobs to many families. From there they are shipped to the bands around the world. In 2007, the newest branch of the Batala band was created in Wash-ington, D.C., expanding the reach of the band’s music to the United States. Today, the band has over 300 percussionists worldwide.

BatalaThe band is open to anyone with an interest in learning the samba-reggae beat from Brazil

Above: Batala at International Women’s Day in 2008 .

Below: Band members at a street parade in the Latino Festival 2007.

Contact: Juliana, Patricia202-361-8993, 202-361-8992www.batalawashington.com

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The ever-evolving sound of Richmond, Virginia-based eight-piece salsa powerhouse Bio Ritmo is proudly rooted in the great Afro-Cuban &

Puerto Rican salsa traditions. It is their vision for bringing salsa "into the now" through skillful layering of jazz, urban, electronic and global sonic influences while maintaining the integrity of their foundation, and unusu-ally profound and introspective lyrics, that have allowed the band to create a body of music and range of audiences.

Since its origin as a percussion ensemble in 1991, Bio Ritmo has released four critically-acclaimed full-length albums: Bio Ritmo (2004); Rumba, Baby Rumba (Mercury, 1998), Salsa Galáctica (1997) and Que siga la música (1996).

Bio Ritmo

Contact: Entour Entertainment Gabo [email protected]

They bring salsa "into the now" through skillful layering of jazz, urban, electronic and global sonic influences

Musical Tips

Spanish ranks second or third in the world--after Mandarin and, sometimes, English or Hindi/Urdu--in lists of the languages most used as native tongues.

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The group starts as a trio for cocktail hour, but to fit a specific affair can add horns,

a singer, and a conguero, and turn any event into a salsa dance party. Led by Salvadoran piano master Samuel Munguía, and compris-ing some of the best local professional mu-sicians, Cabasa always entertains...and can even play quietly.

Cabasa performs weekly in local restaurants and bars in the Washington area.

CabasaLatin jazz, bossa nova, samba, salsa, cha cha, bolero

Contact: Ken Lewis, [email protected]/cabasaband

THE SONS OR DAUGHTERS of many musicians and singers are now members of others groups or play with their parents or relatives. Marimba Xelajú and Marimba Mi Pequeña Internacional have always been family groups, with parents playing with their children or other relatives. Lilo González’s son, known as “Lilito,” is a founding member of Machetrés, a Latin rock group listed in this guide. María Isolina’s two boys, Daniel and Miguel, usually perform along with her in Sol y Rumba Band, also listed in this guide.Amín Segundo, Carlos Arrien, and Daniel Sheehy, among many others, also have musical children. Segundo’s son, Jaime Rafael, is co-founder of Los Grandes de El Vallenato; Arrien is a member of Los Rumis, where his son Mariano plays various instruments, and Daniel “Danny” Sheehy, Jr. performs with the band that his father created in the 70s, Mariachi Los Amigos. Peruvian signer Vicky Leyva is a special case. Two of her daughters, Vannesa Díaz and SuleyD, are lead vocalists for the orchestras La Tremenda and Armonía Latina, respectively. Surely, talent is passed down from generation to generation.

María Isolina’s sons, Daniel and Miguel.

The Furia Band has been going strong since its founding in 2004. It has been featured on

just about all the Latin radio stations in the area, and also out of state. The band has traveled to Florida, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, and California, among others places. The eight members of Furia Band are from El Salvador. Its first CD, Alegría total is due at the end of this year.

Furia BandOn the radio and on the road, Furia Band plays cumbia, merengue and bachata

Contact: Danny López, [email protected]



While no one was looking, Washington, D.C. became one of the most dynamic cities in the

world for Latin music. With hot musicians pouring into the capital from Peru, Colombia, and Venezu-ela, not to mention North America, it was simply a matter of time until something new and crucial began taking root.

During countless knock-down-drag-out Fri-day and Saturday nights, Washingtonians have been sweating to one of the greatest party bands in America, without knowing they were getting an earful of original Latin fusion–brand new Latin rhythms designed to pay homage to Latin Ameri-ca’s culture while keeping America dancing until it’s sweaty and spent.

Gato + the Palenke Music Co. is the band that best represents the fusion that is Washington–deep Latin folklore meets classic salsa, with equal parts tropicalia and rock thrown in for good measure–,both Americas collide, and everybody is having a great time.

Since 2002, singer and composer Jaime Andrés

Salazar–“Gato”–has been searching for a musical way to represent the incredible diversity and vital-ity of the latest round of immigration in the Ameri-cas. His lyrics are mostly related to the feeling of many emigrants who leave their country in search of new opportunities; they speak of wanting and longing, reconciliation and hope. And the music behind it simply kicks.

Palenke Music Company crystallized this vi-sion the only way it could–by honing its live sound in countless bars, weddings, concerts, embassies, and festivals and learning to keep everybody, from every country, dancing for hours.

Now, as a testament to this infectious energy, Palenke releases La Situación, a completely original blend of music in twelve tracks. This newly-released record is an elaborate blend of diverse Latin Ameri-can rhythms, such as salsa, merengue, seis chorreado, festejo, bomba, cumbia, merecumbé, punta, gaita as well as blues and reggae. No band has ever combined these rhythms, which, together with Salazar’s heartfelt

songwriting, simply soar. Palenke was nominated to compete at

Burger King’s "Tu Ciudad, Tu Música" at the 116st NYC Festival.

Gato + the Palenke Music Co. The band that best

represents the fusion that is Washington–deep Latin folklore meets classic salsa, with equal parts tropicalia and rock

Contact: Jaime Salazar, Artistic [email protected]

W ith harmonious rhythms and dynamic vocals, this electrifying group of musicians has shattered all traditional notions of success in the Ca-

ribbean entertainment industry. The band fulfills regular engagements in numerous cities of the U.S. East Coast, Canada and the Caribbean. In St. Croix, Virgin Islands, the group is host to the largest New Year’s Eve events. Their live act is so mesmerizing, it has been repeated consecutively and grows larger each year.

In the Washington, D.C. Carnival arena, the group’s home base, the Im-age Band participates in highly-competitive contests and against some of the Caribbean's most revered bands. The Image Band was the first to win the 1994 Best Musical Band Award presented by the DC Carnival Committee. In 1998 and 1999, they were crowned as Baltimore's Brass-O-Rama cham-pions by the TNT Day in the Park Association of Baltimore. These accom-plishments reflect the group's pursuit of musical excellence and encourage the members to continue striving for more.

Yo ready? Le meh see yo! Those are the words pumping through the sound system as the lights come up and soca/dancehall powerhouse Image Band hits the stage again for another foot-stomping show. Every journey to the stage is an opportunity to make a musical statement. Pulsating percussive rhythms, throb-bing guitar and bass riffs, steady keyboard patterns, and the oily-smooth preci-sion execution of live horns complement the group's presentations. The versatil-ity of the musicians enables them to play various musical genres, including R&B, hip-hop and dancehall, but soca is the heartbeat of this band.

Image BandThe versatility of the members, enables them to play various musical genres, including R&B, hip-hop and dancehall, but soca is the heartbeat of this band

Musical Tips

Shakira, the hugely successful Colombian artist, was born in Barranquilla from a Colombian mother and a Lebanese father. That explains her name, Shakira Mebarak, and why in school she was known as the “belly dancer girl.” There is a huge statue of her in her home town.

Contact: See Web sitewww.imageband.com



T he band was founded in 1990 by Camilo Toledo, bass player and arranger, with the

objective of forming a professional yet totally unique band. Musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds create an eclectic flavor and evolv-ing sound that can only be distinguished as its own.

In 1990, JCJ Band played for the first time at New York, New York, the best Latin club at the time. The same year the band was asked to perform at Washington, D.C.'s annual Latino

JCJ Band

Festival, the largest Hispanic festival in the capital city. This performance marked the offi-cial debut of the band, attracting the attention of local Hispanic media and pleasing an audience of 20,000.

JCJ band has played from 1990 until the present in almost all of the Hispanic clubs in southern Maryland, Washington, and northern Virginia, providing night after night some of the best entertainment found in the area. The band demonstrates at every performance that playing several styles of music is the only way to please not only a Hispanic audience comprising a wide variety of nationalities but an Anglo- American audience as well.

For years, JCJ Band's popularity has never declined, considered "the icing on the cake" when hired by local promoters as the open-ing band for international stars. Currently, JCJ Band is also performing in New York, Philadel-phia, New Jersey and Boston.

Playing to please Latin American and Anglo-American audiences

Contact: Camilo Toledo, Artistic Director301- 933-8648www.myspace.com/jcjband

photo: JoSe SANChez



M aster percussionist, salsa teacher, composer and DJ Joe Falero was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, where he started dancing and playing

instruments. He began playing with groups of bomba and plena, salsa and merengue. Once he moved to New York City he learned to better appreciate Latin jazz, with thanks to his musical idol Tito Puente and his childhood friend Giovanny Hidalgo.

He continued his musical career in New York City and then moved to Washington. Joe played with several groups in the District until November of 2002, when Joe Falero and DC Latin Jazz All Stars was born. Since then they have not stopped playing mambo, cha-cha, salsa and more…They have given more than 1,500 performances in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Washington Convention Center, Lincoln Theatre, Maryweather Post

Pavilion and many hotels restaurants, clubs, music festivals and private parties on the East Coast. They won the Stuck on Salsa Award in 2007 and they are working on their first CD.

Joe Falero and DC Latin Jazz All Stars

Since 2002 the band has not stopped playing mambo, cha-cha, salsa and more…

Above: Joe Falero, master percussionist, salsa teacher, composer and DJ at one of his performances.

Contact: Joe Falero, Band Leader202-270-9220 [email protected]

E dson Zenteno is the founder of and guitar player for La Kumbia. He started the band in 2006, playing interna-

tional rhythms, Bolivian traditional music, Latin rock, classic rock, and cumbias argentinas called villeras and norteñas.

The band has two keyboard players, a bass player, a lead guitar player, a drummer, a female singer and a male singer.

In addition to presentations in the Washington region, the band has participated in musical events in places like Mi-ami, South Carolina, New York and New Jersey. The band is available for private events like weddings, Sweet Fifteens and birthdays.

La KumbiaCumbia, merengue, salsa, rock

Contact: Edson [email protected]

In the late 80s there was a group of young musicians named Grupo Las Américas, pictured here outside a house in Columbia Heights, Washington, where they rehearsed. Later on, some of them joined other groups.



Los Grandes de El Vallenato

This vallenato band was formed in 2000 when the musical director and talented artist, Jaime

Rafael, arrived for first time in Washington, D.C. He founded this band with his father, Amín Se-gundo, along with other local artists of the area. Los Grandes de el Vallenato was made up of Hugo Moreno Sr. and Jr., Pedro Miguel Pájaro, and five other musicians who had played with fa-mous vallenato artists in Colombia.

Amín Segundo has been a prodigious singer since he was 12 years old. His is a powerful voice with the strong and special tone used in vallenato songs. He is popular not only as a singer but also as a professional journalist with his own radio company who enjoys working hard to provide excellent service to the Hispanic community in the metropolitan area.

Amín Segundo's older son, Jaime Rafael, is a masterful accordionist. Jaime has learned also how to play all the other instruments used in vallenato, such as caja, congas and other drums, battery, timbales, güiro, and strings. He also teaches percussion to a group of musicians and percussionists at Montgomery College con-ducted by professional musician and Grammy nominee Dr. Dawn Avery.

The third CD of Los Grandes de el Vallenato, Triunfando por el mundo: Jaime and Amín Se-gundo, is one of the most popular on Colombian radio programs.

The group was made up of Hugo Moreno Sr. and Jr., Pedro Miguel Pájaro, and five other musicians who had played with famous vallenato artists in Colombia

Contact: Jaime Rafael301-768-0039, [email protected]

Los RumisFolk–Fusion from Bolivia

Anew version of Rumisonko, Los Rumis is a Latin American folk ensemble based in

Washington. Its members are originally from Bolivia and the United States. The group’s music is a combination of traditional Andean music and other influences from Latin America folklore and The New Song movement.

The group’s members have performed in venues such as New York’s Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. They have also appeared in the Smithsonian’s Folk Life Festival and in such events as the DC Latino Festival, Balti-

more Folk Festival, and the Takoma Park Folk Festival, among many others.

Rumisonko means “heart of stone” in the language of the Quechua, a culture that spans the breadth of the Andes Mountains in South America. It is meant to express the enduring strength of the cultures that are the root of An-dean music.

Contact: Carlos [email protected]



This is without a doubt one of the bet-ter groups in the Virginia area. Despite its

members' short trajectory together, they have been able to make themselves the favorites of the public in general, with a broad and varied repertory for all tastes. If you are looking for the best live music for your party, look no further. We are your best option!

Luz de LunaOne of the better groups in the Virginia area, its repertory includes salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, reguetón

Contact: Polo Rodrí[email protected]

F ormed in the summer of 2004 by five or six musicians, MelazaJazz group was con-

gratulated by Poncho Sánchez in one of their presentations at Havana Village in Washington. This represents a huge success, as Sánchez is

one of the best percussionists in the world for this kind of music.

MelazaJazzLatin jazz, bossa nova, son montuno

Chacaltana formed his Group Renacimiento in 1998 with members Alex Chacaltana (brother), Marlon Chacaltana

(nephew), Jorge Gallo, Didia Córdova and Víctor Padilla. Unlike with his second group, which focuses only on Peru-

vian music, with this second group he sought to expand the mu-sical offer in varied Latin American genres.

Grupo Renacimiento has two CDs to its name, Basta de jugar and Que rico festejo, both with lyrics and music by Miguel Chacaltana.

Miguel Chacaltana y Grupo Renacimiento

Formed in Falls Church, Va., in 1990, the en-semble Amanecer Criollo now includes a

classic or creole guitar, electric bass, congas, Peruvian cajón (wooden percussion box played by a seated performer), and vocalist.

It began playing at Latin American embassies and restaurants such as La Granja de Oro, Machu Picchu, El Tazu-mal, El Majahual, Cecilia's, El Puerto, El

Miguel Chacaltana y Amanecer Criollo

Contact: Louis Noboa240-462-8820

Contact: Miguel Chacaltana, Artistic Director703-544-3244, [email protected]/mikechacaltana

Contact: Miguel Chacaltana, Artistic Director703-544-3244, [email protected]/mikechacaltana

Sabroso, El Chalán and Rincón Español. Cur-rently, Amanecer Criollo plays exclusively Afro-Creole music from the Peruvian coastal, mountain, and rain forest regions.





A new D.C.-based Latin band, Mo-

vimiento features vo-cals, ripping horns, and a hard-driving rhythm sec-tion. The group’s name reflects a conviction that music and dance are in-separable and that the best art is made when the line between performer and audience blurs.

Movimiento has per-formed at music festivals (Brookland Music Fest 2007) at conferences (American University Washington School of Law conference on Hu-man Rights and Trade in Colombia), fundraisers (for victims of the Peruvian earthquake) and private parties. It also has performed at “Artomatic,” the ac-

claimed D.C. Arts Festival, and at Karma bar restaurant. The nine-piece band con-sists of two lead vocalists, two horns, three percussionists, piano and bass.

MovimientoThe group’s name reflects a conviction that music and dance are inseparable, blurring the line between performer and audienceRight: Movimiento, a new D.C.-based Latin band. The nine-piece band consists of two lead vocalists, two horns, three percussionists, piano and bass.

Preceding pages: This famous mural of Marylin Monroe looms over the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Street, NW Washington.

Contact: Gregory Wierzynski, Artistic Director202- [email protected]/movimientodc The Mystic Warriors are dedicated to exposing the essence of Andean Mu-

sic in a completely unique way. While their music style appears to fit into the “New Age” category, it often sounds like world music, contemporary jazz, Latin or mainstream popular. They believe their music is a fusion that crosses over all of these without leaving the boundaries of Andean music. More im-portant than categorizing their style is their ability to deliver a message of uni-versal peace and harmony transmitted by the combination of Andean ancient flutes and panpipes with contemporary instruments.

Joining the ancestral sounds of the Incas with today’s newest sounds, Mystic Warriors is dedicated to expos-

ing the essence of Andean Music in a completely unique way.

Mystic Warriors The Andean charango is often made from the shell of the armadillo (“little armored one,” in Spanish). Chajchas are paired clusters of the dried hooves of animals such as goats, sheep, or alpacas. They produce a short, wooden sound.

Musical Tips

Universal peace and harmony transmitted through ancient and modern instruments

Contact: Marco Mallea301-929-8796, [email protected]

Our City

Left: View of Georgetown University.



The group was born in 2001 when Soy López and Luis Torrealva met in Washington, D.C. Sharing similar musical interests they started writing

songs in a backyard, surrounded by the aroma of asaditos (meaning BBQs), the taste of cold beers, good friends with a nostalgic reminiscence of their homes… After years of playing and having some reincarnations, Nayas’ members are now: Soy López, lead vocals/rhythm guitar; Luis Torrealva, lead vocals/base guitar; Joey Carrasquillo, vocals/percussion; and Names Thompson, drums/percussion.

The members of Nayas are lovers of all music. They continually welcome guests from fellow local bands to collaborate and enjoy the sounds of good mu-sic. Nayas has now become renowned in the Washington area, playing in com-munity festivals, large performance venues, and intimate settings. They have shared the stage with Vilma Palma, Amigos Invisibles, El Gran Silencio, Kinky, Volumen Cero, Yerba Buena, Calle 13, Papa Grows Funk, Marc Anthony, and fellow local bands. Their first self-titled album is already available and they are currently recording their second.

Nayas’ music is like a shaman's bag, with songs covering a variety of styles. Their lyrics come from very personal visions of the world that are

shared among people longing for happiness, simplicity, relationships, community and friend-ship. Everything is spiced with good humor sending a positive message.

Nayas’ members are from Uruguay, Peru, Puerto Rico and the United States. You might see them in the neighborhood drinking pisco sours after midnight…

NayasNayas’ music is like a shaman's bag, with songs covering a variety of styles a repertory that includes reggae roots-style, rock, frenzy-dancing ska, poetic South American rootsRight: Nayas at a performance.

Below: The cover of Nayas’s first self-titled album. They are currently recording their second.

Contact: Joey Carrasquillo, Manager703-615-2129www.nayasmusic.com

photo: LIz pReoboLoS



S ince 2007 the band has played for important community groups like Fraternidad Guate-

malteca. With a varied repertoire they put peo-ple to dance: cumbias, merengues, bachatas, norteñas and romantic music. They are formed by seven Salvadorans and one Puerto Rican.

They are available to perform at birthdays, wed-dings and other private parties in the Washing-ton area.

Onda MixCumbia, merengue, bachata, norteña, and romantic

L a Leyenda returns to the “old school” of traditional Latin big-band dance music. It's

rooted in the repertoire of the New York City Latin bands that thrived during the exciting times when the U.S. first became enthralled by the music of its neighbors to the south. Small combos, medium-sized conjuntos, and big bands played the hotels and Catskills resorts where America learned to dance the mambo, cha-cha-chá and rumba and first saw tango dancers. They brought with them an element from the streets of Spanish Harlem: a rhythm that is insatiable in urging its listeners to dance until the sun is well into the sky.

The music–in truth, the music of the street–grew into an industry that fostered the birth of salsa and witnessed the arrival of new immi-grants who brought with them a love for the me-rengue and cumbia and uncountable other dance rhythms from the Caribbean and from Central and South America.

D.C.-born saxophonist and flutist Ted David started playing and fell in

Orquesta La Leyenda

love with traditional Latin music in the early 1990s. An avid student of the music and its his-tory, especially the music of Cuba and of the early years in New York, Ted has played with merengue-cumbia bands Ramón Lara y sus Profesionales and Zafiro, and with salsa bands

Zeniza, Peligro, Grupo Latino Continental and Melao.

He has shared the stage with Celia Cruz, Willie Colón, Joe Ar-royo, Grupo Niche, José Alberto “El Canario”

and others. He is a respected arranger who has written many arrangements for various local and national bands. La Leyenda brings back the best in classic Latin dance music and Latin jazz. From the original big-band format, Ted has ex-panded the group’s concept to include two other bands: a seven-piece combo that specializes in Latin jazz and a ten-piece conjunto whose forté is salsa, merengue and cumbia.

Contact: Rafael Cruz, Director202-558-8140

Brings back the best in classic Latin dance music and Latin jazz

Contact: Ted David, Founder and Artistic [email protected]

Orquesta La RomanaLa Romana is the dancers’ and promoters’ choice for any activityFounded in 1985, Orquesta La Romana has the

longest history of any orchestra in the area. Known for its hard-hitting classic salsa sound, La Romana is the dancers’ and promoters’ choice for any activity. La Romana has shared stages with some of the greatest acts in salsa history. Current-ly, La Romana serves as the Tito Puente, Jr. (son of the late king Tito Puente) Orchestra on his tours from New York City to Richmond, Virginia. The band has backed up solo artists such as Tito Allen, Cano Estremera and Lalo Rodríguez.

Current members of this salsa orchestra in-clude Edwin López, band leader; Polin, saxophone; Herbie, trombone; Tony, bass; El Guapo, congas; Andy, timbales; Harvey, bongo; Pilo, trumpet; Robert, trumpet.

Orquesta La Sensual

The passionate rhythms and expressive per-formances of La Sensual have made this

band popular with Central and South American communities.

Band director Rolando Marcos is a native of Peru, where he was a member of the well-known group La Clave del Callao. The band moved to the United States in 1990 and, citing creative differences, eventually split. Marcos performed with various other bands before moving from New York to D.C., where he met Brenda Lee, his partner in La Sensual.

Brenda, a native of Puerto Rico, has been

performing in the area for the last 20 years with different groups. She studied music at the Uni-versity of Puerto Rico and plays guitar, flute and saxophone. Marcos and Lee describe La Sen-sual’s music as truly international. It is a fusion of the modern sounds of electric guitars with drums and the traditional sounds of tropical Latin music. The unusual combination provides some of the best salsa, merengue, cumbia and even Tex-Mex music around.

Contact: Edwin Ortiz, Artistic director240-498-5083Information@orquestalaromana.comwww.orquestalaromana.com

The band provides some of the best salsa, merengue, cumbia and even Tex-Mex music around

Contact: Brenda Li, [email protected]



photo: JoSe SANChez

Formed in 1996, Orquesta Melao has opened for well-known international artists such as

Olga Tañón, Grupo Niche, Gilberto Santa Rosa, José Alberto “El Canario,” Conjunto Clásico, Maná, and many others. The group, made up of 11

experienced musicians, also was recognized by The Wash-ington Post as one of the best

orchestras in the local area. Orquesta Melao was invited to play at the White House, and also has played at the Kennedy Center, Carter Baron Am-phitheatre, Merriweather Post Pavilion, organiza-tions of great prestige and many local salsa clubs.

Orquesta Melao

S alsaley is one of the youngest musical groups in the Washington area. In 2007 two friends

whose passion is salsa started looking for musi-cians to join them. After a long process there were eleven in the band. Months of hard work and preparation led to their first gig. Since then, they have been playing for night clubs, festivals and private parties.

Currently they are working on their first single, Bacílame, a song that is getting stronger every day. Salsaley is known for its covers of songs from salsa artists such as Héctor Lavoe, Grupo Niche, Marc Anthony, Joe Arroyo, and Rey Ruiz, but they also play merengue and Co-lombian cumbia.

Orquesta Salsaley Salsaley is known for its covers of songs from salsa artists such as Héctor Lavoe, Grupo Niche, Marc Anthony, Joe Arroyo, and Rey Ruiz

The group was recognized by The Washington Post as one of the best orchestras in the local area

Contact: Luis Noboa240-462-8820

Contact: Julian R.H., Manager240-461- 4719www.myspace.com/sondedc

Left: Dancing in the street at the Latino Festival.



Founded in 2003. Verny Varela is an arranger, composer, singer and flutist with a bachelor’s

degree in music from the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia. He was born in Cali and grew up in the “barrio obrero,” where he started singing and playing with his father’s band, “El Nuevo Son.”

In 1996 in Cali and in Tulua he sang with Ismael Miranda, Adalberto Santiago and Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez, mem-bers of the Fania All Stars. In 1997 Verny was the lead singer in the Gabino Pampini Band. Later, he went on tour in Europe and in the United States with Tito Gómez. Verny wrote and sang for Thievery Corporation on the albums The Richest man in Babylon and The Cosmic Game. Also, he wrote for and recorded on the Hip Hop CD The 51st State.

In New York in 2002 Verny sang on the 40th Anniver-sary CD of the outstanding charanga Orquesta Broad-way. In 2004 Verny released his album Amar de nuevo, which made it to the Latin Grammy list of the best tropical albums 2005. Songs like Matilde and He vuelto a amar became hits in Cali,

Colombia. The album got reviews in Italy and Germany.

Now, Verny Varela is a student in the Jazz Studies Program at the University of the Dis-

trict of Columbia. Verny just released his new album

Gracias, written and arranged principally by him.

Orquesta Verny VarelaVerny just released his new album Gracias, written and arranged principally by him

Contact: Verny Varela, Artistic Director202-291-5731, [email protected]

The group was born in 2000 in the heart of Washington's Adams-Morgan neighbor-

hood under the leadership of Oscar Allauca. Since then, it has been the source of Latin American music at Havana Village. It has ap-peared also at other events including the fol-lowing: the Latino Festival in Mt. Pleasant; Hispanic Heritage Month celebration of 2004 and 2005 at the AARP; the celebration of 5 de mayo in 2007; and the celebration of the Latino Economic Development Commission (LEDC) in May 2008.

The musicians, all of them born in Peru, are: Oscar Allauca (bandleader, bass, voice); Charles Marston (piano and voice); Laura Sosa (voice); Hilder Cancho (trombone); Angel Urquiza (congas,

chorus); Ronal Mendoza (timbales, battery). Oscar Allauca can be contacted at P.O. Box 21124, WDC 20009.

Oscar Allauca y su Grupo Ritmo y SaborSince 2000, Ritmo y Sabor has been the source of Latin American music at Havana Village

Contact: Oscar Allauca, Manager202-387-3915, 202-486-6177 (Cell)[email protected]



Founded in 1999, this 12-piece band, based in the Washington area, comprises musicians

from North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean. This eclectic combination of musicians enables Pablo Antonio y La Firma to infuse and incorporate individual flavor and style into its repertoire, while allowing all nationalities to enjoy its music.

In 2000, Pablo Antonio y La Firma released their first independently-produced compact disc, currently available on the Internet, at se-lect stores, and via live performances. Their latest production, Mi Princesa, includes two

tracks that were recorded at Jampr Studios in Puerto Rico and produced by three-time Gram-my winning producer Freddie Méndez, who has worked with great merengue artists such as El-vis Crespo, Grupo Manía and Tonny Tún Tún, among others. It was a major accomplishment for the band to work with a Grammy award-winning producer!

The group has performed in important fes-tivals such as Calle Ocho in Miami, and other events throughout the Washington area and other parts of the country. One of its biggest achievements has been to stay together as a

band for nearly a decade. Performing for various charitable or-

ganizations and events is important to the band, as well as giving something back to the community.

Pablo Antonio y La FirmaIt was a major accomplishment for the band to work with a Grammy award-winning producer

Contact: Pablo Antonio, Director Brenda Liz Cintrón, General [email protected]

The Orchestra was born in 1985 composed of performers formerly with the Trinidad

and Tobago Steelband of Washington. The original members include Frankie Baltazar, St. Clair Baltazar, Roland Barnes, Robert Barnes, Patrick Belle, Don Cumberbatch, Malcolm John, Lennard Jack, Stephen Lan-drigan, Joseph Lewis and Brian Solomon.

The band has traveled north as far as Brooklyn and south to North Carolina. Pan Masters won the 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 Steelband Champion award in the Baltimore Panorama Competition, and the judges’ award for outstanding perfor-mance at the 1993 through 2002, 2004 and 2006 DC Caribbean Carnival celebrations on Georgia Avenue. It was chosen 1998 champion in the New York J'Ouvert compe-tition, and gave several command performances at the Bluemont Concert Series. It was the only participating steelband at the inaugurations of President Bill Clinton and Mayor Marion Barry. Pan Masters continues to participate in community outreach per-formances at local schools, nursing homes, hospitals and churches.

The band also has been featured on the children's music CD Bon Appetit! by local duo Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, which won the 2003 Grammy for Best Children's Album. Pan Masters has produced four recordings, the latest in 2005 (On De Road), and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2005 with a concert featur-ing world-renowned pan performer, composer, and arranger Robert Greenidge. A DVD of this concert is the latest addition to the band's releases.

Over the years, through Peter Dunning and the Bluemont Concert Series, Pan Masters has brought Caribbean culture to areas of Virginia such as Win-chester, Warrenton, Leesburg, Culpepper, Luray, Lansdowne and Reston. The Orchestra has played also at Caribbean Summer in the Park, Hispanic Festival, Potomac Riverfest, City of Fairfax Parks and Recreation, Montgomery County Ethnic Festival, Smithsonian Institute, the Cherry Blossom Parade, Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA, the Institute of Musical Traditions concert series, and the Folklore Society of Greater Washington.

Pan Masters has expanded its community programming with an annual "Pan Jamboree" which brings together steelbands in the area in an open atmosphere similar to the open air pan performances held in the Caribbean. Pan Masters also hosts an annual Junior Pan Solo Competition to encourage young pan-nists throughout the area to strive for excellence. Additionally, Pan Masters has increased its involvement in the DC Carib-bean Carnival by organizing and hosting the an-nual DC Calypso Monarch Competition.

Pan Masters Steel OrchestraThe Orchestra brought Caribbean culture to Virginia, Washington, and Maryland

Musical Tips

[email protected]

The steel pan was a wonderfullly inventive adaptation of African percussion traditions using the once-plentiful steel drums of the oil industry in Trinidad, before the age of supertankers. Through heating and hammering, artisans deformed areas of the curved bottom of the barrel, obtaining different notes when the respective plates or areas were struck. The 13 different instruments of the pan family are made today by modern methods.

Above: Steel drum marked to show where notes are struck.



For two succesive years, 1999 and 2000, Pat-rick Alban and Noche Latina were nominated

by WAMA (Washington Area Music Association) for Best Latin Band and Best Latin Vocalist. They also performed live at the 2000 WAMA awards ceremony, which was covered by the Washington Post as well as Public Television.

On April 12, 2000, Patrick and his band per-formed at the Kennedy Center. The group has released four CDs and one video. Its latest is Ojos Verdes.

For details about the band and Patrick as well as their show dates, check out www.gabi-records.com.

Patrick Alban y Noche LatinaAcoustic rock, salsa, Cuban, blues

Contact: Patrick Alban, Karen Perc [email protected]/patrickalban

BY 1997 THERE WERE at least 44 recordings by local musicians, according to research presented by the now-defunct Centro de Arte de Washington. The titles included Cantor de Oficio (Camboy Estévez y Primitivo Santos), El Huerto (Rumisonko), Ritmo y Melodía (Tulio Arias), Going Home and Cipote (Izalco), El Abandonado (José Reyes), Canciones inolvidables (Zuly de Venezuela), Ritmo y Sabor (Zeniza), Ucachita (Julio Sosa), y Estás en mi (Lesly Daily).

Founded in 2004, the band is based in Washington, D.C. Its music brings the haunting sounds and mystic power from the Andes to the rest of the Americas

and the world. Raymi uses traditional instruments such as zampoñas, mosceños, quenas and tarkas in context with the classic band instrumentation, exploring the possibilities that the bass, guitars, keyboards and trap drums can have together with the Andean tradition.

Raymi, which means feast or celebration in the Quechua language, is a new musical language for many, a place from which contemporary universal music can be seen through to a dimension of unity and under-standing.

Raymi’s passion for its roots is reflected in its music; its love for tradition and knowledge can be heard in its sound. Raymi's commitment to the people of the world is the seed that will grow and will be harvested by future gen-erations so that the new world can enjoy the fruits of Raymi’s focus on human creation.

Raymi’s members are Gustavo Vargas, Alejandro Lucini and Juan A. Cayrampoma.

RaymiTraditional instruments such as zampoñas, mosceños, quenas and tarkas are used in context with the classic band instrumentation

Above: Raymi explores the possibilities that the bass, guitars, keyboards and trap drums can have together with the Andean tradition.

Contact: Juan A. Cayrampoma, Manager703- [email protected]

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photo: ALFoNSo AGUILAR



Founded in 2006. Well known for its versatility, “Rudy

González y Su Lokura” has been playing every Friday night for the last two years at Guarapo in Ar-lington, Va.

The band has had the privilege of performing at the Kennedy Center, Washington Convention Center, Essex House (New York City), Wolf Trap, local festi-vals, and private parties. “Rudy González y su Lokura” was named by the Kennedy Center the 2007-2008 “Best Latin Revelation Band”. The band’s members come from Cuba, Colombia, Peru and El Salvador. The band just recorded its new promo video and is currently working on its “Live” album. Born in El Salvador, Rudy González and his family moved to the U.S. in 1984. Here he picked up the saxo-phone when he was 14 years old. After graduating from D.C.'s Duke Ellington School of the Arts he won a full scholarship to the prestigious Oberlin Conserva-tory of Music, where he majored in Jazz Studies (saxophone).

Currently, González is the Music Department Chair Person at Thurgood Mar-shall Academy in Washington, where he resides. González has studied jazz saxo-phone with Jack Wilkins, Donald Walden, Joe Henderson, Yuseff Lattif, Andrew White, and David S. Yarborough, and classical saxophone with Paul Cohen. He has also studied composition and arranging with Wendell Logan, Alfredo Mojica Sr., Jimmy Owens, Calvin Jones, and J.J Johnson. He has performed with Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Ozomatli, Jon Secada, Winton Marsalis, Jimmy Owens, Ricky Loza, “Free Spirit”, and Billy Taylor, and has received numerous awards

as a jazz composer and performer. Currently Rudy continues perform-ing and teaching in the D.C area as a freelance musician.

Rudy González y Su Lokura BandThe band’s members, from Cuba, Colombia, Peru and El Salvador, play salsa and tropical music

The use of violins in Cuban music in charangas and in genres such as danzón and cha-cha most likely dates back to the arrival in eastern Cuba of French settlers escaping from the revolution in nearby Haiti. Many of the most popular rhythms of Cuba —son, bolero, conga, trova, danza—originated in the eastern end of the island and traveled west to the capital, Havana.

Musical Tips

Contact: Rudy González, Artistic [email protected]/rudygonzalezysulokura

Preceding pages: Dancers perform punta at La Ceiba, Honduras, during Afro-Honduran Heritage Month.

This 18-year-old East Coast ensemble "has joined the pantheon of great Latin jazz groups,"

says the 52nd Street Review. Veteran members have performed, recorded, and toured extensively with jazz and Latin greats of the past and future: Lionel Hampton, Mon-guito Santamaria, Manny Oquendo, Miles Davis' sideman Gary Thomas, Avishai Cohen's Inter-national Vamp Band and Lonnie Plaxico, to name a few. Each of their four recordings on the prestigious Palmetto record label was produced by Latin jazz lu-minary Andy González of Fort Apache Band fame. Their latest release, Radio Mundo, played to raves from Downbeat, Jazz Times, Washington Post, Latin Beat, and the L.A. press. The CD received extensive airplay and awards from some of the most widely-listened-to jazz and Latin radio stations from coast to coast, like WBGO in New York and KLON in Los Angeles.

This legendary nine-piece ensemble features members who live and perform in New York City, Washington and Baltimore. They have performed all over the U.S. in the West, includ-ing a week's stint at the Jazz Bakery in L.A., and Midwest, and continue to frequent jazz and dance clubs around the eastern seaboard including the Blue Note in Manhattan and Bird-land, "the jazz corner of the world." This sum-mer they will appear at jazz festivals including the San Jose Jazz Fest in California and Lake George Jazz weekend in upstate New York. The band made its international debut last summer at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival.

After performing together and sharing the stage with Latin greats like Tito Puente, the group caught the attention of Andy González, considered one of Latin jazz's greatest bassists.

Andy has produced and is a featured guest on each of their recordings. Mamacita, its second CD, was a breakthrough success, receiving gener-ous amounts of airplay on jazz and Latin sta-tions around the country.

In one month in 1998, Mamacita made Top Ten on radio stations in L.A., San Francisco, Puerto Rico and Miami simultaneously, according to polls in Latin Beat magazine. Public Radio In-ternational honored the group by selecting Ma-macita as one of the ten best recordings of 1997. Their third release, Espiritista, was chosen by WBGO in New York City as one of the ten best Latin records of 1999. Their latest 2001 release, Radio Mundo, has received outstanding critical acclaim and was recently selected as one of last year's ten best CDs by JAZZIZ Magazine.

The band continues to forge its own synthe-sis of jazz and instrumental Latin dance music described as "a style of their own making." Meanwhile, they continue to make what Latin Beat magazine has called "the finest dancing and listening music possible."

Rumba ClubThe band continues to forge its own synthesis of jazz and instrumental Latin dance music described as "a style of their own making”

Contact: Michael [email protected]



G rupo Saoco was founded in 2007 with sal-sa as its specialty. With eight expert musi-

cians, the group is the perfect alternative to a larger band for experiencing the great sound of salsa. Currently the group performs at the Ha-bana Village Club in Washington, and is avail-

able for private events. Manager Luis Noboa also manages the

Melao and MelazaJazz groups.

Saoco

The band’s name means “fearless” in

Spanish. Its the name of one of the best salsa bands in Washington. Led by French pianist Didier Prossaird, the name sums up the band leader's attitude toward music “(Washington Post, Oct.12, 2001–EricBrace).

“Sin Miedo is a truly international group that makes the Afro-Cuban rhythms of salsa and mambo jump into your bloodstream and move your hips around” (Washington Flyer, Oct. 2002).

The repertoire includes the classic salsa hits from the 70s to today as well as cha-cha, bolero, and original music with a French twist. Because of its versatility, the band can switch from dance music to listening music with a large repertoire of Latin jazz.

Sin Miedo“A truly international group that makes the Afro- Cuban rhythms of Salsa and Mambo jump into your bloodstream and move your hips around”

The group is the perfect alternative to a larger band

Contact: Luis Noboa, Manager240-462-8820

Contact: Didier Prossaird, [email protected]

La Familia Univision-Telefutura

Entravision Communications / 101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite L-100 - Washington, DC 20001 / (202) 522-8640



The band has been playing in the Washington area for over 15 years in school assemblies, gatherings, weddings, festivals, and other settings. Its wide-ranging repertoire includes soft ballads such as boleros as well

as cha-cha-chá, salsa and merengue. Lead singer and Director María Isolina has traveled for promotion purposes to the Festival of La Tonada in Tunayan, Argentina, La Paz, Bolivia, Mexico City, Mexico, and her own native coun-try, Honduras.

Isolina is a songwriter with two albums on the market along with two music videos from her original songs Oro y Arcilla and Significado de Mujer. The Washington Post has called Maria Isolina a “talented singer, composer, and songwriter…her strong clear voice is filled with fire and passion.”

She has opened for singers John Secada and Cachao. She has also al-ternated with Celia Cruz and has sung with other famous singers and groups such as Leo Dan, Barry Manilow, La Sonora Dinamita and Willy Chirino.

Sol y Rumba BandIts wide-ranging repertoire includes soft ballads such as boleros as well as cha-cha-chá, salsa and merengue.Musical Tips

At the center of the merengue are the tambora, the two-headed drum played with one bare hand and a striker in the other hand, and the güira, a cylindrical metal scraper with a handle. Their rhythmic patterns make the merengue immediately identifiable. The saxophone and the accordion also became with time typical instruments for merengue ensembles.

Contact: Daniel Amaguana301- 990-9677 [email protected]

Right: Tourists sightseeing in downtown Washington.

ALatin band from Richmond, Va., Son

Quatro has been perform-ing for corporate events, private parties, and clubs since 2001. Son Quatro has the experience nec-essary to make your event a huge success.

The band consists of seven to eight members from Colombia, Puerto Rico, Peru, Mexico, and USA, including Kevin Ortiz (timbales), Mario Duque (piano), Jhon Acevedo (bass), Pedro Zamora (conga), Oscar Bravo (bongo), Benjamin Arrendondo (güiro and güira), Scott Frock (trumpet), and Rob Qualich (trumpet).

Son Quatro plays the classic salsa sounds from the 70s and includes covers from Tito Puente, Ray Barreto, Rubén Blades, Fania, Ismael Rivera, Cheo Feli-ciano, El Gran Combo, Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez, and also more modern artists like Fruko y Sus Tesos, Buena Vista Social Club, and Afro Cuban All Stars.

Son Quatro

Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Cuba all use an instrument called cuatro. Except for the instrument shared by Venezuela and Colombia, they are all different. The Puerto Rican version has five courses of double strings.

Musical Tips

The band plays the classic salsa sounds from the 70s and includes covers from Tito Puente, Ray Barreto, Rubén Blades, Fania, etc.

Contact: Jhon Acevedo, Director804-938-0518www.sonquatro.com

Our City



L ed by Kris (Pupi) Díaz and based in Wash-

ington, D.C., the band consists of well-known performers who represent the new musical culture developed in the capital of the United States. Latin Sound mixes the flavors and roots of Latin music with American soul to cre-ate a unique sound with musicians from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Peru, the United States, France, Haiti, and Cuba, featuring a variety of hard-core salsa, reggaetón, bachata, Latin jazz, merengue, cumbia, U.S. music, boleros and R&B Latino.

Since its founding by Jessica Díaz in 2006, Latin Sound Band has performed at events and venues all over the U.S. and abroad. Recently returning from a tour in Puerto Rico, they are now performing locally in the Washington area.

The band’s goal is to be a “one stop shop” when it comes to Latin enter-tainment, by providing not only talent in different styles of music but also all event-support services.

Jessica has directed videos for different artists in New York and around the world. Some of her music videos have aired on BET and Video City New York. Her work has won “Video of the Year” awards in Korea.

Kris Díaz started working in music at the age of 14. He is also an event promoter in the area. Kris believes that Latin music is not limited to Latinos

and has integrated talents from different countries and different ethnic back-grounds.

The Latin Sound BandThe band’s goal is to be a “one stop shop” when it comes to Latin entertainment

There is no difference in how Colombians and Venezuelans play and dance the joropo, a musical genre of the plains shared by the two countries. The wide plains in some ways are their own country, irrespective of national borders.

Musical Tips

Contact: Kris “Pupi” Díaz, Director703-731-0475www.thelatinsoulband.com

Right: A partial view of an exhibition area at National Geographic in D.C.

What is the music of the Caribbean Islands? There's much more to it than what most

people perceive. Each style is distinctly differ-ent and more exciting than the next.

Tropikiimba's specialty is Afro-Latino mu-sic, which is guaranteed to get people on their feet and dancing; For example: salsa, timba, songo, bolero, danzón, cha cha chá, charanga, rumba, bachata, merengue and vallenato. The band can also play other Afro-Caribbean styles (calypso, soca) if needed for special events. Tropikiimba is one of few authentic Caribbean orchestras in the Washington area. Band mem-bers are from countries such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, St. Thomas and the Unit-ed States.

TropikiimbaThe band’s specialty is Afro-Latino music guaranteed to get people on their feet and dancing

[email protected]

Our City



Un Mundo is a 12-piece salsa band from Fredericksburg, Va. The group plays main-

ly classic salsa from the 60s, 70s and 80s and Afro-Puerto Rican plena and bomba. This style is also known as Salsa Dura or Nuyorican Salsa. It celebrates the golden era in salsa from both Spanish Harlem (El Barrio) and Puerto Rico, with a repertoire of music by artists such as Ed-die Palmieri, El Gran Combo, Héctor Lavoe, Grupo Niche and more.

Un Mundo has several original tunes along

with many improvised descargas—jams—that burn right through the dance floor. Past venues include the University of Maryland Multicul-tural Fair, Latino Festival of Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg Country Club, and, as headlin-ers, the monthly Salsa Night at the Loft Club.

Un MundoThe group plays mainly classic salsa from the 60s, 70s and 80s and Afro-Puerto Rican plena and bomba

Contact: Johnny Valencia, [email protected]/unmundosalsa

Panamanian Rubén Blades is known worldwide as a salsa singer and composer of songs with acerbic social content, but he also leads a Latin jazz orchestra, holds law degrees from the University of Panama and Harvard School of Law, and collected 18 per cent of the vote when he ran for president in 1994. In 2004 he became minister of tourism.

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The group was founded in 2007 in Virginia. A native of Peru, Vanessa Díaz united with now-director Polín Alfaro, also from that country. Af-

ter working together for some time they found that their passion for salsa and Latin rhythms could not be denied, and worked very hard to make the band what it is today. Their music includes the Cuban timba sound, Puerto Rican rhythms, and of course the Peruvian flavor.

Vanessa's family, of a pronounced musical vocation, had a decisive in-fluence in her choosing a career as a singer. Vanessa y La Tremenda made their first public debut in 2007, on a Latin radio station within the D.C. metropolitan area. Since then, the group has been a great hit! The dyna-mism and originality of its members in playing a variety of rhythms make their music undeniably full of life. Recently they have become renowned for their tune Esa Noche, composed by Vanessa.

Vanessa Díaz y La TremendaThe dynamism and originality of its members in playing a variety of rhythms make their music undeniably full of life

Above: Vanessa Díaz y La Tremenda. Their music includes the Cuban timba sound, Puerto Rican rhythms, and of course the Peruvian flavor.

Contact: Polín Alfaro, Manager703-344-3275info@vanessadiazylatremenda.comwww.vanessadiazylatremenda.com

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The best parties always happen at the beach. And when these three brothers hit the stage,

you will swear there's sand under your feet. Tall, dark and have-some, the Villa-Lobos deliver a consistently sunny breed of music.

Shredding all over New York for years now, and frequent visitors to D.C., with performaces in several Fiesta DC events, their mainstream appeal has helped them secure shows at bigger-than-life shrines like Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium, while also establishing a network of smaller venues like Joe's Pub, Queens Theater in the Park and the Orensanz Foundation.

Once a pack of violin-toting beachbums wreaking havoc in their native Veracruz, the brothers now boast a number of special appear-ances under their belts, including a once-in-a-

lifetime showdown at the Latin Grammys, and a champagne smash for the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations.

Invitations to play and record with elusive legends and superstars followed, from such icons as Eddie Palmieri, Dan Zanes, Amadou et Miriam, Morley, Itaal Shur, Simply Red, Jorma Kaukonen and Pierre Boulez. This year they recorded a CD with Dolly Parton.

Having just wrapped up their second studio col-laboration with The Shul Band, and on the heels of a New York Times whatchamacallit, the Villa-Lo-bos brothers are on the road again, this time with long time friend Sammy Zabaleta on the drums.

Villa-Lobos BrothersThe brothers now boast a number of special appearances under their belts, including a once-in-a-lifetime showdown at the Latin Grammys

Contact: Ernesto Villa-Lobos, Director917-679-8231

Founded in Bolivia in 1983, Zafra now celebrates its 25th anniversary. The original members stayed together for nine years, but subsequent-

ly there have been substitutions as its musicians are recruited into other groups due to their quality and experience. The band, which by now has produced a number of gold records, made the Washington area a perma-nent home in 2000.

Early in its trajectory the band was contracted to play in Germany, leading to a tour of five European countries where the members met numerous Eu-ropean artists and became familiar with the music business in that continent. While on tour, Zafra was hired by a large Swedish company to play twice daily aboard its cruise ships, where the entertainment included names such as Phil Collins and the Back Street Boys. Zafra took the place of the band then completing its tour, Pink Floyd.

Zafra has a permanent stage at a local club, playing twice a week. It se-lects as its repertoire the best of a variety of genres, offering The Best Live Music.

It plays for any type of occasion, and also offers sound engineering services and a recording studio.

ZafraIt selects as its repertoire the best of a variety of genres, offering The Best Live Music

Contact: Fernando Alfaro, [email protected]

Musical Tips

Venezuela, Colombia , Ecuador, and Perú each can be divided roughly into three parts: the Pacific or Atlantic coastal areas, the Andean region, or mountainous backbone of the continent, and the Amazonian rain forest to the east of the Andes. This geography shaped the character of the people and of their music. Afro-descendants and African traditions became more concentrated along the hot coastal areas where the ports of entry for the slaves were located. Ancient indigenous civilizations made their home in the cold, dry, windy Andean highlands, while the peoples of Amazonia lived in hot humid lowlands with the unceasing sounds of the rain forest in the background.



Enrique Araujo, director and founder of the Zeniza All Star Orchestra, was born in the

town of Chincha, Department of Ica, in Peru. As a child he moved to Lima, where he was nourished by a rich current of music, and from a very young age he began playing the congas and the bass. Having finished his schooling he invited a group of friends to start their own mu-sical group. Enthusiastically, they all accepted.

In 1978, Zeniza began to record such hits as Una Nueva Vida and Shanna, and, in 1992, Con los ojos del alma. Zeniza then traveled to Ven-ezuela and found equal success, working next to artists such as Celia Cruz, La Dimensión Latina, La Inmensa, La Salsa Mayor, and many others.

Zeniza arrived in Washington in 1993. At an appearance with Oscar D'León, the King of Salsa said after listening to Zeniza, "It's been a long time since I've enjoyed an orchestra with such a feel-good rhythm," agreeing to become the orchestra's godfather.

In Washington they have opened for the most

renowned salsa artists, such as El Gran Com-bo de Puerto Rico, Celia Cruz, Oscar D'León, Grupo Niche, Guayacán, Ismael Miranda, Jerry Rivera, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Víctor Manuel, Joe Arroyo, Tito Nieves, Roberto Torres, and La Sonora Carruseles. In 2003, Zeniza was invited to play at Calle 8 in Miami, with sonera Laura Mao as vocalist, establishing the group as one of the best salsa bands in Washington.

Its most recent recording, which includes salsa tunes like Chachaguere y Banbarakatunga, was made with musicians who currently play with Zeniza All Star.

Enrique Araujo believes that it is important to record with the original musicians, ensuring the same musical quality in subsequent live per-formances.

Zeniza All StarThey have opened for the most renowned salsa artists, such as El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Celia Cruz, Oscar D'León

Contact: Enrique Araujo301-213-6952, 301-801-4366www.zeniza.com

Right: Cartwheeling in Dupont Circle, Washington.

photo: ALFoNSo AGUILAR


79 Special GenresLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

Special GenresThese genres are defined by a particular combination of music, dance, instrumentation, and even costuming. For them, specialization rather than variety is the standard.

Flamenco, for example, is performed only by flamenco groups. It uses special costumes and limited

instrumentation, and in modern times has been fairly standardized in the range of styles it uses.

Mariachi, similarly, has costumes and instrumentation used only by mariachi groups. A mariachi may play

sones or boleros or romantic ballads or waltzes, but it will always sound and look like a mariachi. A marimba group is built around a particular instrument, large enough that it can be played by more than one performer at once. Like flamenco and mariachi, a marimba group sounds and looks like a marimba group no matter what style of music it is playing. The same is true

of norteñas, samba, and tango. Rock bands follow no particular

standard or tradition, but are included in this section for convenience.

Area residents can learn to dance flamenco and tango with local instructors,

some of whom are listed in this section.

www.washingtonhispanic.com

El periódico en español más influyenteen el área metropolitana de Washington.

Todos los viernes en más de 2,500lugares en Washington, Maryland y Virginia.

Sirviendo a cerca de 200,000 familias.

202-667-8881Fax: 202-667-8902

2701 Ontario Rd., NW, Washington DC, 20009.



The musical influences of Spain in America (the continent) are many and varied. In the Wash-

ington area, the most visible variant is that of flamenco, the passionate music of the south of Spain, which transparently shows the Moorish legacy of that area.

The end of the 15th Century was accom-panied by major events in the former Roman province of Hispania, which had increasingly absorbed, and come to be dominated by, the Visigoths. The last Moorish bastion fell, the nation of Spain began to be unified around the kingdom of Castile, the intense nationalism of the times was accompanied by the Inquisition, with its expulsion of the Muslims and Jews, and the Spanish sailing expedition to China landed instead on a conti-nent previously unknown to Western European mari-ners. The Gypsies (Rom, or Roma), a nomadic peo-ple who had traveled to Europe from India and were marginalized from mainstream Spanish society, did not share in the Hispanic-Cath-olic fever of the times, and took up the mix of Moorish, Hispanic, Jewish, and Gypsy music that became flamenco, adding their own intensity to the genre.

Flamenco can be performed as simply as with one voice, or with the addition of hand claps, castanets, or one or more guitars; or, more recently, the Peruvian cajón, a wooden box played like a drum while held between the legs of a seated performer.

Flamenco is also the name of the dance that the music accompanies.

Flamenco F lamenco is an art that explodes outward cap-turing the imagination of the spectator with its

fire and fury. Highly emotional and intense, it is above all the art of the individual.

Arte Flamenco is based on the concept that each performer has a unique quality to contrib-ute to the ensemble. All of the artists, be they dancers, guitarists or singers, are highly experi-enced professionals, and are encouraged to en-gage in the creative process as both soloists and participants in ensemble pieces.

Natalia Monteleón created Arte Flamenco while residing in New Orleans. The group achieved wide success, and was invited to return three years in a row to the world-famous New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Under a grant from the Consul-ate of Spain the company was able to arrange for the first presentation of authentic cante flamenco ever given at the Jazz Festival, bringing Manolo Leiva as guest singer.

Relocating to Maryland, Ms. Monteleon re-created the company within the Washington area. Their first major concert, in February of 1998, was a sold-out performance at Howard University’s Smith Theater. Performances are given annually for the Federation of Hispanic Organizations' summer festival in Baltimore, the Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, Balti-more Artscape, the Columbia Arts Festival, the Takoma Park Folk Festival, James Rouse The-ater, the University of Maryland, the Mexican Cultural Institute, and other local venues.

Because Flamenco is an art form rooted in a native culture, the company strives to present shows which both educate as well as entertain the audience. Great care is taken to retain au-thenticity and to use the highest caliber of tal-ent, culled from local dancers, musicians and singers, as well as occasional invited interna-tional guests. The company, which uses live musical accompaniment exclusively, is known for its impassioned performances.

Arte Flamenco

Contact: Natalia Monteleón, [email protected]

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82 Special Genres Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s


The duo was founded by the brothers Cesar and José Oretea (Bolivia) in 1998. In 2000

they moved to the U.S. and since then they have performed in different clubs and events in the Washington area and recorded two CDs.

Duende Camarón has performed in several

Duende Camarónvenues of the Smithsonian, Carter Barron, and Constitution Hall. Their flamenco is influenced by rumba artists like the Gypsy Kings and also by Latin American music.

The name has a very important meaning to the flamenco world: "duende" is a especial phenomenon in which a flamenco musician can give the best of his or her art with much passion, while Camarón (“shrimp”) was the nickname of José Monje Cruz, one of the most important fla-menco singers of contemporary times, who died in 1992.

Contact: César [email protected]

The list of the major and minor languages of Spain is long. Castilian, also called Spanish, is the principal language, which everyone must know and has a right to use anywhere in the country. Other major languages are Galician (galego), closely related to Portuguese; and Catalan, spoken in Catalonia and also eastern Aragon and the Balearic Islands, and its variant, Valencian, spoken in the Valencian Community. Basque (euskera), in use since before the Roman conquest, is still used in the Basque Country and Navarre. Aranese, with roots in the Middle Ages, is found in north-western Catalonia, in the Pyrenees. Among minor languages, Aragonese (from Occitan), Astur-Leonese, Extremaduran and Fala enjoy some recognition butare not official languages.

B ringing the ferocity and passion of flamen-co to the stage, Furia Flamenca is unique in

that it combines flamenco's gypsy heritage with modern flamenco choreography to create an el-egant balance of motion and energy, making its performances absolutely enthralling and totally entertaining.

Founded by director Estela Vélez in 2003, Furia Flamenca has taken the best elements of its dancers’ backgrounds (flamenco, ballet, Middle Eastern, modern, and tap to name a few) and melded them into a sumptuous feast for the eyes, ears, and heart with their range of expres-sion and ability to entice the audience.

In January 2005 the company became a Resident Arts Partner with the Joy of Motion Dance Center.

Furia Flamenca has performed in venues throughout the area including the Kennedy Cen-ter's Millennium Stage, Jack Guidone Theatre, Carter Barron Theater, Mexican Cultural Insti-tute, and Ernst Community Cultural Center as well as numerous festivals including Dance D.C. Festival and Adams Morgan Day festival. In ad-dition, it has appeared on television programs such as Noticias Univisión and the Fox Morn-ing Show. Its choreographies have been selected for numerous shows including Joy of Motion's Dance Project and Dance Bethesda in 2007.

Furia Flamenca

Contact: Estela Vélez, Artistic Director703-568-4404estela@furia-flamenca.comwww.furia-flamenca.com

Its choreographies have been selected for numerous shows including Joy of Motion’s Dance Project

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The Requiebros Spanish Dance Group typifies the elegance and grace that distinguishes flamenco from other styles of dance. Under the tutelage

of choreographer and director Carmen de Vicente, the group showcases the classical “Escuela Bolera” style of the 18th Century, as well as contempo-rary genres that include flamenco, rumbas, tanguillos, sevillanas and tradi-tional folk dances from various regions of Spain.

Vibrant and authentic costumes help to create a cheerful blend of energy and excitement that make a performance by the Requiebros a musical pleasure.

The group consists of approximately 20 dancers from beginning to advanced levels. They have held recitals for diverse audiences and per-

formed in schools, international programs, area festivals, nursing homes, and at private engage-ments since 1996.

RequiebrosMusical Tips

Vibrant and authentic costumes help to create a cheerful blend of energy and excitement that make a performance by the Requiebros a musical pleasure

Contact: Carmen de Vicente, Founder 703-684-1949 www.carmendevicente.com

Founded in 2007, Suspiro Andaluz has been featured at the Annual Span-ish Festival at the Strathmore Center for Performing Arts, as well as local

venues throughout the greater D.C. area. Accompanied by a live guitarist, Suspiro Andaluz performs traditional sub-

genres of flamenco, including alegrías and tangos, as well as the flamenco-style partner dance from Seville called sevil-lanas.

Suspiro AndaluzAccompanied by a live guitarist, Suspiro Andaluz performs traditional subgenres of flamenco

Contact: [email protected]/photoblog/2007/05

The maracas from the plains of the Colombia-Venezuela border are smaller and lighter in sound than those seen in the U.S. They are played very differently, too, and a musician used to the other maracas has to learn them like a new instrument. The right hand plays an upbeat in counter to the down beat on the left hand. They are played very fast and moved straight up and down, rather than being tilted forward on the beats, and made to produce swishing sounds by swirling them around the axis.

Musical Tips

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Flamenco is only one of a variety of traditional Spanish dances, some with roots dating to the 15th Century. They survive, despite changes in tastes and despite the repression of regional differences under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Among the better-known dances are the paso doble (the music heard at bull fights), the fandango, and the bolero (which is not like the Caribbean bolero that took its name).



E stablished in 1996, Ziva’s Spanish Dance Ensemble is a resident company of the Joy of Motion Dance Center. The Ensemble's

dancers have diverse and international backgrounds. Most have prior experience in dance forms such as ballet, modern, ballroom and folklórico. The company captivates audiences with Spanish dances that range from the fiery and seductive flamenco of Andalu-sia to the spirited jota, folk dances of Aragon.

In 2001, the Ensemble received the First Metro DC Dance Award for "Outstanding Production in Multicultural/World Dance," for its March 2001 production of "El Camino del Fuego."

Ziva Cohen is the founder and Artistic Director of Ziva's Span-ish Dance Ensemble. She heads the Flamenco program at Joy of Motion in D.C. and currently sits as a panelist on the Mary-land State Arts Council Dance Advisory Panel. She also teaches at George Mason University. Cohen has performed extensively in the Washington area and, at times, in other major U.S. cities and Israel, where she has been hailed for her artistic and techni-cal brilliance as a flamenco dancer and choreographer. She blends traditional Spanish with modern dance, resulting in a unique neo-classical choreography, and explores the roots of flamenco while incorporating other dance forms to the Ensemble's performances. Guest artists have come from a variety of dance and musical fields such as jazz, modern, tap, Indian, African, and Moorish.

Cohen has studied Spanish dance and flamenco with numerous teachers in the United States and Spain, including Dame Marina Keet, Jose Udaeta, Mercedes y Albano and Pacita Thomas. The ensemble has appeared on the Millennium Stage, and Corcoran Gallery of Art, Publick Playhouse, Lisner Auditorium and First Night Annapolis. The Washington Performing Arts Society sponsors Ziva's Spanish Dance Ensemble for lecture demonstrations in schools and for senior citizens' groups in the Washington metropolitan area.

Ziva's Spanish Dance Ensemble The blend of traditional Spanish with modern dance results in a unique neoclassical choreography

Contact: Ziva Cohen, Artistic Directorwww.zivasspanishdanceensemble.org

Right: A distorted view of Adams Morgan neighborhood. photo: ALFoNSo AGUILAR



¡Ay Jalisco no te rajes!me sale del alma gritar con calor,abrir todo el pecho pa' echar este grito:¡Qué lindo es Jalisco, palabra de honor!

Mariachi

Ay Jalisco no te rajesE. Cortázar

Ay Jalisco, Jalisco, Jaliscotú tienes tu novia que es Guadalajara;muchacha bonita, la perla más rarade todo Jalisco es mi Guadalajara.

Y me gusta escuchar los mariachis,cantar con el alma tus lindas canciones; oír como suenan esos guitarrones y echarme un tequila con los valentones.¡Ay Jalisco no te rajes!

me sale del alma gritar con calor,abrir todo el pecho pa' echar este grito:¡Qué lindo es Jalisco, palabra de honor!

Pa' mujeres Jalisco es primero,lo mismo en los Altos que allá en la Cañada; mujeres muy lindas, que rechulas caras, así son las hembras en Guadalajara.

En Jalisco se quiere a la buena,porque es peligroso querer a la mala;por una morena echar mucha balay bajo la luna cantar en Chapala.

Aguila was formed in 1998 by a group of local musicians who share a love for the excite-

ment, brilliance and drama of mariachi. Washing-ton’s premier mariachi is a six-piece ensemble with current mariachi instrumentation: trum-pets, guitars, and violins.

Mariachi Aguila has performed at private events such as Cinco de Mayo celebrations, em-bassy gatherings, weddings, and similar gath-erings throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Recently they performed at the Mexican Cultural Institute in the nation’s capital.

Mariachi Aguila

L imber Suárez founded the Mariachi Car-aepalo several years ago. He performed

with his father from a young age, and has been playing mariachi for over twenty years.

Originally from Mexico, mariachi music has achieved world-wide popularity. The musicians of Mariachi Caraepalo, in their charro outfits, entertain their guests with their rancheras from the countryside. They are well trained in both playing the traditional instruments and singing well-known songs like El rey, Volver, volver,

Amor eterno, and many more. El Mariachi Caraepalo is available for birth-

days, bachelor parties, showers, and weddings in addition to other celebrations. They special-ize in entertainment with grace and creative collaboration. Their professional services are available only in the D.C. area.

Mariachi Caraepalo

Contact: Juan Lazo202-277-0102, 202-210-1947www.mariachiaguiladc.com

Contact: Limber Suá[email protected]

More than 6 million people in Central America and Mexico today speak 69 different Maya languages, thought to be related to one original language of some 5,000 years ago. Omniglot.com provides sample texts in different Maya languages. Here’s a text in Tseltal: “Spisil winiketik te ya xbejkájik ta kínalil ay jrerechotik, mayuk machá chukul ya xbejka, ya jnatik stojol te jpisiltik ay snopibal sok sbijil joltik, ja´ me kúx ya kaibatik ta jujun tul.” That’s a translation of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”



This mariachi founded in 2001 has taken its music to different events like weddings,

birthdays, baby showers, serenades, Sweet 15s and many more. With their more than seven years of experience, Mariachi el Rey offers a Mexican touch filled with the traditional maria-chi style. Like a Mexican ambassador, Maria-

chi el Rey makes the metropolitan Washington area its home.

E strellas performs the most exciting and en-chanting music the world has come to iden-

tify with Mexico: mariachi. The ensemble has established itself as one of the most outstanding performance groups based in the nation’s capital, performing to audiences that have included dip-lomats and governmental dignitaries, television personalities, professional athletes and lovers of folkloric music.

Wearing the traditional traje de charro, the group's members weave musical harmonies and rhythms as colorful as the sarapes for which Mexico is famous. They showcase the musical and rhythmic variations that have developed in the different regions of Mexico from both his-torical and cultural perspectives. And, in the

tradition of mariachi bands, they perform re-quests on demand.

As masters of their instruments, they expert-ly combine the contrasting sounds of the violin, the sharp brassiness of the trumpets, the deep voice of the guitarrón and the high-pitched voice of the vihuela with a result that is the heart and soul of Mexico.

Whether at a midnight serenade under a bed-room window, a wedding, birthday or theme party, the musical entertainment provided by Mariachi Estrellas will create an experience to remember.

Mariachi El Rey

Mariachi EstrellasThe group's members weave musical harmonies and rhythms as colorful as the sarapes for which Mexico is famous

Contact: Javier Albornoz, Director703-869-8227 and [email protected]

Contact: Judy Benavides, [email protected]

T he band was born in Virginia in 2002. Founder César López

began his career as a musician in Guatemala, playing with the Las Monarcas group. He played with several mariachis in the Los Angeles area. Eventually, he made his way to Virginia where he started his own mariachi.

Mariachi Fiesta has been invited to participate with big stars in Latino music, among them Vicente Fernán-dez, Marco Antonio Solís, María Elena Beltrán. They have performed at the White House, embassies and festivals.

B ased in the nation's capital, Mariachi Las Américas has performed the best Mexican

music around the Washington metropolitan area for over 25 years.

Mariachi Las Américas, with different ensembles (duos, trios, quartets and larger), plays for all types of events—presidential inaugurations, congressmembers' parties, historical events throughout the nation's capital, serenades, weddings, First Com-munions, festivals, parades, birthday or theme parties, and school and govern-ment programs.

Mariachi Fiesta

Mariachi Las Américas

Fiesta has been invited to participate with big stars in Latino music, among them Vicente Fernández

Has performed the best Mexican music around the Washington area for over 25 years

Contact: César López, [email protected]/mariachifiesta

Contact: Byron Pérez, Manager571-332-5965mariachi_las_americas@yahoo.comwww.mariachilasamericas.com



Founded in 1979, Los Amigos is

the Washington ar-ea’s longest-existing mariachi ensemble. As its name implies, it was formed by a group of friends who shared a passion for the lively, extroverted sound of the maria-chi and for the wide range of music that it plays. The traditional mariachi ensemble emerged in the 1800s in several western states of Mexico, in-cluding Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima, and Michoacán, found at weddings, birthdays, saint’s day celebrations, rural dances, and other social occasions.

The rise of recordings, radio, films, and television in the 20th Century took mariachi music to audiences throughout Mexico, Latin America, and beyond. During this time, since the 1930s, the mariachi evolved to become a widely popular musical ensemble with a preferred instrumentation of two or more violins, two trumpets, vihuela (rhythm guitar), and guitarrón (bass).

The earliest members of Mariachi Los Amigos came from many nations and regions, including Mexico, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Texas, and California. While its membership has evolved over the years, its original passion-driven spirit remains.

Founding members Luis González on vihuela and Daniel Sheehy on trumpet are from Mexico and California, respectively. Other members are guitarronero Mario Castro, Mexico; trumpeter Francisco Soto, Arizona; and violinists Terry “Toni Luna” Liu, Ohio, Daniel “Danny” Sheehy, Jr. (son of our director) of Falls Church, Virginia, and June Welsch of Fairfax, Virginia.

Mariachi Los Amigos performs a wide repertoire of musical material, from the latest canción ranchera (country song), to romantic boleros, lively polcas, and some

of the oldest of the hard-driving sones jaliscienses.

Mariachi Los AmigosMusical Tips

Mexican mariachis are said to be named after groups that entertained at weddings during the time of the French occupation of Mexico. The word for marriage in French is the same as in English, and from it came mariachi.

Contact: Francisco Soto, Manager703-671-5463 www.geocities.com/terryliu_99/Mariachi_Los_Amigos.htmlwww.mariachilosamigos.com

H earing this mariachi band is like taking a one-way trip straight to Mexico. With their

acoustic melodies and authentic Mexican sing-ing, Sin Fronteras is a band you’ll never forget. They have performed at festivals, gatherings, school assemblies, pri-vate parties, weddings, hotels, and more.

For a small event such as a ro-

mantic serenade the group offers a nice two- or three-piece band. It also offers larger ensembles that can give any event the mood of an authentic Mexican Fiesta.

Mariachi Sin Fronteras

Contact: María Isolina, Booking Manager240-643-9148, [email protected]/custom3.html

Luis González (left) and Daniel Sheehy performed son jarocho and ranchera music playing guitar and harp at the Archdiocese of Washington. As a duo, they performed regularly at El Tazumal Restaurant in Adams Morgan in the late 80s with the name Dúo Amigos. With an extra musician, sometimes they formed the Trío Amigos. Both, founders of Mariachi Los Amigos, appear on the opposite page in front of the Capitol. Sheehy and Soto are, from left, fourth and fifth.

They performs a wide repertoire of musical



Tito el Charro CuscatlecoA charro is a Mexican cowboy. Tito Torres

is a Salvadoran mariachi singer known as "The Charro of Cuscatlán.” Tito used to sing and play the guitar in his neighborhood in El Salvador, and one day the musician Pío Rome-ro heard him. Romero thought that Tito had a great deal of talent, and began training him to sing professionally.

Tito now sings with mariachis in restaurants, and has performed at the Cinco de Mayo Festi-val and the Fiesta DC festival in Mt. Pleasant. With his folkloric music he hopes to remind the Hispanic community to not lose their roots and to support their heritage.

Contact: Frank Agbro, [email protected]

Mexico is a federation of 31 states and the Federal District (D.F., or Mexico City ). The largest state, Chihuahua, bordering on Texas and New Mexico, is almost half the size of Spain.

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Marimba

In 1995 Robert Girón, Sr. made real his dream of having a family band named Marimba

Linda Xelajú, whose goal is to extend different musical rhythms throughout the country and to different cultures. The Marimba Linda Xelajú—the instrument—came from his home town, Quet-zaltenago, to the United States in 1996 to promote and preserve Guatemalan music.

Girón was fascinated with the marimba. Whatever its origin, the marimba became popu-lar all over the world, but nowhere so loved as in Guatemala. Virtually no ceremony or celebra-tion anywhere in the country takes place with-out it, and in no other place has the instrument reached the pedestal of a national symbol.

The marimba was declared Guatemala’s na-tional instrument in 1978, and to honor it a mon-ument was made in Quetzaltenango. In January 1999 the Congress of the Republic declared the marimba a national symbol of Guatemala for its historic and cultural value and tradition.

The availability of fine wood in Guatemala facilitated the development of the marimba. Nojobel Salazar, one of the most exclusive ma-rimba makers in Guatemala’s Western Region, crafted the the instrument for which the band

is named. The resonance box of the Marimba Linda Xelajú is made out of mahogany. The keys are made of wood from the hormigo tree, so named because it is always filled with ants, attracted by the sweetness of the wood. The frame has beautiful Mayan designs on white wood also called palo blanco.

The talent of playing marimba is passed down from generation to generation. With Ma-rimba Linda Xelajú, the talent of this family is passed down from father to daughters and son. A large instrument, the marimba is played si-multaneously by different musicians. Their roles are named according to function (melody, harmony) or for other instruments (piccolo, tiple), the range of each of which corresponds with that of the section of the marimba being played.

Today, Marimba Linda Xelajú is played by Robert Girón, Sr. (piccolo); Robert Giron Jr. (ti-ple); Beverly Girón, (melody); Jennifer Flores (harmony); Mauricio Gutiérrez (electric bass); Fernando Argueta (percussion).

Marimba Linda Xelajú

Contact: Aura Girón, Manager240-476-8524www.marimbaxelaju.com

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The marimba, originating in Africa and Asia, has ancient predecessors, probably the earliest pitched instruments. The first marimbas were likely made from wooden bars laid over a hole in the ground and played with mallets. A stone xylophone found in Vietnam is the oldest surviving instrument of its type.The Guatemalan marimba came to America with slaves from southern Africa, where its relative the hand piano, or marimbula, is common. Some say that the name comes from the Bantu words for "many keys," ma-rimba. Others point to a Zulu goddess named Marimba who played an instrument of wooden bars hung over resonating gourds. In Cuba, the marimbula took on a larger size, possibly because of the availability of wooden boxes at the ports. Known in Jamaica as rumba box, that marimbula has a round sound hole over which are laid three or four metal staves secured at the bottom end and plucked with the fingers at the top end to produce bass sounds. The box is aligned horizontally as a rectangle set on its long end, and the player sits on top of it, as with a cajón. On the Pacific coast of Colombia, Afro-descendant communities play the marimba chonta, so named because its keys are made from the wood of the chonta palm. The tuning corresponds to a major scale: chonta marimbas typically do not include chromatic keys, like the black keys on a piano. The chonta marimba uses resonating tubes made from guadua bamboo, a species indigenous to Colombia.In Zimbabwe, the marimba was chosen as a national instrument in the last century because it had no specific tribal association and could be adopted by all groups equally. The development of the Zimbabwean marimba is an example of cross-fertilization across the Atlantic, as specialists in Zimbabwe based their instrument on the Guatemalan marimba which derived from southern Africa. It is in Guatemala where the marimba became the modern instrument known today. Like the African xylophone, the first Guatemalan marimbas used gourds as resonators. The chromatic or double-tiered keyboard was introduced in 1874. Sebastián Hurtado replaced the gourds with wooden cones, of which one end was covered by a membrane. In 1908 the Hurtado family took the marimba on tour to the U.S., and soon after that U.S. manufacturers started to produce marimbas. Today's marimbas are made in a variety of models, but most use rosewood for the keys and brass tubes as resonators.



The Marimba Pequeña Internacional was formed in 2005 by the Sarceño family.

The group has performed in different multi-cultural events and festivals in the Washington area, including the Takoma Park Festival and the D.C. Folk Festival. In addition, Marimba Pequeña Internacional has appeared at the embassy of Israel and other consulates and embassies.

This group has a selective and diverse rep-ertoire. They are not limited to the traditional Guatemalan folk music, but also include in-ternational rhythms like cumbias, merengues, danzones, corridos, boleros and others.

Marimba Pequeña Internacional is com-posed of the following members: Cecilia Sar-ceño, Sherri Sarceño, Jose Sarceño, Pablo Sarceño, Adán Soto, and Vinicio.

Mi Pequeña InternacionalThey are not limited to the traditional Guatemalan folk music, but also include international rhythms

Contact: Fernando Sarceño, [email protected]

The Tawantinsuyo was the empire of the Quechuas, named from the words tawa (four) and suyo (nation, state). Divided into four territories centered around present-day Cuzco in Peru, it stretched down the Pacific Coast north to present-day Colombia and south through Ecuador to Chile, incorporating to the west what are now Bolivia and part of Argentina, reaching the edge of the Amazon area. The Tawantinsuyo came to an end during a bitter battle for succession between bothers Huascar and Atahualpa that coincided with the arrival of the Spanish. The histories of Ecuador and Peru diverge from that time forward.

Norteñas“Norteña,” meaning “of the north,” is music from

Mexico’s northern states. Classic norteña bands may be small, even just a duo or trio, playing 12-string guitar, accordion, and snare drum, but modern versions use additional instruments. The dress has a flashy-cowboy look; hats are standard. The names of the bands frequently include the phrase “del Norte,” as in Tornados del Norte. The sound is often similar to that of the polka, but with a country feel and in Spanish.Norteñas are known for corridos, narratives on themes that range from the Mexican Revolution to stories of tough men and, not surprisingly, the hazards of emigrating to the U.S. They also play newer rhythms such as the much-faster quebradita—as energetic as salsa or a fast merengue—and the pasito duranguense (named for the state of Durango), also a faster music, which can incorporate Texan cumbia, cha-cha, mambo, rock, and other styles. Quebradita groups are called bandas. Duranguense, a

favorite in the U.S. and particularly in Chicago,

expands the instrumentation to brass and woodwinds.



The band was founded in 2004 by the Ramír-ez brothers: Marcelo, José Guadalupe, and

Eliseo. Despite the band's name, none of the members are from northern Mexico. Instead they are from different countries like El Salva-dor, Guatemala and Mexico, but they love play-ing norteña music. Corazón Norteño has played in Mexico Lindo restaurant and in the Cinco de Mayo Festival in Baltimore.

The band is composed of five members: José Guadalupe, bass; Santos Elmer Villalta, accordion; Manfredo Lu-cero, electric bass; Eliceo Ramír-ez, drums; and Marcelo Ramírez,

vocalist. They won first place at the Tocando por un sueño (Playing for a Dream) contest, a two-month competition among 14 groups. Corazón Norteño has shared the stage with Ninel Conde, and they love to entertain their public. The band currently has a CD called Con todo el corazón (El charco).

Corazón Norteño

The band Roberto y sus Traviesos (“the mis-chievous ones”) was founded in 2007 by

Roberto Rodríguez, who has six years of expe-rience in music. The band was so named be-cause Roberto is the oldest member of the band and the rest of the members are rebels.

Playing quebradita and duranguense, they have appeared in the Cinco de Mayo Festival in Baltimore and at Mexico Lindo Restaurant. The band is made up of Roberto Rodríguez, vo-calist and bass; Sergio Palencia, bass; Ramón Muñoz, accordion, tuba, and saxophone; Al-berto Rodríguez, keyboard and drums; Manolo Palencia, drums; and Emerson on percussion.

Two are from Guatemala, one from Mexico, and one from the U.S.

Roberto y sus Traviesos won second place in a radio contest in Manassas. They have shared the stage with bands like Banda Limón, Lolo Duarte, and Banda Z. The band brings excellent music to the public, and is currently working on recording a CD.

Roberto y sus TraviesosThey have shared the stage with bands like Banda Limón, Lolo Duarte, and Banda Z

They love to entertain their public and they love to play norteña music

Contact: Marcelo Ramí[email protected]/Corazon_norteno2008

Contact: Roberto Rodríguez, Manager937-618-9540

Born in 2004 in Chilapa, state of Guerrero, Tornados del Norte has played in restaurants

and clubs in Washington, D.C., Richmond, and other cities in North Carolina, Delaware, and Virginia. They now reside in Maryland.

Tornados del Norte

Founded in Michoacán,

México, Triun-fadores del 4 has played in Georgia, Cali-fornia, Indiana, Delaware, Idaho, and Kansas. In the region they have performed at several latino festivals and local restaurants and night clubs with a special Mexi-can identity. They have shared the stage with El Recodo and Los Tigres del Norte, two of the best-known bands internationally in this kind of norteña music. The band has recorded two CDs: Nadie nos va a separar and Corazón de papel.

The band is composed of 14 members, and each of them plays an instrument that gives fla-vor to the band. Electric bass, Epigmen-io; guitar, trombone and second voice, Noé Reyes; trumpets, Diego Reyes, Ar-

mando Reyes and José A. Arévalo; drums, Pas-tor Reyes; percussion, Miguel A. Reyes, José Arévalo and Roberto Caballero; accordion, trombone and keyboard, Jorge A. Reyes; trom-bone, Juan Manuel Arévalo, Marisa Cortéz; keyboard, Roberto Vitela, and tuba played by Gabriel Orosco.

Triunfadores del 4

Contact: Leonel Hernández, Director301-404-6584

Contact: Jorge A. Reyes, [email protected]



Rock

Rigth: Singer-songwriter Daniel Gómez Botta

The cultural influence of the U.S. on Latin America is pervasive. Disney, Hollywood, TV shows, styles and fads, all percolate south. It’s

hardly surprising then, even if not generally known in the U.S, that rock and roll is firmly established south of the border,

including in Cuba. Rock musicians everywhere are known in Spanish as rockeros.

Latin rock can be closely derivative of U.S. and also European rock, down to the look and

stage action of the bands, but it may also incorporate domestic themes, instruments,

and genres, as well as reggae, ska, West African, and other genres that were born outside of the U.S. and Europe. Aside from local and “world music” versions, the range of Latin rock is as broad as that which is played

elsewhere: R&B, pop, heavy metal, punk, techno, and so on—even emo.

The bands in this directory are representative of the current directions of Latin rock. Some of the

Washington-area band members began playing in their home countries and later emigrated here.

All of the rock bands listed here exist in myspace.com, but only one has a separate Web site. Contact information for the

bands may be available at their respective myspace.com sites; registration in myspace is required to enter. You may also find

further information at www.Latinorockfest.com.



The band is formed by five guys who have something in common: Music! AkerOn

originates with two friends getting together: Henry (drums) and Joelvin (guitar), who in the past had been members of a few rock bands in Guatemala. Shortly thereafter, they got together with singer Victor, with whom they had per-formed. After a few practices they decided to

relocate to the Washington area, where they met Alan (guitar) and Alex (bass), who had taken part in a project named Inverted Trifixion.

The best way to describe AkerOn is this: "different countries, different influences create AkerOn."

AkerOn

www.myspace.com/akeronheavyrock2

Our City

S inger-songwriter Daniel Gómez Botta, originally from Venezuela, grew up listening to his father’s record collection of songwriters such as Pablo

Milanés, Joan Manuel Serrat, and Silvio Rodríguez. Fascinated by their melody and eloquence, Botta wrote his first song when only eight years old. Later, Botta was influenced by the sounds of Seattle’s grunge (Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana) and the Latin rock of Soda Stereo, as well as British pop-rock bands such as The Cure.

In the mid-90s Botta was the front man for La Matriz del Sistema (even-tually Papas Underground), playing the D.C./Va./Md. circuit and sharing the stage with many local and international acts.

After releasing two records with La Matriz, Botta`s academic goals took him to the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts, where he pursued and obtained a degree in Sound Design and Engineering. During this pe-riod he released two independent records, Humano (1998) and Resurrection (2000). In 2002, Botta formed Pocket Hero, a “Spanglish” British pop-rock/emo band, and actively played the local scene. Botta, a compulsive songwriter, also put out two reflective and introspective EPs, Apartamento Music (2004) and Teetering on the Brink (2005).

In 2006 Botta came back to the D.C. area and joined forces with old friend and drummer Seth Elias, a former member of Controversia, later joining with local talent bassist Tim Maccabe, forming a power trio. Their independent album, Pedazos de mí en el tape (2007), is a mixture of Latin pop rock and trova with hints of contemporary songwriters like Ryan Ad-ams. Melodic richness, lyric content and mature song structure make Pedazos de mi en el tape Botta’s best album yet.

BottaMelodic richness, lyric content and mature song structure make Pedazos de mí en el tape Botta’s best album yet

[email protected]

Musical Tips

Mexican rock developed in parallel to Chicano rock in the U.S. The first Chicano rock star was Richie Valens, or Richard Steven Valenzuela, who was born in Los Angeles and achieved fame with the hit La Bamba, an adaptation of a son jarocho from Veracruz. His stardom lasted only eight months, ending with the plane crash that killed him and fellow rockers Buddy Holly and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson in 1959. He was 17 years old.

Freddy Fender, author of country music hits in the U.S. such as “When the Next Teardrop Falls” was born Baldemar Huerta, a name not likely to advance his career on the Texas side of the border. Vicky Carr faced a more difficult situation: she was born Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martínez Cardona. When she met president Gerald Ford she asked him “What Mexican dish do you like?” and he answered “I like you.” In his autobiography, Ford noted that the First lady was not pleased.

Left: Georgetown University (towers, left), Key Bridge, and Georgetown as seen from Roslyn, Virginia on a clear summer day.

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FiltroFiltro is now a familiar name in the Latin rock scene of the Washington areaMusical Tips

www.myspace.com/filtrorock

This band from Springfield started out in a very peculiar way in 2003, jam-ming on Andean rock music. After months of rehearsals and a change

of line-up that took them in a different musical direction, the band began to experiment with their musical backgrounds and influences, which were a mix of hard rock, metal and grunge, and that led to the birth of Filtro. It's a sound of heavy and hard guitars with metal, punk and hard-rock rythms led by strong lyrics that speak about social issues and personal experiences.

Filtro has had a few changes on bass, but now Julio, Javier, Luis and Ed keep writing original material that is influenced by the different musical backgrounds of each member, ranging from Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, G n' R and Nirvana to R.A.T.M., Audioslave, Chevelle, Korn, Molotov, Soda Stereo, Metallica and more.

Filtro is now a familiar name in the Latin rock scene of the Washington area, having performed in many venues of Virginia, Maryland and D.C., and is also part of the annual DC Latin Rock Festival.

Filtro is classified by their fans as having a "loud, strong, and unique" sound.

The word Kaótica derives from chaos–the confused, unorganized condition or mass

of matter before the creation of distinct and or-derly forms.

Although chaos is usually associated with negative circumstances, Kaótika proves this conception to be wrong. “We have to remem-ber that there is chaos in every aspect of this world, in every human life…it’s part of our existence”, says Aracelly, “but it is from this same chaos that high passions are born. Our passion is music and this is the message we want to send.”

All five of them, four born and raised in Bo-livia and one in Peru, met in the U.S. United by the same dream, they decided to form a Latin rock band in 2006. Since that day they have devoted themselves to finding their unique mu-sical sound...and, with much success, they have found it!

Every one of their presentations carries that one element of originality that has character-ized them from the beginning. Today, Kaótika is recognized as one of the most successful Latin

rock bands in the D.C. area. One of their most important performances so far has been opening for Vilma Palma at the State Theater in Virginia. "We feel very fortunate to have taken our first step with such a huge opportunity that not many beginner bands have, we see it as an encourage-ment to work harder and give only our best.”

With many aspirations for the future, Kaóti-ka’s dream is to create music that inspires mul-titudes to identify themselves with their songs. Each song grasps a moment of their past, present and future. “Every one of us is a very important element to what Kaótika is at this moment, and we never want this to change. What we want is for people to interpret chaos (Kaótika) the way we do, as a positive element of our lives and better yet, learn from it just as we do through our music”.

Kaótica

www.myspace.com/kaotikamusic

The Latin American countries with tbe largest and best-known production of rock music are Mexico and Argentina. Rock is also a force in South American countries such as Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela, which are more influenced by European rock than is Mexico. Among the bands that have built followings within the U.S. are the Mexican Maná and Café Tacuba, and, earlier, the Argentine Soda Estereo, now dissolved.



The group brightly blends the heart-beat sounds of the streets with chords that loudly

yell plenty of rock & roll and punk in an al-ternative format that doesn’t apologize for cele-brating tribal sounds that make everybody jump their heads off.

Formed at the dawn of 2006 in Alexandria, Va., March of Us consists of Alexis Magdaleno (drums), Gustavo Cruz (bass/vocals), and Al-fredo Galtarossa (guitar/vocals). The members all come from Venezuela, where they belonged to popular rock bands like La Comuna, Leviti-co, and Abstracto. Being exposed to African-Caribbean sounds as well as to European and North and South American sounds, this trio

proudly carries different musical backgrounds that season the band's distinctive sound, from Latin jazz to Brazilian beats to an unrepentant loud hard rock that believes in poly-linguistic lyrics as the perfect means to reach out to more people.

Ever since the band was created, March of Us has been playing regularly in the D.C. area, in places such as Grog and Tankard, Café Ta-cuba, The Red and the Black, and many more. March of Us has performed with bands such as Amor Suicida, Reynolds, Stone Gato, Kaotika, and others.

March of Us

W ith music in the blood and with the hope of some day signing a contract, Bart, Harold

and Elvis each has been part of various musical groups, year after year, beginning in their coun-try of origin, Bolivia.

In 2003 they got together for the first time to make music, bringing in their younger brother, Roy, who was then starting to play on his own. The four brothers called themselves Reynolds, the family's last name.

In 2004 and 2005, produced by XHR Music Productions and JGM Studios, of San Carlos, Fla., they began work on their first recorded material, with songs written by the band mem-bers. The CD includes songs like Wpa, Del todo bien, and Sin tu amor, which the audience sings in chorus during performances. The music of Reynolds is classified as Spanish-language pop

Reynolds

rock, but one can find in the CD a variety of oth-er rythmns too, from rock to punta that comes close to rock, Latin pop, ballads, and R&B. The CD, Cantaré con esta voz, went on sale at Música Latina in Arlington, Va. in 2006, lead-ing to their live presentations in the "Del todo bien" tour.

Reynolds plans to take the tour to Miami, New Jersey, and New York, and, later, having signed with Ramhaus Records, continue on to countries in Central and South America, includ-ing Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras and Mexico. They also plan to finish producing their videoclips and to record their second CD.

Reynolds plans to take the tour to Miami, New Jersey, and New York

www.myspace.com/kaotikamusic

www.myspace.com/reynoldsmusic

The band started a year ago with many ideas and much sacrifice with the goal of estab-

lishing a place in the music industry at an inter-national level. It combines various styles, from pop, rock, and gypsy to ska, defining the band's own style and sound with their original songs, which have been a hit so far–songs like ¿Dónde estás?, Vete ya, Esperaré por tí, No te quise las-timar, Oye mi reina, and more.

Their first studio effort is being recorded, with much inspiration and dedication.

A fter a three-year stint with regional power-house the Lloyd Dobler Effect (Aezra Re-

cords/Virgin Records), Rod and Javi Godínez left the band to pursue a different outlook on music. Blending rhythms from Latin America and Africa with elements of rock and funk, they've created in-fectious beats, tender melodies, and down-to-earth lyrics that captivate any audience. Whether singing in Spanish or in English, Stone Gato's masterful musicianship, energy, and charisma get audiences moving to their infectious beat.

With a growing fan list of over 5,000 and with all their accomplishments, Stone Gato is sure to be a favorite.

Sin Kontrol

Stone Gato

The band combines various styles, from pop, rock, and gypsy to ska, defining the band's own style and sound with their original songs

In Spanish or in English, Stone Gato's masterful musicianship, energy, and charisma get audiences moving to their infectious beat

www.myspace.com/stonegato

www.myspace.com/sinkontrolados



photo: JoSe SANChez

W ith members hailing from Argentina, Guate-mala, Bolivia and El Salvador, the groovin’

fusion is inevitable. Their original style contains elements of ska, reggae, rock and various Latin rhythms with lyrics in both English and Spanish.

The Sessions has been pounding the pave-ment for the last year in the Washington area, playing at popular latin rock venues and events, always attracting a crowd and gaining new fol-lowers due to their energetic live performances and extremely dancable tunes. Jose Ekonomo’s versatile guitar skills, combined with Ricardo Varrenti’s infectious bass lines and a fantastic rhythm section that incorporates bottom-heavy drums and Latin/Caribbean percussion make up the Sessions “sound”.

The Sessions

The new Washington area's own Versus has a sound as eclectic as the area itself. With a music

style that could find a home as easily with The Foo Fighters as with Smashing Pumpkins, Versus filters influences from early pioneers of "rock en español" to modern hard rock—punk through their own unique vision and perspective. In doing this they achieve a sound distictly their own, a sound that people from all walks of life all over D.C. are discovering. From the harder edge of their rock songs to the rolling melodies of their more traditional music, the sound of Versus is one that warrants attention.

VersusVersus filters influences from early pioneers of "rock en español" to modern hard rock

www.myspace.com/sessionsdc

www.myspace.com/versusdc

Left: Lilo González rocks out at the 2006 Latino Festival.



C lube do Samba brings old- and new-school samba music to the Wash-ington area since late 2007. The band's members are all friends with

a common passion for samba, having played informally at parties and jam sessions until joining together to bring performances to music venues in and around Washington.

Created through the mixing of African and European music and dance, samba is today one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil and is wide-ly recognized as Brazil's national musical style. Clube do Samba features au-thentic Brazilian acoustic instruments, including the pandeiro (tambourine), cavaco or cavaquinho (4-string guitar similar to the ukulele), violao sete cordas (7-stringed guitar), tantan (bass drum), and other Brazilian percussion elements.

Brazil borders on most of the countries of South America. The main language spoken there is Portuguese, not Spanish, but that

does not keep Brazilian music from being a major influence in the region. As far north as Mexico, visitors to public

squares known for strolling musicians, like Garibaldi Plaza in Mexico City and the main plaza of Veracruz, will find

batucadas performing alongside the mariachis and norteñas. Among Brazilian genres, samba, the queen of carnival, stands out. And how could it not? It represents hot-weather fun, costumes, and collective dancing in the streets. Samba groups in Rio de Janeiro, known as scolas (schools), practice and prepare all year for the competition held during carnival, but samba fever is

hardly limited to that city, or, indeed, to Brazil. In the Washington area, samba is performed by

Brazilians and admirers of the genre who live here and who, even in winter, reproduce the irresistible experience

born in Brazil from African and European roots.

SambaClube do Samba

Contact: Kevin or [email protected]

Created through the mixing of African and European music and dance, today one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil

Musical Tips

Above: Kevin, Fabio, Max, Babajan.

The claves are two wooden cylinders held lightly in the hands and struck together to set and keep the beat. They must be made from hardwood in order to produce a clear, piercing, sound. In colonial times, ship builders used hardwood staves, rather than metal fasteners, to hold a ship's timbers together. Havana, a major port for Spanish commerce, was full of such staves that served as clavos (nails). The claves were born when musicians working on the docks discovered the usefulness of the wooden cylinders for keeping a beat.



F ounded in 1992, Sambart Entertainment emphasizes the cultural traditions of Brazil

through colorful, elegant costumes, traditional Brazilian food, percussion music, and exotic high-spirited dance. Since its inception, Sam-bart has been dedicated to promoting Brazil-ian culture and Carnaval throughout the United States and the world.

Sambart Entertainment was founded under the artistic leadership and direction of world-renowned dancer and choreographer Sonia Pessoa. Her personally-choreographed samba shows bring a flamboyant Carnaval atmosphere to any manner of event, large or small. Passion-

ate exotic dancers dressed in authentic Carnaval costume give an elegant taste of the cultural fla-vor that is Brazil.

Sambart Entertainment’s sambistas (samba dancers) have performed their folkloric dances locally and nationally at numerous theaters and auditoriums, such as the Marcus Theater on Broadway, NY, the Kennedy Center, and Wolf Trap; military bases such as Fort McNair and Fort Meyer; festivals; carnivals; parades; embas-sies; restaurants; hotels; and private functions.

F ormed in 2006 under the direction of Sao Paulo native ZeZeh, a talented and well-

known samba dancer, the DC Passistas are made up of a diverse group of talented sambistas that bring together a unique “Brazilian heat” in the greater metropolitan area.

Specializing in samba, Afro-Brazilian, and axe, DC Passistas ground their dancing in balance and happiness. Through shake, shimmy, and personal flair, each dancer brings individual moves to ex-press freedom through the dance of Samba.

DC Passistas have made their home in the studio of the Mamasita Cultural Center, located in Takoma,

D.C. Group members reflect the Center’s holistic message of wellness and freedom of movement. Incorporating this message, the group represents Brazilian culture but brings together individuals of various ethnic backgrounds, such as Caribbean and South American, which allows the group to embody this revolutionary dance.

D.C. Passistas have enjoyed performing in multiple venues throughout the Metropolitan D.C. area that include Brazilian parties, various cultural events, and festivals.

DC PassistasThe group represents Brazilian culture but brings together individuals of various ethnic backgrounds

[email protected]

[email protected]

Sambart Entertainment



Acaricia mi ensueñoel suave murmullo de tu suspirar,¡cómo ríe la vidasi tus ojos negros me quieren mirar!Y si es mío el amparode tu risa leve que es como un cantar,ella aquieta mi herida,¡todo, todo se olvida...!

El día que me quierasla rosa que engalanase vestirá de fiestacon su mejor colorAl viento las campanasdirán que ya eres míay locas las fontanasme contarán tu amor.La noche que me quierasdesde el azul del cielo,las estrellas celosasnos mirarán pasary un rayo misteriosohará nido en tu pelo,luciérnaga curiosaque verá...¡que eres mi consuelo...!

Recitado:El día que me quierasno habrá más que armonías,será clara la auroray alegre el manantial.Traerá quieta la brisarumor de melodíasy nos darán las fuentessu canto de cristal.El día que me quierasendulzará sus cuerdasel pájaro cantor,florecerá la vida,no existirá el dolor...

La noche que me quierasdesde el azul del cielo,las estrellas celosasnos mirarán pasary un rayo misteriosohará nido en tu pelo,luciérnaga curiosaque verá...¡que eres mi consuelo!

Enrique Santos DiscepoloEl día que me quieras

photo: poNtItANGo

TangoTango was born at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th, when Buenos Aires was growing rapidly due to the influx of European immigrants—mostly Italian and mostly men—and of workers of all kinds from the countryside, including free Africans. As immigrants to Washington do today, they sought solace and entertainment in small and affordable clubs, or wherever a few musicians could improvise a diversion. The mix of ethnicities and cultures produced a new sound that was accompanied by a new dance.Neither the music nor the lyrics nor the dance, nor the places where tango first was played and danced, enjoyed a good reputation

at the time. Still, it was becoming too good to miss. The upper classes discovered it, and it made its way to Paris, where it became

a sensation. It returned to Buenos Aires with the imprimatur of the City of Light, triumphant in its home country.

Tango spread to New York and other capitals. Movie studios produced musicals and stars, in particular Carlos Gardel, who is still mourned in Latin America after his death in an airplane accident in 1935. The tango survived Gardel’s death and the censorship

of a military government, reached a peak in the 40s and 50s, and then declined, in competition with newer styles of

music. Later, in the 70s, it was revived again, this time as an experimental fusion with jazz and rock and chamber

music, best known today through the work of Astor Piazzola, who lived while young in New York, became fascinated by the electronic-sounding musique concrète of the 1960s—a kind of early sampling of sounds made possible by the tape recorder—and considered pursuing a career in serious rock before taking his friends’ good advice to

play what he knew best. The new tango shocked the traditionalists but gave new life to the

music. It lives on, paired with its rural-born relative, the milonga, as an expression of sophisticated big-city night life.



Losano's skill as a dancer and teacher has been acknowledged with numerous awards

and accolades, including the "Golden Obelisk", "Teacher of Milonguero", "Young Generation of Milongueros", and "Dedication to Tango", which was awarded by Juan Carlos Copes. She also was awarded First Prize in the "Champi-onship Hugo del Carril" in 1997, and for three consecutive years represented "Solo Tango TV" in the International Exposition of the Cable In-dustry. Carina performs regularly in the U.S. at locations such as the Argentine Embassy, the Organization of American States, and the Ken-nedy Center for the Performing Arts, and she was one of the featured performers at the His-panic Inaugural Gala for President George W. Bush in 2001.

Her unique combination of technical skills as a dancer and interpersonal skills as an instructor have led international cruise lines, such as Radis-son Seven Seas Cruises and MSC Cruises, to en-gage Carina as a guest instructor on cruises to sev-eral continents and numerous countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Turkey, U.K. and Uruguay.

Carina is an accomplished choreographer as well as performer and instructor, and her credits include teaching Madonna tango technique for her role in Evita and co-choreographing the Pepsi commercial starring Shakira that was aired nation-ally throughout the U.S. during the 2003 Academy Awards. She also co-choreographed a commercial for HSBC Bank to launch a new marketing cam-paign in 2005 and the National Geographic Special on the Human Body and Reproduction in 2006.

As an instructor, Carina teaches a style of tango that is elegant and dynamic, while at the same time

Carina Rosario Losano

relaxed, comfortable, enjoyable, and accessible to everyone. Her natural ability and her training with some of the greatest masters from Argentina give her a unique capacity to instill in her students a deep feeling for the subtle nuances of tango. She emphasizes contact and communication between dancers so that they move together in rhythm and harmony. Under her guidance, students realize a new feeling for music and movement, and they come to enjoy the sensations that have made tango a seductive art for generations.

Students come to enjoy the sensations that have made tango a seductive art

Contact: Carina Rosario [email protected]

A r g e n t i n e - b o r n singer, actress, and

teacher Claudia Gargi-ulo is a mezzo-soprano performer known for the clarity of her voice.

She has previ-ously sung and acted in South America and Europe, performing in festivals and theatres in Verona, Viareggio, Bari, and Milan, Italy, and Buenos Aires. In 2004 she won the first prize as best singer at the “International Tango Competition” in New York.

She has sung with the McLean Sympho-ny Orchestra, The Pan American Symphony Orchestra and several local groups. She has collaborated with Gala Hispanic Theatre in Washington as both a singer and actress, and she now promotes Argentine tango and contemporary Latin American music in North America.

She currently resides in the Wa s h i n g t o n area, where she sings and teaches voice.

Claudia GargiuloShe has sung with the McLean Symphony Orchestra and the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, and in Italy and Argentina

Musical Tips

Contact: Claudia [email protected]/claudiagargiulo

The unique sound of xylophones and marimbas, floating and ethereal, is the result of the overtones emitted, heard in combination with the fundamental tones of the keys.

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In 2004 Ponti Del Mercado met director/pro-ducer Francis Xavier and participated in his

TV commercial for Gardel's Super Club, shown on Fox TV. In early 2005, again as a tango danc-er, he opened the second "Night Cry" series with his dance partner and long-time friend Zuli Russi. In June of the same year they both traveled to Buenos Aires and performed in La Boca at the world-famous Caminito.

In 1999 he performed at Wolf Trap, for the an-nual fund-raising, which had Argen-tina as its main theme. The same year he hosted a tango show in Washington, D.C. at CocoLoco Restaurant, "Tango with Ponti and Friends", a tribute to his mother. The following year, he brought his art to Miss Latina USA 2000. In 2002 he launched his first CD, Estrellita del Sur, a compilation of Argentine tangos and Peruvian valses produced and recorded in Lima, Peru.

In April 2006 he performed with Zuli Russi in the gala event "Dancing with the Stars" at The Garrett-Jacobs Mansion in Baltimore. In June, Gino Cazalle and Zuli Russi as

Diana Montero participated in the movie The Tan-go Dancer, directed by Francis Xavier, showing at the Charles Theatre in Baltimore.

As a performer he has participated in numer-ous festivals, among them the annual Argentine

Festival of Tango in Virginia. He helped to raise founds for groups like the Hispanic Scholarship Fund of Maryland.

His curricu-lum includes performances at various embas-sies and diplo-matic venues in Washington, such as the Russian House, the em-bassies of Argen-tina, Uruguay and Finland, and arts and performance venues.

In late 2002 Ponti decided to withdraw tem-porarily from the stage to pay tribute to a dear friend who died suddenly, leaving many in mourning. Ponti has since returned and is leav-ing his footprints everywhere he dances…

PontitangoHis curriculum includes many performances at embassies and diplomatic venues in Washington

Contact: Ponti Del [email protected]/pontitango/pontitango.html

A unique chamber ensemble dedicated to the musical performance of tango, QuinTango is in-pired by the Argentine orquesta típica—the classic tango orchestra of violins, bandoneons,

bass and piano. QuinTango brings its own interpretations to this evocative music, universally syn-onymous with the eternal dance of man and woman. QuinTango's first compact disc was released in November 1998.

QuinTango's recent performances include appearances at the White House, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Embassy of Argentina, Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Prince George's Com-munity College, Mexican Cultural Institute, Phillips Collection, Corcoran Museum, George Meany Cen-ter, U.S. Department of State, Smithsonian Institution, and lo-cal cable television, as well as Borders Books and Music.

Q u i n Ta n g o ' s unique arrangements present tango in its many guises: El Cho-clo and La Cumpar-sita, two of the earli-est tangos to enter the permanent interna-tional repertoire; the tango songs of char-ismatic singer Carlos Gardel (Mi Buenos Aires querido, Por una cabeza); from the Golden Age, the classic tangos A media luz and Adiós muchachos; the virtuoistic milonga Taquito mili-tar and equally energetic tango Canaro en París; and Julio Sanders's Luna de arrabal, a tango waltz of melancholic charm.

The Nuevo Tango of Astor Piazzolla is represented by Libertango, Oblivion, Soledad, and Río Sena. The poetic tango compositions of Uruguayan composer and bandoneonist Alejandro Muzio, several of which were composed especially for QuinTango, are contemporary highlights of the group's programs. The boleros, No No No No and Entre Sombras, represent the lush romanticism and irresistible dance rhythms of the Latin music craze which followed tango's rise to international stardom.

The magic of QuinTango's anecdote-laced performances has turned local music-lovers into tango lovers, and tango lovers into QuinTango lovers. When QuinTango takes the stage, the lights dim...the pulse quickens...the tango begins. Discography includes: QuinTango Live! (¡en vivo!) (2005); To Buenos Aires with Love, QuinTango (2003); QuinTango—Secret Places (2000); QuinTango (1998).

QuinTango

Contact: Joan Singer703-548-6811, [email protected]



"Sharna is one of the rare non-Argentines to have understood the tango instinctively at a

deep level. This, plus her far-reaching knowl-edge and skill with both the follower's and lead-er's roles, has made her a uniquely special tango dancer, on the dance floor, in performance and in her teaching" –Jef Anderson, Classical Pia-nist.

Sharna Fabiano has over twenty years of dance experience, the last decade of which has been devoted to the cultural study of Argentine tango. She has been educated in several tradi-tional social dance styles by some of the greatest names in the modern Tango Renaissance, and is regarded as an innovator who has remained con-nected to the tango's roots while exploring its ev-er-changing modern aesthetics and vocabulary. Sharna is recognized around the globe for her el-egant, powerful dancing and for her expertise in both leading and following roles. Sharna is also credited with pioneering the use of non-Argen-tine "neo-tango" music for social tango dancing, and created the website www.neotango.com in 2003 to share musical ideas.

Between 1999 and 2004, Sharna made five journeys to Buenos Aires to study and absorb the deep culture of tango. She also appears on instructional videos partnering two of today's most well-known Argentine dancers, Mariano "Chicho" Frumboli and José Garofalo.

Based in Washington, she travels frequently as a guest instructor around North America and Europe, and visited Cuba twice in 2002 as part of a U.S.-licensed cultural exchange. Among her most influential teachers she counts Rebecca Shulman, Daniel Trenner, Brigitta Winkler, Pab-lo Veron, Chicho Frumboli, Gustavo Naveira, and Pedro “Tete” Rusconi. Her own teaching is

Sharna Fabiano

characterized by a clear, articulate knowledge of body movement, and by a great depth of under-standing of tango improvisation.

In 2003, Sharna joined the internationally ac-claimed TangoMujer Dance Company, a group of all-women tango dancers based in NYC, and in 2006 she established Sharna Fabiano Tango Com-pany in Washington. She has performed her work at the prestigious Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and in NYC, San Francisco, Berlin, Dusseldorf, and Hamburg, Germany, as well as in D.C. at such prestigious venues as the Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium, and Argentine Embassy. Sharna has been interviewed for publications in the Nether-lands, Germany, and Czech Republic, and was named to Dance Magazine's "25 To Watch List" for 2008. Her written articles on the depth and mystique of social tango have been widely read and translated into several languages.

Recognized around the globe for her elegant, and powerful dancing

Contact: Sharna [email protected]

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A s a group of friends with a passion for tango music, Tango Reo started in 2006. Vocal-

ist Claudia Gargiulo, Argentina, is a professional musician with the right tango feel. Violinist Kris-tin Snyder, U.S., is a music teacher, certified in the Suzuki method. Pianist Victor Medina, U.S./Ven-ezuela, is a Peabody-trained musician.

Constantino Bastidas and Susan Reynolds, founders of Tiempo de

Tango, are known through-out the Washington met-ropolitan area for the style and passion of their Argen-tine tango. Their choreogra-phy and performance in the 1997 Library of Congress presentation “The Golden Age of Tango” marked the beginning of the com-pany.

Over the past few years, Tiempo de Tango has col-laborated with musicians such as Tango Reo, Albo-rado, Quintango, Musica Aperta, Siempre Tango, and both the Fairfax and the Baltimore Sym-phonies to bring a variety of tango produc-tions to the metropolitan area and beyond.

In 2001 they were awarded a com-mission to create Piolín: Tanguero So-ñador for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of Per-forming Arts for Everyone and the Millennium Stage. Piolín and Desde la Orilla, productions which each drew finalist nominations for Metropoli-tan D.C. Dance Awards, were performed at Dance Place.

Most recently, Constantino and Susan created and performed a history of tango through dance for the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, which was also shown at the Music Center at Strathmore. They also choreographed and performed a new version of “The Golden Age of Tango” for the concert series of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.

Tango Reo

Tiempo de Tango

Contact: Susan [email protected]

Contact: Claudia [email protected]

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124 Solos and Duos Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

125 Solos and DuosLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

The idea of soloists may conjure up the image of academically-trained singers of opera and of chamber music. In the case of one

of our soloists, that image is precisely right, although she does just as well with boleros and salsa. The guitarists listed in this section have trained in academies and with renowned music teachers, and are at home with a symphony

or chamber ensemble, but they also play traditional and folk music and jazz and see no contradiction in doing so. One

of them is well known in the clubs of Adams-Morgan; the other is

based in New York but has become a good friend of Fiesta DC, having brought to the Latino Festival in Mt. Pleasant a group that

plays authentic cumbia and Colombian folk music,

and then joined in with another group to play Mexican son jarocho.

Another performer, a piano player and arranger trained in a conservatory, today is a mainstay in theater productions

involving popular music. The artists in this section perform Peruvian criollo music

and sing with mariachis, teach and dance salsa and tango, play jazz percussion, rap, sing romantic songs, teach Latin

American folklore, music, and Trinidadian steel pan, specialize in Dominican bachata, and do many other things. They may play or sing with bands or appear on their own. They are a sampling of the multi-cultural variety of individuals active in cultural work in the Washington area.

Soloists, Duos, Trios

Right: Mexican singer Angela Miranda



Anamer Castrello

P raised by the Washington Post as “the rich-est and most expressive voice…Castrello

has enough wattage to light a small town,” mezzo-soprano Anamer Castrello, a native of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, stands out as one of the most impressive and versatile artists and singers in the Washington area.

Ms. Castrello was an award-winner at the Gulf Coast Regional Auditions for the Metro-politan Opera. Other awards include The Wash-ington Area Music Awards (WAMA)–Latino Best Female Vocalist–and the 1997 Operatic Singing Artist of the Year Award from the Insti-tute of Puerto Rico in New York. She has sung numerous opera and zarzuela roles as well as in cabaret and popular shows abroad and in the Washington area. Of her portrayal of Estrelda in Sousa’s El Capitán, Sorab Modi of Opera News wrote: “Ana Castrello was pert and vivacious…her singing always refined, her phrasing ac-complished with finesse.” Anamer participated in the International Opera Festival in Rome, Italy in 1998 playing Marcellina in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. She has appeared with several opera companies and theaters including the Baltimore Opera, Opera Camerata of Wash-ington, Shakespeare Theatre, Opera Americana, Maryland Opera Studio, Crittenden Opera Workshop, The Other Opera Company, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Zarzuela Di Si, and the Sing-

ers Opera. She is one of the artists/singers of the In Series, an innovative company that has been in Washington for twenty years offering high-quality, affordable productions of opera, cabaret and zarzuela, under the artistic and executive di-rection of Carla Hubner.

Ms. Castrello holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities with a concentration in Piano from the University of Puerto Rico, a Master of Arts degree in Music Education for Colleges and Universities from New York University and a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance from the University of Maryland at College Park.

As an artist with extremely versatile talents, Anamer started as a vocalist in the pop world, hav-ing collaborated with such artists as Lucía Men-dez, Lucesita Benítez, Chucho Avellanet, Sophy, and Danny Rivera among others, and recorded du-

ets with Cheo Feliciano and Marco Antonio Muñiz. In 1997 she had her debut in Washington as an actress, playing Regina

Ms. Castrello was an award-winner at the Gulf Coast Regional Auditions for the Metropolitan Opera

Contact: Anamer [email protected]

Morti in GALA Hispanic Theatre’s production of An Inopportune Visit by Copi, and won great criti-cal and popular acclaim.

In addition to her opera appearances, Ms. Castrello has presented her shows Soul of Latin America, Latin American Essence and Sabor y vida/Essence and Life, directed by Abel Lopez, locally at the Smithsonian Museums, The Mexi-can Cultural Institute, the Millennium Stage of the Kennedy Center and throughout the United States. That program, devoted to song classics from south of the border, is the inspiration of her first solo CD titled Anamer Castrello, Latin American Mezzo: Latin American Hits, featuring a mixture of many Latin American music styles. Also tour-ing from 2000-2003 with the Washington Ballet, Anamer was the vocal soloist for the piece Juanita and Alicia, choreographed by the artistic director, Septime Webre, with the Latin Jazz ensemble Sin Miedo conducted by Didier Prossaird.

Ms. Castrello teaches voice at Northwestern High School and Suitland High School in the Prince Georges County, Md., public school sys-tem. She is a choir director and voice instructor

for the Levine School of Music at THEARC in Washington. She also teaches voice privately in Riverdale, Md. She is often asked to perform as soloist at weddings and private parties and to sing the National Anthem to open official events.

Reflecting her interest in furthering music as part of education, she is also a founding mem-ber of Duet Cantaré, a musically-interactive performing group dedicated to fostering knowl-edge of Latin American and Caribbean music in the public schools of the United States. Anamer is part of a choral sextet of diverse women called Venus. And, most recently, she became a Teach-ing Artist with the Washington National Opera under the direction of Plácido Domingo in its Education and Community Programs. With the Washington Opera she works directly with the programs Creating Original Opera, helping grade school students write and produce their own operas, and Libraries, offering opera work-shops for children and their families. Anamer Castrello is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and Actors’ Equity Association.

Our City

Right: A view of 18th Street near Columbia Road.



Ángela Miranda

Known as "The Angel of Mexican Songs," Angela Miranda, born in Santiago de Queré-

taro, began her artistic career 15 years ago. Since that time she has performed in theaters, fairs, and palenques in important Mexican cities such as To-luca, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico City, and of course Querétaro.

Miranda has appeared with figures such as Martin Urieta, Gil Rivera, Rosendo Montiel, Edwin Alvarado, Pony Aguilar, Gerardo Reyes, and Margarito Estrada, among other greats of Mexican music.

One of her most important achievements in the U.S. is to have been selected as a national-level finalist in the Fifth Mariachi Festival. Her charisma and unique voice have won her plau-dits, the support of the media, and the recogni-tion and affection of the public.

Her charisma and unique voice have won her plaudits and the recognition and affection of the public

A rtists Patricia Vergara of Brazil and Cecilia Esquivel of Argentina introduce audienc-

es to the beautiful songs and rhythms of Latin America in an exciting interactive performance. Drawing from the musical heritage of the Carib-bean, Central and South America, Cantaré per-forms an entertaining blend of songs in Spanish and Portuguese while sharing the music’s cul-tural and historical background.

Particularly popular for high schools, colleg-es and universities, its workshops combine a per-formance and a lecture with audience participa-tion. Cantaré introduces participants to the three main cultural influences in Latin music: indig-enous, African, and European. Participants are

invited to play per-cussion instruments and dance basic Lat-in rhythms such as salsa. Performances usually last 45-60 minutes and can be offered by a duo, trio or quartet of musi-cians. Since 2001, Cantaré has averaged a total of 150 performances, workshops and residencies per year at schools (pre-K through college level), libraries and community settings.

Cantaré

Contact: Ángela [email protected]

866-458-8966 www.classactarts.org

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Dancer, choreographer, instructor, and mother, Cecilia "Ceci" Villalobos was born and raised in Lima, Peru. It was in that coastal city of Lima where Ceci pursued her gifted athleticism, excel-ling in swimming, volleyball, gymnastics, and aerobics all at the national level.

At the age of sixteen, Ceci made a life-changing decision to leave home and move to Brazil to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer at the Sao Paulo Dance Company. For two years, Cecilia trained full-time over 40 hours a week, specializing in tango, sam-ba and cha-cha before she was awarded one of the lead dance positions in a 50-member dance company. During her last three years with the company she taught at the Salvador Dance School, participating in the South Ameri-can tours Tango Passion, Danzando, and Samba Tropical.

In 1995, Cecilia qualified for Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold certifications as an instruc-tor and choreographer.

While competing in Argentine Tango, she placed second and third in the “Tango Amor” competition. During the same year, while in Bra-zil, Cecilia was asked to train and represent Peru in the World Fitness Championship. Ceci placed third in the ESPN World Aerobics competition in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her professional experi-ence in dance and fitness brought her to the U.S. to instruct at the Latin Dance Company, World Dance USA and Arthur Murray's Dance School. While at Latin Dance Company, Ceci took the

Cecilia Villalobos

title of Ms. Peru in the National Latina Beauty Pag-eant in Washington. After her two-year tenure as an instructor for a consortium of dance companies in the D.C. area she embarked on her own career

as a director and choreographer. In 1998, Ceci took some of her most talented students and cre-ated the group Salsa Fuego.

During the next couple of years, she began to teach pri-vately under the auspices of her dance partner at the time Jim Johnson. Her instruction has in-volved more than 1,200 students over the last four years. By re-quest, she also instructed three days a week at various dance stu-dios, nightclubs and restaurants.

Since 1998, the dance group has performed all over the world with overwhelm-ing success, as well as locally at venues such as the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Balti-more Salsa Festival, and the Salsa Web convention in Washington. Salsa Fuego Dance Company has also performed at international salsa congresses in Los Angeles, New York, Puerto Rico, and Amster-dam, Netherlands, where the group captured third place in the team competition in 1999. The success of the dance company and the notoriety of Ceci in the Salsa dance community have grown exponen-tially. Currently, Salsa Fuego is a dance company comprising 15 dancers and Ceci, director, chore-ographer and performer.

In 1995, Cecilia qualified for Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold certifications as an instructor and choreographer

Contact: Cecilia Villalobos703-597-7192ccvillalobos@salsafuego.comwww.salsafuego.com



D aniel Salazar is a proud son of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. He has been writing and singing his own songs since he was fifteen years old.

He began his career as vocalist of a rock group, “Los Terribles de Xela.” Today he lives in Maryland, where, aside from making his own music, he also produces for other local artists and acts as artistic director, host, and director of events, and in other entertainment roles. His lyrics have been sung by renowned artists like Elizabeth de Gua-temala, Mónica José, Lupita de Guatemala, Gloria Marina, Aura Molina, Rosa Fernán-dez (Spain), Rubén Rodríguez (México) Grupo Fuego de los Angeles, Arcángel de León, Juan Ríos (El Salvador), and Roberto Rey (Guatemala).

Some of his most famous songs are Ven a cantar conmi-go, Payaso Loco, Halcón ves-tido de gorrión, Balada para un cantante, and La furia, which was recently recorded in Los Angeles. He has appeared on national TV shows on three different channels in Guatemala, and also on local TV channels in different cities in the United States. His artistic career has taken him on tours cover-ing all of Central America, Spain, Portugal, Colombia, Dominican Repub-lic, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Mexico, where he performed at the Club Rioma, a venue previously owned by the late Mario Moreno “Cantinflas.”

Daniel has been a distinguished guest of the jury of important events like the OTI Song Festival of Honduras and the Miss Costa Rica pageant.

His work has been featured in different English- and Spanish-language publications like Vanidades, Vistazo Internacional, Cosmopolitan, TV Guides of some cities around the United States, and the Miami Herald.

Forthcoming appearances include Celebrity Center, Jade Theater, and the Guatemalan Telethon, all in Los Angeles.

Daniel SalazarMusical Tips

Distinguished composer, singer, producer, director and host for a variety of artistic events

Contact:

@

Daniel Salazar202 [email protected]

The chacarera, a rhythm from northern Argentina, is popular in the region known as the Chaco, shared by Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil. At its heart are guitar and bombo (drum), supporting the melody played on violin. They are accompanied percussively by hand claps and the accented footwork of the male dancer, typically in tall boots, in contrast to the female, who makes her skirt swirl. The dancers, in couples, spin around themselves and each other, arms held high.

Dayan Aldana

D ayan Aldana was born in Chiclayo, Peru, but brought her love of music to the United States when she realized that her passion and

desire was to share her roots with the world. Dayan has collaborated and toured with musicians such as Eva Ayllon,

Edith Barr, Cecilia Barraza, Pepe Torres, Oscar Cavero, Manuel Ercilla, “Tito” Manrique, and Lucho Montalvo, and with groups from many different backgrounds as well.

She has had many great honorary opportunities to perform in Washington, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia, including an invitation to sing and interpret the National Anthem of Peru at the White House.

Aside from singing and from acting with Gala Theatre, she also is known as a spokesperson for Univision TV and a radio personality.

Singer, actress, TV spokesperson and radio personality

Contact: Dayan [email protected]

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“Mi Tierra Market” a multicultural and family marketplace of nostalgic products, arts and crafts located at the Unity Park between Champlain St. and Columbia Rd., just at the heart of Adams Morgan in Washington D.C.

a place to share and to remember

For more information call us Tel: (202) 483-8900or visit our web page: www.fidmi-mitierra.org

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E ileen Torres has been involved in salsa since the early 1970s and has accumulated a

wealth of knowledge and personal experience. A key figure in the Washington salsa community, she is the current president of the DC Salsa Network, a group that exists to promote cooperation and communi-cation between salsa lead-ers. She began offering salsa dance instruction in 1976 in her hometown of Lorain, Ohio.

Ms. Torres, president also of Eileen Torres Pro-ductions, a salsa music and dance entertainment com-pany, has built a full-time ca-reer based on her knowledge of and passion for salsa, be-coming one of a handful of women making a living within the salsa indus-try. Her work includes promoting Salsa Nights at D.C.-area nightclubs, producing dance shows and recognition ceremonies, fulfilling speak-ing engagements as a salsa historian, providing dance instruction, writing articles for magazines, and booking bands, disc jockeys and dancers.

In 1998, Starbucks Coffee Company con-tracted her to collaborate on the Latin compi-lation CD titled Mambo Mío. She assisted in the selection of the music, wrote the liner notes, and composed a paragraph on each artist.

She received the Andy Award for her work as a salsa historian and producer of salsa events during the 2002 World Salsa Congress in Puerto Rico. In 2005 she was presented with a Siempre

Salsa Award by Latin Beat Magazine for her ef-forts to preserve and foster the growth of salsa music. In September 2007 she was a recipient of the Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business

Fund Award. She was award-ed $5,000 for the unique scope of her business. She is perhaps the only woman in the world who promotes, produces, instructs, lectures, writes, choreographs and en-gages artists. In June 2008 Ms. Torres received the First Annual Jose Ruiz Lifetime Achievement Award. During that month she was inducted into the Salsa Hall of Fame and received another Life-time Achievement Award from peers and colleagues within the Stuck on Salsa

Promotions and Publishing group. Current and past clients include The Ken-

nedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Society, The Pentagon, D.C. Com-mission on the Arts and Humanities, Morgan Stanley, Salsa Conferences around the world, and scores of others.

Her articles have been published in Latina Style, Latin Beat, Latin Vibes, Latin Music and Bravo! magazines. She has been voted Salsa Metro’s Promoter of the Year four times.

In 2002 Ms. Torres created Tribute to Wom-en in Salsa, Tribute to Men in Salsa, and Tribute to Salsa Choreographers. The ceremonies rec-ognize those that have made contributions to the salsa community and are followed by highly

Eileen TorresHer articles have been published in the magazines Latina Style, Latin Beat, Latin Vibes, Latin Music and Bravo!

E liar Franco was born in Guatemala. Coming from a poor family, he had the opportunity to study mu-

sic in Quetzaltenango and later went to the National Conservatory of Guatemala.

His interest in music was shown as early as six years of age, when he started playing his father’s guitar at church. Noticing his talent, people would ask him to sing for twenty-five cents a song. He moved to Mexico looking for a future in the music world, but in 2004 he traveled to New York and later to the Washington area, where he now performs in restaurants and other venues.

He has made presentations in Takoma Theater for television. He has also been side by side with artists like Jimena, Los Tigres del Norte, Leo Dan, Marco An-tonio Solis, Alvaro Torres, Ozzomatli and Angela, “La voz ranchera” of the area.

Eliar has around 50 songs of his own, of which one has become very popular: ¿Por qué?, which talks about the lives of immigrants.

His goals are to travel far with his music and to sing positive messages to humanity.

anticipated dance shows. She has worked with the National Council of

La Raza, HACR (Hispanic Association on Corpo-rate Responsibility), Latino Sports Ventures, ZGS Communications, and Latina Style Magazine. She is an alumnus of National Hispana Leader-ship Institute and has served as a consultant to the National Hispanic Corporate Council.

Eileen began performing Mexican folk dance at the age of six in her hometown. While at the University of Colorado she co-founded the uni-

versity's first Ballet Folklórico. She toured for two years with The National Chicano Dance Theater based in Denver, Colorado. She served as instructor and choreographer for Alma de Mexico and founded and choreographed for the dance team, Salseros Unlimited, both in her hometown.

Contact: Eileen [email protected]

Eliar FrancoEliar has around 50 songs of his own, of which one has become very popular: ¿Por qué?, which talks about the lives of immigrants

Contact: Eliar Franco540-664-0160www.myspace.com/eliarFrank



The group is normally composed of four or five musicians, but the number of perform-

ers can be adjusted according to the client's needs. Los Primos present variety shows with Latin American, folk, and international styles, not for dancing. However, they offer a profes-

sional music system and DJ for danceable mu-sic following their live presentations.

Founded in 2004, Franko-Jazz is composed of Frank

Agbro and his 10-year-old son Julian. Frank, also called Franko, plays a variety of in-struments like bass, guitar, and percussion. He handles vo-cals, and is also a song writer. Julian is a talented drummer who also sings, and speaks flu-ent English and German.

FrankoJazz covers a spec-trum from Spanish and African rhythms to jazz. The band has shared the stage and sometimes sings together with Tito Torres, "The Charro of Cuscatlán.”

FrankoJazz has performed at the Fiesta DC festival and at the Ronald Reagan Inter-national Trade Center. Franko also performed at William Clinton's presidential inaugural in 1996. FrankoJazz has a CD titled "Stop Run-ning, Dad."

Francisco y Los Primos

FrankoJazz FrankoJazz covers a spectrum from Spanish and African rhythms to jazz

Contact: Francisco Ferná[email protected]

Contact: Frank Agbro, [email protected]

G raciela Vega was born in Arequipa, Peru in 1933. At the age of 5 she and her sis-

ter moved to Lima, the capital, in search of better opportunities. As time went on Gra-ciela found that she had a knack for the arts and music. When she was 19 years old she married Ramiro Vega, having three children and creating a strong family. In 1971 she lost her beloved husband, bringing her sing-ing career to a sudden halt.

In 1990 Graciela met a musician, Miguel Cha-caltana, who gave her much inspiration and moti-vation to pick up the pieces, bringing back her pas-sion for music. Quickly they decided to collabo-rate and to bring in Francisco Vega, her eldest son. This is how Estampa Criolla came to be. In 1996 she released her first CD, Graciela Vega…Voz y sentimiento, which includes songs like La flor de la canela, Odiame, Zaña and Chabuca limeña.

Graciela VegaMusical Tips

Contact: Graciela Vega703-862-3453

Born of Dominican parents in the Dominican Republic, Javier Julián spent most of his teenage years in Puerto Rico before moving to Wash-

ington, where he would discover his talent and restlessness for music. Beginning in area karaokes he gained recogni-

tion of the artistic abilities that would open doors for him, leading to offers to debut in festivals of the metropolitan area. These served as a bridge to other local events, where he was acclaimed by the press and television as a breakthrough young artist of Washington.

This has given Javier Julián the luxury of taking a walk with Sergio Vargas (whom Javier calls "my father" for being his musical inspi-ration), Alvaro Towers, Monchi & Alexandra, Frankie Negrón, Olga Tañón, Manicomio, Toño Rosario, Gilberto Santarosa, Tego Calderón, Amarfis, Aventura. Javier Julián writes and composes his own songs.

Javier Julián

Contact: Javier Juliánwww.myspace.com/iamjavierjulian

The bachata, from the Dominican Republic, is of humble and rural birth, and probably derived from the bolero of nearby eastern Cuba. With its simple music and raw lyrics, bachata did not become accepted generally in its native country until the late 1900s and the arrival of electric bands and the new-style bachata rosa. Juan Luis Guerra took the bachata rosa worldwide with his band's energetic arrangements, romantic melodies, and sophisticated lyrics.

Juan Luis Guerra.



Jorge Anaya began performing in public at the age of eight. With his guitar and music he

loves to share his talent with the public. Among his achievements are winning Second Place in the OTI (Organización de Televisión Iberoamer-icana) song festival, receiving an award for his music from the Salvadoran government, and performing at the presidential house of El Sal-vador. He has shared the stage with Jose Luis Rodríguez and Nicaraguan folkloric singer Car-los Mejía Godoy.

Jorge has two CDs. The first, Canciones de Jorge Anaya, contains ten original songs. The second, Canciones infantiles, is accompanied by two videos to teach infants how to speak Spanish. He also performed in a charity con-cert to collect funds to help the victims of the earthquakes during 2001 in El Salvador.

For those who have known him for years, he is a truly talented musician who can remember and sing more than 1,000 songs, including some that have already disappeared in some countries and cities.

Jennifer Blackman

N ative Trinidadian Jennifer Blackman teaches music at Adams Elementary

School, directs the Trinidad and Tobago Asso-ciation choir of Washington, performs around town in her “Wonz Enuff” one-woman band, and was a member and musical arranger of the

Trinidad and Tobago Steel Orchestra of Wash-ington, D.C.

Jorge AnayaHe is a truly talented musician who can remember and sing more than 1,000 songs

Contact: Jennifer [email protected]

Contact: Jorge Anaya301-892-2600

She directs the Trinidad and Tobago Association choir of Washington José Reyes is an example of triumph in our

local community. Coming from El Salvador in 1974, he is now the owner of two successful restaurants in the area.

In 1988, after receiving voice lessons, he re-leased his first long-play with his hit, El Aban-donado. His music has been played on several local radio stations. He has performed at many Latino festivals. He has three records: El aban-donado, El mundo en tus manos, and La batea.

José Reyes is also known for his generosity in helping children in need in Latin America.

José Reyes

Contact: José [email protected]

Three talented musicians from Bolivia form this original and wonderful-sounding Andean music band. Combining traditional music and instruments with modern instruments and the latest

technology, the band achieves a beautiful mix for the joy of its listeners. Itumiray's work also includes the most classic love songs from around the world, performed with

the beautiful sound of the bamboo pan flute. The main activity of Itu-miray since 1998 has been to attend festivals around the east coast, one reason why it be-came one of the preferred Andean music bands in the country.

The band includes Julio Cazón, founder of Itumiray and also a virtuoso wind pipes player; An-gel Peñaranda, experienced and talented player of stringed instruments (acoustic guitar and char-ango); and Beto Cabrera, who combines all the instruments (bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, drums, etc...) in only one experienced musician.

Itumiray has recorded six CDs. The last three Cds were recoreded in the band’s own studio.

Itumiray

Julio Cazón. Angel Peñaranda. Beto Cabrera.

Contact: Julio Cazón, Director703-971-9749 [email protected] www.itumiray.com



Karisma was created in Colombia in 1990 by Gio-vanny Romero, who has taken care to develop

musical presentations to meet all cultural tastes, es-pecially Latin American genres, as well as traditional Colombian music for events of a cultural character.

The duo has a long history and broad experience in Latin American music. Karisma has played through-out South America, several European countries, and the U.S., especially in New Jersey, Vir-ginia, Maryland and D.C., offering musical

entertainment at all kinds of social events. Karisma is made up of two voices, feminine and

masculine, with accompanying instruments such as piano, guitar, small percussion, and high-octave flute. The latter is the result of Giovanny Romero's inven-tiveness in order to produce the right tonal shades for Colombian folk music.

Lupita began singing around five years old, and could be seen on Guatemalan national televi-

sion. She studied history of music, piano, marim-ba, and flute. She also attended and performed at the National Conservatory of Guatemala.

She has recorded on several occasions. Her songs are of her own inspiration and also from other well-known authors like Daniel Salazar. In Guatemala she recorded Ayúdeme alguien. In Washington she also recorded Lo que más quiero de ti. She performed at the OTI Song Festival of Guatemala, where she participated with songs like ¿Quién pone la música?, Arriba las manos, Soy tu

vida, and Tú, mi aire; all by Daniel Salazar. She sang her own Todos tenemos un niño at the Conani festival with much success.

She has performed in Europe, Mexico and the U.S. as a soloist. She has also been a lead singer for groups and orchestras. In her multifaceted career, Lu-pita has entertained at festivals like the Latino Festival of Washington, and also at the Great Chapín Day.

Karisma

Lupita Ramírez

Contact: Giovanny [email protected]

Contact: Lupita [email protected]

Juan Carlos Molina was born in Guatemala in 1967. He moved to Los Angeles when he was 12 years

old and two years later relocated to Silver Spring, Md. Juan Carlos is Vice-President of Mason Dixon Fund-ing, Inc., a local mortgage company, and a real estate agent with his wife Mónica Molina.

He began singing in 2005. A great admirer of his fellow Guatemalan Ricardo Arjona, he has gained the nickname of “The shadow of Ricardo Arjona.” Juan Carlos has performed in events like “Hispanics sup-porting Hillary Clinton” and at local restaurants like Lima Restaurant and Lounge in Washington. He plans to travel to Argentina for the production of his

second record, his trib-ute to Ricardo Arjona, a project that will include a video, 14 songs of Ricardo Arjona and three new piec-es written by a well-known Argentine composer. Juan Carlos met Ricardo Arjona in person last year in New York. They exchanged mu-sical materials, and Juan Carlos gave Arjona his first production, Sueños.

Juan Carlos Molina

Contact: Juan Carlos [email protected]

M ari Paz was influenced by her uncle, maestro Rodrigo Prats, a composer and director and one of the three most important figures in Cuban lyrical

music, in particular as a composer of zarzuelas, musical pieces for the stage. She received a degree in piano arts from Havana's Conchita Espinoza Conserva-tory, and then continued her studies in Mexico City with renowned artists such as Mario Ruiz Armengol, Roberto Pérez Vásquez, and Vicente Garrido.

Her training and broad experience have made her invaluable as a pianist, arranger, and musical director in the Washington area for many years. She has been a featured artist in GALA Theatre productions such as Raíces Cu-banas, Poetas de Nuestra Tierra, Neruda 2000, La Dama Duende, and Mex-ico’s Noches Bohemias. More recently she was responsible for the musical adaptation of the book, and the selection of pieces, for GALA’s Agustín Lara: Boleros & Blues, in which she also starred as pianist.

Mari Paz has served as musical consultant to GALita, the children’s ver-sion of GALA, has performed in several cabarets with In Series, and has appeared in concerts at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage, the Mexican Cultural Institute, and several embassies. She was one of 12 pianists select-ed nationally to give lecture concerts for the Smithsonian Institution's Piano 300, a celebration in the year 2000 of the 300th anniversary of the piano.

Mari Paz resides in the Washington area, where she continues to in-spire and move performers and audiences in the musical and theatrical arts.

Mari PazShe was one of 12 pianists selected to give lecture concerts for the Smithsonian Institution's Piano 300, a celebration of the 300th anniversary of the piano

Musical Tips

Some 80 languages are spoken in Colombia . When the Spanish began to colonize the territory, the main northern chiefdoms were the Tairona, Muisca, and Zenú. Other cultures that had existed for hundreds of years and lasted until around 1600 were the Late Quimbayá and Sonso in the central zone and the Late San Agustín, Popayán and Nariño in the southwest. Today, about 2% of the population is indigenous, although there has been a substantial mixture of races and cultures in the country.

Contact: Mari Paz301-509-5307



A recipient of Colombia's Living Abroad Award 2006, given to Colombians who have distin-guished themselves outside of their native country, classical guitarist Nilko Andreas Guarín

graduated magna cum laude from the Manhattan School of Music in New York.He began playing cello at the age of seven at the National Conservatory of Colombia, eventually

finding his true love in the classical guitar, which he studied with Ramiro Isaza. He also studied Colombian Music at the Bogotá Academy of Arts with Jorge Sossa and Néstor Lambuley, while complementing his guitar studies under the tutelage of Gentil Montaña.

In 2000 he was awarded a merit scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where he studied classical guitar in the studio of David Leisner, composition with Drs. Reiko Fueting and J. Mark Stam-baugh, and orches-tral conducting with Paul Brantley.

As a soloist and chamber mu-sician, Nilko An-dreas has given numerous recitals in the US and Co-lombia, receiving various accolades and appearing at renowned venues such as Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, Co-lumbia University, Princeton University, Colombian consulates, the Colombian Civic Center (for which he composed the organization's hymn), the James Memorial Chapel, Columbia University, the Church for all Nations, Mannes School of Music, Peter Norton Symphony Space, the Midtown Guitar Seminary, the United Nations, Lincoln Center, Summer Stage, Merkin Hall, the New Vic-tory Theater on Broadway, and Steinway Hall.

Recently he performed at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. Andreas has also performed for guitar greats such as Manuel Barrueco, Eliot Fisk, Sharon Isbin, Roland Dyens, Ricardo Cobo, David Russel, and David Starobin, among others. Most recently, Andreas was invited to perform alongside master pianist

Harold Martina at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas.

Nilko Andreas Guarín

Contact: Nilko Andreaswww.nilkoandreas.comwww.myspace.com/nilkoandreas

Soloist and chamber musician, folklorist, guitarist A graduate of Cuba’s prestigious National School of Art Instructors, Rousseaux

danced for 5 years with one of Cuba’s premiere folklore companies, Compañía JJ. Since leaving Cuba in 1997 Rousseaux has traveled across the Americas and Europe, perfecting his art, mas-tering the batá drum, and developing a subtle awareness of the folkloric roots common to all countries of the Americas.

After arriving in the DC area in 2003, Rous-seaux rapidly gained fame on the local arts scene, not only for energetic and invigorating classes but also for colorful, engaging cho-reographies and charismatic performances. Rousseaux received kudos as Artistic Director of AshéMoyubba, a group he made one of the community’s most promising young perfor-mance ensembles.

That promise is now being realized by Alafia Dance & Drum, which performs a broad reper-toire of Cuban folklore and is lauded as much for singing and live percussion as for dancing.

Oscar Rousseaux

Contact: Johanna Rousseaux202-997-9121sonurbano@msn.comalafiadance.spaces.live.com

Our City

Right: The gate to Chinatown in downtown Washignton.

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R ichard Miller was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to an American father and a Brazil-

ian mother and moved frequently between Bra-zil, the U.S., and Puerto Rico.

He has become well known in the Washing-ton area for his performance of both classical guitar music and popular Brazilian and Latin American music. As a classical guitarist he has appeared in such places as the Brazilian-Amer-ican Cultural Institute, Strathmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress, and he has traveled extensively for recitals in Portland, Oregon and Trujillo, Peru with the Al-exandria Guitar Quartet, on a tour of New York State with flutist Rebecca Jeffreys, and for a solo recital in Rio de Janeiro.

A review of a concert by Richard at the State Department affirmed: “Throughout his recital, he not only displayed impeccable technique but communicated his love of this beautiful music.” As a “popular” musician, he has performed and recorded with singers such as Lilo González and Alaor Macedo, and he has been a fixture in nightclubs in the Washington area for more than six years playing Brazilian and Latin jazz.

Richard and vocalist Patrick de Santos perform together often. They weave their main influences and styles, creating a unique sound. Their suc-cess has led to packed nightclubs and numerous requests for private performances and concerts to benefit causes to which they are committed, such as the National Geographic’s concert to aid the victims of Hurricane Mitch and the One-Song-One-Cause concert in support of world hunger

Richard MillerHe has become well known in the Washington area for his performance of both classical guitar music and popular Brazilian music

and foodfirst.org. Their musical expression ex-ploits the endless variety of timbre and nuance and transcends the limitation of a duo.

Joel Siegel, writing for the Washington City Paper, stated: “Together, they create an orchestral sound that renders additional instrumentation su-perfluous,” and “Patrick and Richard strike a re-markable balance between disciplined technique and emotional abandon.”

Contact: Richard [email protected]

V-MastaV -Masta "Killah

Man," of South American descent, has been perform-ing in Latin America and has recorded a wealth of material with different MCs around the world. V-Masta's music reflects a variety of cultures and influ-ences, from reggae-dancehall all the way to to hard-core hip-hop, creating a new style called ragga-rap.

V-Masta has performed in Santiago, Chile, Medellin, Colombia, and Ven-ezuela. Now he has moved back to the U.S. to show his experience. Locally, he has performed at Lucky Bar, Cuzco, Artomatic, Batalla de los Gallos in New York, and many festivals around the area.

Rumisonko, a folkloric Andean band, released “El Huerto/TheBackyard” in 1985, apparently the first time that a local group used a bilingual title. Two years later, Salvadoran group Izalco titled its first record "Going Home." Laya, a folkloric Andean band, released “A Time to Dream” in 1977.

Contact: Jose Acuñ[email protected]@

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Right: A partial view of Union Station.

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144 Folk Dance and Music Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

145 Folk Dance and MusicLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

Folklore is tradition handed down through generations without the intervention of specialists and academics. It's the collective product of popular ingenuity and art, natural talent, observation, and reiteration. Over time, what remains is what is worth keeping or must be maintained, capturing identity and history in a form that, by common agreement, is pleasing and meaningful. Folklore—in this case, in the form of dance and music—begins in the countryside, first with the original peoples and later with successive arrivals. The early soundmakers are replaced by more sophisticated instruments, songs becomes more complex, and dances evolve as well. The process of continuous change at the same time preserves and maintains tradition. In many areas of Latin America and the Caribbean folk dances and music are still common and everyday matters, not something to be looked up in libraries and museums. This section lists groups that are consciously dedicated to the continuation of popular traditions of dance and music through performance and instruction. They may be composed of dancers or instrumentalists, drummers or singers. Many groups take part in parades that are not so much an orderly procession of civic groups and marching bands and floats, as is common in the U.S., but rather a reproduction or representation of communal dances of long ago. This is particularly the case with Bolivian organizations, often called folkloric or cultural fraternities, of which there are many in the area. The section is organized according to national origin first, and then alphabetically by the names of the groups. A special subsection represents an effort to explain the meaning of the Bolivian parade contingents.

Folk Dance and Music

Right: The scene is not the highlands of Guatemala, but Mt. Pleasant Street in Washington.



F ormed in 2002 when the members met at an asado, Cantoral has played from Dela-

ware south to Virginia. The group’s first CD is currently in production. Cantoral special-izes in all kinds of Argentine foklore and other music from Latin America. With a trio at its center, it expands with other musicians to fit the occasion.

F olklore 4, an Argentine folkloric dance group, was founded in 2004. They have

been known for their impact on individual and group dance. Their influences come from many of the countries surroundin g Argentina. To name a few: Peru’s marinera dance, Paraguay’s polca de la galopera, Bolivia’s carnavalito and cueca, Uruguay’s candombe, and Chile’s cueca.

Life somehow separated the members but brought them together again here in the U.S., where they were able to put together Folklore 4. They now perform in the Argentine Festi-val in Va., the Latino Festival in D.C., various

embassies, and schools within the D.C. metro-politan area.

CantoralThe group specializes in all kinds of Argentine foklore

Folklore 4Their influences come from many of the countries surrounding Argentina

Contact: Horacio [email protected]

Contact: Osvaldo y Adela Aquino301-908-2642 www.Folklore4.com

ARGENTINA

Left: Parade of Nations at Latino Festival 2007: Ballet Folklórico Ritmos del Perú (above) and Brazilian contingent (below).



Many of Bolivia’s traditional dances come from pre-Columbian times; others reflect the clash between native, European, and African cultures during the colonial period, and a few are of

more recent origin. Some dances still take place in Bolivia as traditions that endure; others are versions intended to

be performed at carnivals and contests, retaining a ritual meaning while adopting modern aspects such as choreography and especially-made costumes. Washington-area groups perform a number of the traditional dances, but by no means all of them. The following notes concern dances likely to be seen in this area.

CaporalesThe caporales (foremen, supervisors) appear in vivid costumes and boots with bells, wielding

whips, dancing to a heavy down beat with strong movements of intentional masculinity. They are accompanied by seductive chinas in high heels and fancy dresses by now reduced to minimal size. The dance of the caporales is of recent origin, created in 1969 by the Estrada Pacheco family of promoters. The caporal as a character derives from an earlier afro-Bolivian dance, the saya (see below).

CuecaThis is a lively post-colonial dance without indigenous roots, in which handkerchiefs feature

prominently, similar to the Chilean version and related to the Peruvian marinera and the Argentine zamba. It follows a strict three-part structure. It is known especially in the southern department of Tarija.

DiabladaThe Diablada represents the struggle between Good and Evil, in which the evil Supay cult of

Wari, the god of the mountains, has merged with the Catholic devil, and the native Earth Mother, Pachamama, has been transformed into the Virgin of the Socavon. The dance portrays the struggle of St. Michael Archangel and the Virgin of Candelaria against the devils. Despite its serious subject and the size of the fantastic mask of the devil, it is a high-stepping dance with the upbeat feel of a tarantella, accompanied by brass instruments and drums. The first Diablada of Oruro was formed in 1904.

Huayno or HuayñoBoth music and dance, the huayno is widespread in the Andean regions of Bolivia, Ecuador, and

Peru. Its origins are pre-Columbian, but it is now played with wooden flute (quena), charango and small guitars, harp, and violin. Trumpet, saxophone, and accordion may be added. The music is pentatonic (five-note scale) with a 2/4 rhythm, and very danceable.

Folk Dances of Bolivia

BOLIVIA

LlameradaOriginally karuwani, llamerada is one of the oldest indigenous dances, dating back to the pre-agri-

cultural Aymara nation. The dance, according to tradition, reproduces a ring of humans herding llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas, the camel-like animals of the Andes. After shearing the animals for wool and tak-ing the old and injured for food, the herders sacrificed a llama to the gods. The dancers wear distinctive square hats resembling those of early Aymara authorities. They hold a sling, or korawa, in the right hand. While the participation of women in most dances is only a few decades old, women have taken part in the llamerada since early times, as the dance corresponded to their domestic tasks.

MorenadaThe morenada (dance “of the Moors”) is a stately slow march. The women wear hats and long

flowing dresses, or short dresses with tall boots. Phantasmagoric male costumes include feathers, stiff round capes, and heavy black or silver masks with European-style smoking pipes. The dance is accompanied by sounds that evoke the dragging chains that bound the African slaves. The dance may derive from the use of slaves—hence the black masks—in the mines of Potosí, whether as miners or in the coin-minting operations—hence the silver masks. The dance may also indicate the later use of the Africans in wineries, now long-abandoned, in the lowlands, or derive from the fish dance of the Aymaras around Lake Titicaca.

PujllayThe Carnival of Tarabuco, also known as the Pujllay Yampara, conserves almost without chang-

es its folkloric essence, expressed in its heavy walk, its melancholic and monotonous music, and the solitary song of a farmer expressing his love for a young woman. Pujllay also recalls the groups or “wheels” of farmers and of mestizos of Chuquisaca, who traveled the settlements on foot or on horseback visiting houses where they found chicha (fermented corn drink) and pukaras. The latter, pre-Incaic defensive weapons, in the Pujllay become silver bows decorated with white flags, foli-age, and products to be harvested: corn, flowers, potatoes, vegetables, beeswax, meat, drinks, and so on. The sencka tanch’ana, a flute whose openings are placed far below the mouthpiece, requires the musician to adopt and unusual and uncomfortable position. Country people of humble dress interpret the five-note music of pujllay, as well as new huaynos they have composed.

SayaSaya is a dance of the Afro-Yungan peoples, who gradually took on native clothes and customs,

losing their own traditions. In one interpretation, the dance ridicules the black foreman who mistreated the newer arrivals from Africa. In another, he symbolizes social order, and is not the abusive foreman of the dance of the negritos. The character of the foreman was later taken up for the separate dance of the caporales. Although thus thematically related, the two dances have no musical connection—not in the rhythm, the instrumentation, or the melody. Beginning in the 1980s, saya was revived and carefully reconstructed by college students, leading to social organizations such as the Movimiento Cultural Saya Afroboliviana. Saya is played by specific drums with the support of the coancha or reco-reco, a loud scraper. The rhythm is set at the start by the bells of the whip-wielding caporal.

Suri SicurisThe choreography of this dance was created in Oruro together with the musical adaptation of

the caluyo and the huayno, bringing back a folkloric character known by his exquisite presence

BOLIVIA



and singular attire, the Suri Sicuri, who wears a conical crown bordered by bird feathers. The men also wear a tiger-skin chest covering; the women wear colored skirts. A dance with pre-Columbian roots, it stages the hunt of the suri or ñandú, an ostrich-like bird. Sicu is the Andean pan pipe, and those who play it are sicuris.

TinkuAn ancestral custom of the Andes, the Tinkus are subject to varying interpretations ranging from

devotion to and blood sacrifice for the Pachamama to a ritual defense of community fields. Tinku is a battle between communities; tinkunacuy is a fight between two individuals in which blood must be drawn. The fights are scheduled for the main plaza of a community, and last 20 to 30 minutes each. Local authorities, symbolic whips in hand, referee the fights.

TobasThe Amazonian Tobas are believed by some to have traveled to Oruro attracted by the fame of

the Virgin of Candelaria, and were later represented in religious feasts by dancers in rain-forest clothing. The Tobas are an Aymara representation of these peoples, in particular the Tacana, with wooden masks and feathered headdresses. In a different version, the Quechua took prisoners from the rain forest, leading to the Aymara creation of a dance of the captured. As the Aymaras later moved to Oruro and La Paz, they recreated the dance and called it Tobas, the name of a people from the Chaco, and included masks and feather headdresses from the Tacana. The dancers dress lightly, not just because of the rain forest environment they recreate, but because the dance requires powerful movements and great physical effort.

Waca toqorisThe dance of the dancing bulls is an indigenous representation of the Spanish bullfights as a

dance. Elements for ridicule are cows, a kusillo (a kind of clown) and jilakata, an indigenous au-thority figure who carries a stick and commands the dance group. A bullfighter or kausalla carries a sword and dresses like a Spanish bullfighter. The milkmaids wear up to 25 skirts at the same time, which they show off as they spin to the music.

Sources: Danzas tradicionales de Bolivia, Viceministry of Tourism Tanzegruppe BoliviaFiesta DC

BOLIVIA

Alma Boliviana was founded by

María DeMartini in 1991. At first perform-ing the dance of anta-wara, it has focused lately on the danza de caporales, tinkus and Bolivian cueca.

The group has performed at the in-auguration of presi-dents, at the Kennedy Center, and at other national venues and events. Alma Bolivi-ana also participates in local festivities like Arlington's Nieghbor-hood Parade, Fiesta DC’s Parade of Na-tions, Hispanic Heri-tage Month events, the Bolivian Festival and many others, and has been invited to New Jersey, New York, and Florida. It provides a whole-some environment for youth, with a membership that is mostly from five to 20 years old. It is the only group in the U.S. that presents its own original music.

Alma Boliviana is under the leadership of current president Jaime Inofu-entes and vice-president Lucio Villazón, with the supervision of María De-Martini. Its members include young people of other nations such as Mexico, El Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, Nicaragua and the U.S., demonstrating admiration for the beautiful Bolivian folklore.

Alma BolivianaIts members include young people of other nations such as Mexico, El Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, Nicaragua and the U.S.

Musical Tips

The Guaraní language is the only indigenous language that is used in Latin America by a general national population. In Paraguay , where it is recognized as an official language along with Spanish, more than 90% of the population uses it. The Argentine province of Corrientes also gives official status to Guaraní. Paraguay‘s constitution is in both languages, as are most textbooks. Paraguayans switch between Guaraní and Spanish in everyday conversation.

Contact: Lucio Villazón, President703-892-0241directors@almaboliviana.orgwww.almaboliviana.org

BOLIVIA



F raternidad Bolivia Andina was founded in 1995 by Luba Morales, with the purpose of

keeping alive and popularizing Bolivian foklore and cultivating the beauty of its dances and tra-ditional cultural expressions with roots going back for many decades. It has participated in events of the Washington area and other cities in the U.S.

Bolivia Andina is known especially for the dance of the waka-toqoris or milkmaids. Every year it brings new dances into its repertory, such as the dance of the ch’utas, moceñada, sicuria-da, kullawada, and llamerada, being the only group that interprets these dances of long tradition accompa-nied by live musical performers.

Bolivia Andina

In existence as part of other groups since 1988 under the leadership of José Quiroz, San Simón

USA became independent in 1999. The group exists for the same reason as that of many other fraternities, to show the richness and culture of Bolivian folklore. It seeks to bring young people together through learning their history so that they are able to share it with generations to come.

San Simón USA has performed at many festivals in the Washington area, such as the Bolivian Festival in Arlington, Cherry Blossom Parade, Mount Pleasant Hispanic Heritage Fes-

tival, and In-dependence Day Parade.

Bolivia Andina is known especially for the dance of the waka-toqoris or milkmaids.

Caporales San Simón Virginia USA

Contact: Comité Pro Bolivia [email protected]/bolivia-andina.php

Contact: José Quiroz, Comité Pro [email protected]/san-simon-usa.php

BOLIVIA

Right: Parade of Nations 2007. In the foreground are contingents from Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Bolivia.



photo: RAFAeL CRISoStomo

C entro Cultural Bolivia was founded in 1991 by a group of persons who sought to show

the best of Bolivian culture outside of the na-tional borders. It has currently more than 60 members, including Bolivians, those of Bo-livian descent, and of other nationalities, who wished to join because of the brotherhood that predominates among its members as well as the rich and colorful traditional dances.

The pujllay is one of the ritual dances still preserved with the purity and ancestral tradition of the inititation of the priestesses in their adora-tion of the Sun God. Centro Cultural Bolivia is definitely the only group to have

achieved a faithful interpretation of the dance, making use of authentic and original dress brought exclusively from the village of Tarabu-co in Chuquisaca department.

The costumes, choreography and music of the tobas dance are different from those of Andean expressions and show the warmth and joy of the people of the tropical region of Bolivia. Centro Cultural Bolivia has appeared at parades and festi-vals such as Cherry Blossom Parade,Washington; Festival of the Virgin of Urkupiña, Rhode Island; Festival of Flags, New York; saya contest, Virgin-ia; and tinkus contest, Virginia.

Centro Cultural Bolivia

Contact: Jimmy Claros, Artistic Director703-930-2678jclaros@proboliviausa.orgwww.proboliviausa.org/centro-cultural-bolivia.php

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Above and Left: Wooden masks of the Tobas dancers from Bolivia.



E mbajadores del Folk-lore was founded in

2002 in Virginia to cul-tivate and promote Bo-livian folklore through the performance of the ancestral dance of more-nada.

The fraternity is com-posed of around 60 danc-ers, including children, youth, and older people who love this unique Bolivian expression.

Currently it is directed by Hugo Céspedes, pres-ident, Roberto Gonzáles, vice-president, and Es-tela Suárez and Marcela Calvi, treasurers.

Embajadores del Folk-lore has received acknowl-edgments and awards for its participation in gov-ernmental, social, educa-tional, and political events of the Washington metro-politan area, as well as in other states of the U.S.

Embajadores del Folklore

Musical Tips

Contact: Hugo Céspedes, [email protected]/embajadores-del-folklore.php

BOLIVIA

F raternidad Cultural Pachamama was founded in 2000 by the family of Gonza-

lo Sandoval, in coordination with Rosmary Barrientos and family, Gonzalo Alanes, and Freddy Andrés. They counted also with the invaluable support of the Jiménez-Quintana family of Fundación de la Fraternidad. Be-ginning with around 30 dancers, FC Pa-chamama currently has more than 100 asso-ciates.

In its few years of existence, Pachamama has won important and significant awards, such as Winners of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tinkus con-test (2002, 2004, 2006), organized by Comité Pro-Bolivia; Winners of the Dance Festival of

Anaheim, Ca., 2005; and Winners of the Dance Festival in New York, 2006.

It took part successfully in the Carnaval of Oruro in 2006 and 2007, becoming the first Washington-area group to participate in that majestic festival.

Fraternidad Cultural PachamamaIn its few years of existence, it has won important and significant awards in Virginia, California and New York

Contact: Gonzalo Sandoval, [email protected]

BOLIVIA

The hat worn by indigenous Andean women in Bolivia looks like an English bowler, or derby, hat, because that is precisely what it is meant to imitate. It arrived in Bolivia with the English workers sent there to build railroads. The hat became a typical part of a woman's dress, but it was never taken up by the men.



R aíces de Bolivia’s official name is “Fraternidad Folklórica Raíces de Bolivia”. Founded in 1988, it is known for its very powerful dance

of saya-caporales. Raíces de Bolivia participates in many local festivals within the

DC metropolitan area like the Independence Day Parade, Arlington County Parade in Virginia and the Latino Festival in Mount Pleas-ant. The group was invited to the Puerto Rican International Festi-val in San Juan, and participated at the Bellas Artes Theater.

F ounded in 1991 by Maria Luisa Aliaga and Fernando Aliaga, the group was organized with the idea of presenting the beauty

of Bolivian folklore through traditional dances such as morenada, tinkus, and cueca.

Juventud Boliviana has performed at community, social, edu-cational, political, and religious events in Washington, Maryland and Virginia. It is an official member of Hearabout, an agency of Arlington County's Multicultural Office that brings together the groups most representative of the world's folklore and culture.

Fraternidad Folklórica Juventud Boliviana

Fraternidad Folklórica Raíces de BoliviaThe group participates in many local festivals within the D.C. metropolitan area

Contact: Comité Pro Bolivia [email protected]/juventud-boliviana.php

Contact: Fernando Quintero, [email protected]/raices-de-bolivia.php

BOLIVIA

F raternidad Tobas Di-nastía was founded in

Falls Church, Va., in 2006 by Paola Rivera. They are a group of young adults and their families who believe in keeping tradition alive and who have come together to represent their roots.

Fraternidad Tobas Dinastía

Fundación Socio Cultural Diablada BolivianaThe Fraternidad Diablada Boliviana, created in 1998, became in 2000 the Fundación Socio Cultural Dia-

blada Boliviana. It works to improve the lives of low-income families in Bolivia, and, in the cultural sphere, to maintain the dance of the diablada a a major cultural expression of Bolivia. It also performs the dances of chacarera and kullawada.

Contact: Sonia Salvatierra, [email protected]/Tobas-Dinastia-9336517.aspx

Contact: Nelly Zapata, [email protected]/cultura2.htm

BOLIVIA



S angre Boliviana (Bolivian blood) is one of the oldest existing Bolivian groups, founded

in September 1987 and directed by Jorge García, his wife Carmen García, Edmundo Ballesteros, and his wife Rosario Osinaga, along with other family members.

Their goal is to teach and educate those from other parts of the world about the richness and culture in the saya-caporales, tinkus, and suris si-curis. Sangre Boliviana has made about 38 presen-tations a year by reaching out to many different cities throughout the United States.

Sociedad Cultural Tradiciones Bolivianas was founded in 1997 as Tradiciones Bolivi-

anas, with the goal of promoting and preserv-ing the culture, music, dance and traditions of Bolivia, as a tribute of love and respect for our original peoples.

All of the interpretive dances of this group are based on the central rhythms of the wiphala, huayño, and salaque that date back to the lyri-cal dances of the pre-Hispanic Inca empire.

Sangre Boliviana

Sociedad Cultural Tradiciones Bolivianas

Contact: Julia García, [email protected]/tradiciones-bolivianas.php

Contact: Gonzalo Gutiérrez, President703-819-5728www.sangreboliviana.com

BOLIVIA

T inkus Jayas was formed in 2007 with the purpose of showing that Bolivian culture

does not stay at home but travels the world. It consists of more than 50 dancers of many na-tionalities, ranging in age from 4 to 41 years old. The group is in the process of expanding and working on new ideas such as scholarships.

Tinkus Jayas

B ack in December 2000 the group Sayubu arrived at Minot, N.D., for a tour through

different states in the US. The group came with Alexander Cámara, one of the leading ex-ponents of charango in Bolivia. The charango is a small South American string instrument of the lute family, about 66 cm long, traditionally made with the shell of an armadillo. It typically has 10 strings in five courses of 2 strings each, although other variations exist.

Later, in July of 2003, a new group, Yaku, which means “water” in Quechua, was formed with some of the members of Sayubu. Headed by David Chávez and with Javier Mendoza, Marco Udaeta, and Néstor Gonzáles, Yaku be-came a reality.

They perform folkloric music from Bolivia, but their repertoire also includes a rich variety of Latin American pieces. Yaku showcases the var-ied rhythms from Bolivia's different regions. In the highlands: morenada, kullawada, llamerada, kantus, tarqueada, diablada, tinkus, etc. In the valleys: cueca, huayno, bailecito, saya, caluyo, chuntunqui, etc. In the East: carnavalito, ta-quirari, chovena, tobas, chacarera, tonada, etc.

These are Yaku's members: David Chávez

Yaku Band

(Cochabamba), percussion, guitar, third voice; Javier Mendoza (Potosí), first voice; Marco Udaeta (Cochabamba), fourth voice; Jhon Machicado (La Paz), woodwinds; contralto voice; Wilson Vásquez (Oruro), charango, third voice; Ronald Uriona (Cochabamba), guitar, second voice.

Yaku performs at different events and ven-ues like festivals, private parties, restaurants and others. The group will soon release a CD, in-cluding its own songs.

Contact: Rosario Sánchez, [email protected]

Contact: David Chá[email protected]

BOLIVIA



photo: RAFAeL CRISoStomo

C apoeiraDC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organiza-tion founded in 2003 by Renford Powell, Vice-

roy Andrews, and Aysha Corbett. The mission of CapoeiraDC

is to promote the Afro-Brazilian martial art called Capoeira Con-temporânea, a fast-paced blend of self-defense, dance, acrobat-ics, and music. In 2003, there were no Capoeira schools in the District offering instruction in Capoeira Contemporânea. The three founding members, all long-term D.C. residents dedi-cated to the practice and growth of Capoeira Contemporânea,

sought out the knowledge and expertise of Capoeira master Mestre

Curisco (lightning) of Capoeira Malês (www.curisco.com), from Seattle, Wa., and formed

CapoeiraDC. From its inception, Capoei-

raDC has grown tremendously. Currently we offer seven adult classes per week, a kids' Capoe-ira class, and two Samba dance classes.

CapoeiraDC is also active in the D.C. community: we participate in two after-school programs in South-east, perform at local festivals, and offer free workshops and communi-ty nights introducing various aspects of Afro-Brazilian culture.

CapoeiraDC

Contact: Ren Powell, Manager240-606-4446

Left: Brazilian dancer enjoying a parade performance.

BRAZIL



T he group Danzas Folklóricas Afro-Colom-bianas “Tangaré” was born as an initiative

for young Afro-Colombian residents in Wash-ington, D.C. to come together. Their purpose is to rescue, popularize, and make their culture and roots known through the typical dances of their region.

L ed by master dancer and choreographer Oscar Rousseaux, Alafia Dance and Drum performs and offers classes in Cuban and

other Latin genres, including songs and dances to the orishas, batá drum-ming, casino, and salsa.

Tangaré

Alafia

Contact: Johanna [email protected]/AlafiaDanceDrum

Contact: Esmeralda Zúniga, [email protected]

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COLOMBIA - CUBA

U nidad Cultural Dominicana was established by Franklin García to serve as an umbrella

for efforts to unify all of the Dominican-orient-ed organizations in the greater Washington met-ropolitan area.

Unidad Cultural Dominicana’s folkloric group is coordinated by Elpidia Garcia and Janet Liriano. Its members include young ladies wearing traditional Domini-can gowns and young men in traje típico

dancing to the traditional Dominican rhythm of mangulina. It also features youth wearing the traditional carnival costume "diablos cajue-los.” Baseball players from the local Dominican league of Los Monstruos round out the folkloric group of Unidad Cultural Dominicana.

I nvasores del 80 have been a constant pres-ence in Washington since 1980, appearing

in festivals and cultural centers both by them-selves and together with other performers of Cuban rumba.

Their specialty is guaguancó with the flavor of the streets of Havana.

Invasores del 80

Unión Cultural Dominicana

Awal was founded in 2005 with the sole pur-pose of disseminating the rich folklore of

Guatemala. Based in Arlington, Va., the group has performed at many different festivals in the D.C. area.

The Mayan meaning of Awal is “the sower.” The group’s objective is to sow the Mayan cul-ture into young children’s lives. As the sower believes that his seeds will flourish, the group’s members believe that they, too, can bring up a new generation that is aware of its roots and continuously harvests values and appreciation of their history. The Mayan culture of Guatemala

is well represented by Awal, with its traditional colorful costumes and dances and the distinctive sound of its music.

AWAL’s members are: Luisa López, Ubaldo Sánchez, Lidia López, Vinicio Cabrera, Thelma de León, Celso Sánchez, Jessica López, Brandon Juárez, Julia Sánchez, Helder Pérez, Mayra Sán-chez, Ovidio Cabrera, Jenny Juárez, Luis Pérez and Julia Cabrera.

Awal

Contact: Franklin García, [email protected]

Contact: Vinicio Cabrera, [email protected]

Contact: Francisco Rigores202-232-3679

CUBA - DOMINCAN REPUBLIC - GUATEMALA



F ounded in 2002 by Marcia St. John Cunny, Bailes de Mi Tierra is a weekly after-school

program for the childen of Rose Hill Elemen-tary School in Fairfax, Va. The purpose of the program is to promote Mexican culture among the young generations through dance and mu-sic.

The activities of the group, which are part of the school’s bilingual program, are conducted in Spanish. The group teaches folkloric Mexi-can dances through a repertoire that includes pre-Hispanic and indigenous dances.

Bailes de Mi Tierra

Contact: Jorge A Cámara, [email protected]

MEXICO

Founded in 1996, De Colores shares Mexican heritage and culture. It takes pride in pleasing its audiences while educating them about the

traditional dance forms, costumes, and customs from various Mexican regions that have continued to flourish through the years.

The long-range vision of De Colores is to establish an Instituto de Danza for adults and children in the nation's capital in or-der to teach and train future generations of artists. These efforts will develop and broaden cultural and artistic di-versity throughout our communities and enhance the un-derstanding and appreciation of the cultural traditions of Mexico.

De ColoresThe group performs dances from states such as Jalisco, Veracruz, Nayarit, and Guerrero, and also Aztec dances

Musical Tips

The charro uniform of the mariachis—the felt sombrero, white shirt and kerchief tie, the silver studs, the long skirt and jacket for the women, the matching outfits—does not represent the working dress of Mexican cowboys (or cowgirls). For performances, the charro is more the traditional image of the owner or boss who commanded the real cowboys.

Contact: Rocío Bermúdez, [email protected]

MEXICO



Los Quetzales Mexican Dance EnsembleFounded in 1997, the group is Northern Virginia’s premiere folkloric performing dance company

MEXICO

Contact: Laura Ortiz, [email protected]

F ounded in 1997, Los Quetzales Mexican Dance Ensemble is Northern Virginia’s premiere folkloric performing dance company.

Director Laura Ortiz was born in the state of Zacatecas and raised in Mexico City. She has studied and danced Mexican folklore and Spanish flamenco since childhood. In 1973, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where in school she became an active participant of the “Roosevelt-High Ballet Folklórico.”

In 1975, she joined the most prestigious Mexican folkloric company in the United States, “Ballet Folklórico Mexicapan,” founded and directed by Ben-jamín Hernández, the pioneer of Mexican Folklore in Southern California, and Patricia Barragan-Hernández.

She has toured extensively throughout Mexico, the United States, and Puerto Rico as a member of professional ensembles like Ballet Folklórico Mexicapan, Ca.; East Los Folklóricos, Ca.; International Folk Ballet, N.Y.; MM Dance Company, D.C.; Ana Martínez Flamenco Dance Company, Ar-lington, Va., and her own company, Los Quetzales-Mexican Dance Ensemble, Arlington, Va.

Ortiz received her professional training under masters of Mexican folklore and at venues such as the Universidad de Guadalajara and Universidad Veracru-zana. Ortiz has continued to attend regular master dance workshops in Mexican folklore and flamenco for over 20 years, and still attends specialized periodic master workshops in both fields.

Since 1994 she has been Region Representative and Board Member, Orga-nizer and Contributor of the internationally-acclaimed Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos (National Association of Folkloric Groups), a bi-national organization dedicated to the research and preservation of Mexican folkloric culture and traditions.

Ortiz has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including her most recent mention by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities-Folklife Program, as a Master Folk Artist. She was selected as the 2005-2006 Master Folk Artist under the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, Master-Ap-prenticeship Program. Ortiz also served as an Adjunct

Professor of Dance with Georgetown University’s Program in Performing Arts from 2004 to 2007.

Right: Los Quetzales perfoming dances from the state of Puebla (above) and from pre-Hispanic times (below)

The piano-style accordion was brought to America from Europe and adapted for styles such as Mexican norteñas, the Dominican merengue, and the Colombian vallenato as well as Louisiana's zydeco. A relative of the accordion, harder to play and using buttons rather than piano keys, became the central instrument of traditional tango. Called the bandonion by its German maker, the bandoneón is found principally in Argentina and Uruguay.



T ecuani is a Nahuatl word combining “te,” something or someone, and “cuani,” that

which eats or frightens—the jaguar. The dance of the Tecuani has its roots in the

two fundamental principles of humankind, Life and Death. With this dance, the Olmecs illus-trated the relationship, struggle and dependency of these two elements. Good fought against evil and death.

The Olmecs believed in resisting all of the adverse components of life. The Tecuanis illus-

trate this same fight. During their performance they attempt to defeat evil, represented by the jaguar. Wooden masks and black clothing are intrinsic to the purpose of the dance, in which the fearsome tiger takes center stage.

The dance of the Tecuani comes from the South Central region of Mexico.

Los TecuanisDuring their performance they attempt to defeat evil, represented by the jaguar

Contact: Luis Reyes, [email protected]

MEXICO

Founded in 1992 by former Ballet Folklórico de México lead dancer Maru Montero, the

company is a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting the joy and beauty of Latin culture in the United States. Performing at various ven-ues around the Washington area, it offers a wide selection of Latin American dance programs. It also organizes the annual 5 de Mayo Fiesta in downtown Washington.

Maru Montero and her dancers have per-formed at the White House, the Kennedy Cen-ter for the Performing Arts, the Smithsonian Institution, and numerous other stages, as well as entertained thousands of children in school performances. They were featured on national

television and praised as "magic" by the Wash-ington Post.

As a professional artist, Montero has trav-eled across the globe to bring the joy of Mexi-can dance to broad audiences. She is a gradu-ate of Leadership Washington and a winner of Washington, D.C.'s Outstanding Emerging Artist Award. Also an accomplished and award-winning artist, Montero creates sculpture, jew-elry and other art forms.

Maru Montero Dance CompanyAs a professional artist, Montero has traveled across the globe to bring the joy of Mexican dance to broad audiences

Contact: Maru Montero, Director [email protected]

MEXICO



GRUFOLPAWA (Grupo Folklóri-

co de Panamá en Wash-ington) is a non-profit organization with roots in the nation’s capital. In existence since the late 70’s, GRUFOL-PAWA is composed of a diverse group of men and women of all ages, and mostly, but not exclusively, Pana-manians.

The group’s mis-sion is to disseminate Panamanian folklore by means of its music and interpretive danc-es. GRUFOLPAWA provides rewarding community-service experiences to our youth, families and communities, enabling our members to maintain strong ties to our culture and heritage.

For the last 32 years, the group has performed in a myriad of events rang-ing from presidential inaugurations to local school activities, diplomatic functions, government celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month, parades, fairs and activities that help strengthen partnership and support for other community organizations. When not traveling, the group volunteers for a multitude of activities throughout the various communities of the Washington

metropolitan area. GRUFOLPAWA welcomes any indi-

vidual interested in the culture and folk-lore of Panama.

Ballet Folklórico de Panamá (GRUFOLPAWA)

Musical Tips

According to our records, Grupo Folklórico de Panamá (GRUFOLPAWA) is the oldest Latino dancing ensemble in the metropolitan area. It was established by Dr. Norma Small and its first presentation was during the Latino Festival of Washington in 1976. At that time the celebration used to take place in Adams Morgan.

Contact: Dr. Norma Small-Warren, [email protected]

PANAMA

The name Pacoan is short for “Paraguayos con Añoranza.” The group presents traditional

dances, some with roots in pre-Spanish times. Pacoan features Paraguayan polka and

chopo. The latter is a dance accompanied by singing in Guaraní, the native language spoken

fluently throughout Paraguay. With a joyful and contagious rhythm, it is autochthonous music from Paraguay’s authentic folklore.

PACOAN (Paraguayos con Añoranza)The group presents traditional dances, some with roots in pre-Spanish times

The cueca, originally the zamacueca or zambacueca, is the root of related genres in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and northern Argentina. After the War of the Pacific, in which Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and gained coastal territory at the expense of the others, the Peruvians changed the name of their cueca to marinera, in honor of the sailors who had fought against Chile. The marinera is now a national symbol of Peru. Bolivia still has a cueca, which sounds much the Chilean version, while in Argentina the zamacueca slowed down to become the wistful and melancholy zamba, played on the guitar and accompanied on the deep-voiced bombo drum.

Contact: Francisco Canata, Director703-470-9365

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T he Escuela de Danzas "Chino Terrones," under the direction of its founder José Terrones, National Champion of Northern Marinera

and Peruvian Dances, has been presenting Peru's folklore in the metro-politan Washington area since 1999 and in countries like Japan, Austra-lia and Argentina.

The group's mission is to make Peruvian folklore known internation-ally at a high level and to promote Peru's national heritage. To meet these goals, it has opened schools in Maryland, Virginia, and the center of Washington, offering classes in Peruvian folk genres and salsaero-bics. Students range in age from 3 to 60 years old, from beginners to champions in various contests held in Los Angeles, New Jersey, Miami and California.

T he Ballet Folklórico Ritmos del Perú is di-rected by Jackie Gamboa with the assistance

of José Alvarez, choreographers of the group's most proudly-presented dance pieces. The bal-let is also a cultural institution and a dedicated organization that strives to preserve Inca tradi-tions through folkloric dance.

Their mission is to work with Peruvians to show their passion and true love within Latin American and other communities, nationally and internationally. They work closely with a non-profit organization in order to dedicate special at-tention to youth and help them maintain a health-full environment, motivation, and morals. They practice dances from the coast, the mountains, and the rain forest regions of Peru, proud of their roots and giving generously for their country.

Ballet Folklórico Ritmos del Perú

Escuela de Danzas "Chino Terrones”

Contact: José Alvarez, [email protected]

Contact: José Terrones, [email protected]

PERU PERU

T he Dance Group Mamauca was founded in 1977 by Enrique Barrueto, an outstanding professional in the art.

Mamauca means the mother goddess in an African language. Now di-rected by Elena Marcos, Mamauca has expanded its teachings in the U.S., with great success in the Washington area.

Focusing on Afro-Peruvian dance, the group has broadened its repertoire and now perfforms dances from the coast, the mountains, and the rain forest. Composed of with young and talented children born to Peru-vians in the U.S., the group demonstrates that it is possible to carry on this marvelous Peruvian art.

Grupo de Danza MamaucaMamauca means the mother goddess

The conga drums of the rumba style guaguancó, the hand drums of the Puerto Rican plena, and several other sets of drums used in Latin America music are not just any drums played at the whim or inspiration of the performers. In the standard arrangement, a large drum sets the basic pattern, a medium-size drum adds a contrasting and faster pattern that fits into the first, and a small drum servs as a lead instrument on which the performer improvises a high "voice." However, in the case of Cuban batá drums, shaped like hourglasses and played horizontally on the musicians' laps, it is the deeper, large, drum that leads, while the smaller two drums carry on a stacatto pattern of higher-frequency sounds.

Musical Tips

Contact: Grisel Barrueto240-821-8581

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P eruvian singer Vicky Leyva performs tradi-tional Afro-Peruvian rhythms with modern

arrangements. Accompanied by her own group, Sabor Negro, which includes guitars, bass, and modern and traditional Peruvian percussion, Vicky's show is authentic and innovative. The show may include popular Peruvian dances such as landó, zamacueca, festejo and others. For most music fans in the U.S., Peruvian music means Andean panpipes, but it is broader than that. While the African presence in such mu-sical powerhouses as Brazil and Cuba are well known, Peru's African legacy has only recently gained major attention here.

Vicky began her professional career in her native Peru as a dancer for the prestigious black folkloric group “Perú Negro.” She launched her singing career in 1980 at the Primer Festival de la Canción de la Vendimia de Ica, and became known as the “Creole Discovery of the Year.” Vicky began appearing in various tourist venues throughout Peru, recorded her first single, and in 1986 toured internationally. Bolivians gave her the nickname “The mulatta flower of Peru,” a name that has stuck to this day. She was part of the black musical group “Ebano y Marfil” (ebony and ivory) until it disbanded. She then formed Vicky Leyva y su Sabor Negro.

She promoted Afro-Peruvian music, joining the Francisco Congo movement, recognized in black communities throughout Latin America. Television appearances in her native Peru include Danzas y Can-ciones del Perú and “Noche de Gala Peruana.”

1n 1999 she emigrated to the United States and became the promoter for Mendoza Produc-tions and a member of the Latin American Folk Institute. Since moving to the Washington area she has been recognized as the “Best Peruvian voice” in the area by Buenos días Perú and has

Vicky Leyva y Sabor NegroBolivians gave her the nickname “The mulatta flower of Peru,” a name that has stuck to this day

joined the cast of Gala Hispanic Theatre in several productions, including Raíces Cubanas II, Puerto Rico En…cantado, Candombe, Tango Negro and Latido Negro.

Additional U.S. appearances include those at the Peruvian Festival in Miami, in Arlington, Va., and at the Organization of American States. Most recently, she participated as a judge for “La Valentina de Oro” in Miami and in New Jersey. Currently she performs in a variety of venues throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

Contact: Vicky Leyva703-496-7208www.vickyleyvadelperu.com

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F ounded in 2002, Raíces de Borinquen was incorporated as a non-profit organization in

2003. The Group’s mission is to promote the ap-

preciation and preservation of our Taíno In-dian, Spanish, and West African roots and culture through the performance of Puerto Rican folkloric dances and music, particularly in Virginia, Maryland, and

Washington, D.C. The group represents, teaches, and dissemi-

nates our rich culture through the performance of traditional Puerto Rican genres.

Raíces de Borinquen

Contact: Eileen Alicea, Artistic Director301-602-2460admin@raicesdeborinquen.orgwww.raicesdeborinquen.org

PUERTO RICO

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C andombe Forever has been sharing the spirit of Uruguay with audiences throughout the

Washington area since 2004. Candombe is both a rhythm and a dance

from Uruguay of African origin, mainly Bantu, dominated by the sound of drums. As is com-mon in African drum rhythms found in Latin America, three drums of different sizes and with different roles are used. Once considered improper, candombe was gradually accepted and played by Uruguayans of all walks of life, especially during carnival. More than 200 years young, the sound of drums still resonates in Montevideo and the rest of the nation, proof that candombe constitutes an integral part of Uruguayan culture.

Candombe ForeverStriving to teach the extraordinary rhythms of Uruguay to aspiring drummers of all ages

Candombe Forever strives to teach the ex-traordinary rhythms of Uruguay to aspiring drummers of all ages. Candombe Forever has attracted attention from well-respected per-formers throughout the world, including Cachi-la Silva, of C1080 Candombe Group and of the Candombe Tango Negro which played at Teatro de la Luna during the Summer of 2004.

Candombe Forever has become a beloved fixture at venues throughout the region, includ-ing Karma Restaurant and Gallerie Michelle in 2004, and was awarded a prize, together with a group of drummers and dancers representing Uruguay, for Best Group at the Columbus Day Parade in New York City on October 12, 2004. Since then, Candombe Forever has played at events at the InterAmerican Development Bank, the Uruguayan Embassy and Latin festivals.

Contact: Miguel Giorgetta, Director202-210-3420www.candombeforever.com

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T ambores de San Juan is an Afro-Venezu-elan drumming band founded by Alexis

Magdaleno and Carlos Infante at the end of 2004. The band blends Venezuelan folkloric music with African percussion to bring an au-thentic and native sound.

Tambores de San Juan has performed at many different festivals in the D.C. area, such as the Tacoma Park Festival and the Adams Morgan Day Festival. They have also played for several colleges and universities in the area.

Along Venezuela’s central Caribbean coast, the feast day of San Juan Bautista is

celebrated during the summer solstice, June 23 to June 25. Minas and redondos (the former, a very large wooden drum; the latter, smaller two-headed drums) accompany the dances. On the 24th, after a night of celebrations, the statue of the saint emerges from the house where it has been guarded and is taken in procession to a solemn mass. Afterwards, the saint is paraded precariously through the streets amidst vivas and drum playing.

Tambores de San Juan The band blends Venezuelan folkloric music with African percussion to bring an authentic and native sound

Contact: Carlos Infante, [email protected]

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180 Theater Latino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

181 TheaterLatino Cultural GuideFiesta DC’s

Washington-area residents are fortunate to be able to enjoy the work of two established theater companies that perform in Spanish and bilingually.

GALA Theatre and Teatro de la Luna, with 32 and 17 years of existence re-spectively, put on performances, sponsor special festivals, and offer workshops for all interested persons. Their performances are normally translated using modern audio-visual systems. Both bring invited guests from Latin America and Spain and maintain lively exchanges with other companies worldwide.

The two companies cover the classic as well as modern theater of Spain, but mainly present a variety of works that reflect the spectrum of histories and cultures in Latin America and within the U.S. In fact, the companies have to consider the variety of flavors of Spanish and varying vocabularies in Latin America, similar to the way that English varies in its use within the United Kingdom and in the U.S. and other former British colonies.

In some places, Spanish sounds much as it does in Spain—or parts of Spain—but in others it is noticeably marked by indigenous and African accents and vo-cabularies and by other cultural influences. Because the performers come from different countries and further must take on characters that speak various kinds of Spanish, putting on a play becomes a task far more complicated than the general description of "bilingual theater" conveys. Some of GALA's performances have also involved Caribbean English and Spanglish.

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To promote stable homeownership, a project that’s a part of our mission, LEDC uses photographic illustrations similar to those used in comic books. As this bilingual booklet tells the story of the Gomez family, recent immigrants from Central America living in Adams Morgan, and how they purchased their first home readers can learn how LEDC can help them overcome the hurdles to build a strong financial future.

LEDC performs bilingual, musical plays, called “teatro callejero” or street theater, at outdoor festivals, telling the story of a family trying to improve their housing situation. The characters, who share the experiences and languages of the audience members, learned the necessary information to purchase a home, including the services they could access to help them along the way. As the characters learn, so does the audience.

(202) 588-5102• www.ledcdc.org

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Popular Education from LEDC



Founded in 1976, GALA Hispanic Theatre has long been a groundbreaking and energetic "theater with a different accent," presenting classical and contemporary plays in Spanish and English, dance, music, poetry, spoken word, art and, more recently, film. In January 2005, after 29 years of performing in successive temporary venues, GALA moved into its permanent home in the historic and newly-renovated Tivoli, and established itself as a national center for Latino performing arts. Fulfilling the dream of GALA founders Hugo and Rebecca Read Medrano and their legion of supporters, the move heralded a new era in their crusade to preserve and pro-mote Hispanic language and culture.

GALA sprang indirectly from Teatro Doble (Double Theater), a bilingual children's theater working out of Back Alley Theater in Washing-ton. In the early to mid-1970s, Teatro Doble was the only Washington theater catering to Spanish-speaking audiences. Hugo Medrano, Rebecca Read, and other Latino performers with Teatro Doble talked about forming a His-panic theater that would fill the cultural void and embrace a larger audience.

Before long, GALA (Grupo de Artistas La-tino Americanos/Group of Latin American Art-ists) was born. GALA has become what many consider the country's leading Spanish-language theater, winning a loyal following and scores of awards. Unlike some areas in the United States, Washington has never been representative of one predominant Hispanic culture. GALA's princi-pal audience as well as its actors, have been Argen-

GALA Theatre

tines, Mexicans, Spaniards, Chileans, Uruguay-ans, Venezuelans, Paraguayans, Peruvians, and so on. As a result, GALA has had to respond to issues and concerns of the Latino world at large. For GALA, the unification of its audience has been a paramount objective.

"GALA is not Spanish, nor Argentine, nor Puerto Rican," Hugo Medrano has said. "It is Latino in the fullest sense." As such, every sea-son, GALA includes productions that appeal to a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds.

Contact: Hugo Medrano, Director; Rebecca Read, Director [email protected]

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Abel López (left), Associate Director; Rebecca Read, Managing Director; and Hugo Medrano, Artistic Director.

Raoul N. Rizik and Leonor Chávez in “The Kidnapping (Crónica de un secuestro), 1984.



Teatro de la Luna was founded in 1991 with the intent of providing the Washington capital area with permanent access to theater from a Latin American perspective. The company performs at the Gunston Arts Center in Arlington, Virginia and at Casa de La Luna in Washington, as well as in various other venues and in suburban Maryland.

Performances are presented in Spanish, with English subtitles or live English dubbing offered at the main stage productions.

Promoting Hispanic culture and fostering cross-cultural understanding between the Spanish- and English-speaking communities of our region through Spanish-language theater and bilingual theatrical activities is a dream come true for the theater's founders.

Teatro de la Luna advances its mission by pro-ducing plays, holding theater workshops for adults and children, organizing poetry marathons such as the Young People's Poetry Marathon in Spanish, and producing International Festivals of Hispanic Theater including La Pluma (The Quill) y La Pa-labra (The Word). These activities give people from different backgrounds an opportunity for community dialogue, participation, reflection and support.

The vision of Teatro de la Luna is that of a functioning theater that trains Hispanic and non-Hispanic actors as well as theater technicians ea-ger to show their talents, while providing a bilin-gual theater with related workshops and camps for children and teens to promote the romance, charm

and richness of the Spanish language.

Teatro de la LunaPerformances are presented in Spanish, with English subtitles or live English dubbing offered at the main stage productions

Contact: Mario Marcel, Artistic Director; Nucky Walder, Producer202-882-6227, 703-548-3092www.teatrodelaluna.org

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Left: Anabel Marcano and Peter Pereyra interpret “Frida Kahlo, The Passion”at Gunston Arts Center in Arlington. Picture by Raymond Gniewek; other pictures courtesy of Teatro de la Luna.

Above: Marcela Ferlito Walder plays the principal role in “The Adventures of Pinocchio.”

Below: Harps of the Americas Concert.

Documents

Latino Cultural Guide