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Virtual Latino Arts Festival presented by Esperanza Arts Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPhiladelphia, PA – September 7, 2021. Esperanza Arts Center presents the Virtual Latino Arts Festival in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Esperanza Art Center (EAC) is pleased to announce the second annual Virtual Latino Arts Festival (VLAF) in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. EAC will spotlight a broad spectrum of Latino artists and traditions with streamed productions with dance, music, theater and family programs from Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

“After an immensely successful inaugural year, we’re excited to once again present a wide variety of productions by Latinx artists from around the globe, including the dark-hued and evocative puppetry of Teatro y su Doble, traditional Mexican dance and storytelling by New York’s Calpulli Dance Company, and the virtual return of the inimitable and magnetic singer/songwriter Sofia Viola from Argentina following her mesmerizing performance on the Teatro stage two season ago.” Bill Rhoads, Senior Vice President for the Esperanza Arts Center

Esperanza Arts Center
VIRTUAL LATINO ARTS FESTIVAL / 2021
September 15 – October 13, 2021

Latinx music, dance, and theater from around the world
Streamed Events and Performances 7:30pm every Wednesday

featuring

Feos
Teatro y su Doble
September 15, 7:30 pm

“The result is simply masterful. A major work of art with just the right amount of everything, brimming with transparent beauty, sensitivity and emotion and resonating deeply with the audience.” –El Mercurio

A man and woman meet for the first time in the line at the movie theater. Both have visible physical deformities, are alone and have lived their whole lives being stared at. Inevitably, they realize they have something in common and that they are ‘made for each other’. Together, they decide to go in search of the light behind the darkness, although nothing is quite as it seems.

Inspired by the story La Noche de los Feos by Mario Benedetti and with the playwright Guillermo Calderón, Feos is the latest production by Teatro y Su Doble from Santiago, Chile using puppets and animations as the main characters in the story.

Sofia Viola
September 22, 7:30 pm

Sofia Viola takes us into her home in Buenos Aires for an intimate acoustic set that highlights the strength of her voice and the brilliance and honesty of her songwriting. Embracing her guitar and her charangón, Viola’s songs drift from tango to vibrations of the Andes, from milonga to happy cumbia, from rock to vallenato, and from chamamé to blues. She composes songs in which she professes her unconditional love for Latin American folklore in all its dimensions; and in her solo show, she tells micro-stories that speak of love, ecology, junk food, and universal themes from her perspective. Sofia’s provocative humor leads the audience on a journey to discover the roots of Argentina through the characters and landscapes that inhabit her songs.

Luna de Cuernos
Fifth House Ensemble
September 29, 7:30 pm

“… vibrant, full of expression, humor, and mystery … a cohesive artistic product and transformative concert experience.” –ChicagoMusic.org

Luna de Cuernos is a modern interpretation of a Puerto Rican folktale inspired by the true stories of Chicagoans and told through music for woodwind quintet and stunning illustrations by Sarah Becan. It’s the story of a tight-knit group of friends and family under threat, and the risks they will take to defend the garden that is their community’s source of life. The program features works by Mario Lavista, Miguel del Aguila, Bohuslav Martinu, Alexandre Tansman, and Jörg Widmann.

Minas
October 6, 7:30 pm

“maintains its cool, even at its most racing tempos; always urbane, sophisticated, and contemporary.” –City Paper
Led by Orlando and Patricia Haddad, Minas’ impact on the Philadelphia music and cultural scene has been a constant since 1984, when the couple moved from Rio de Janeiro to The City of Brotherly Love. They introduced Philadelphia audiences to Brazilian Carnaval, founded the city’s first samba drum troupe – Philasamba, and have presented educational programs introducing the music of Brazil in schools for more than half a million children.

Calpulli Dance
October 13, 7:30 pm

“This terrific company of warm, generous dancers and a mostly female band gave a quick, vibrant tour of Mexican traditions – from Yucatán, Oaxaca, Jalisco – with eye-popping costumes for every stop. The finale with flying machetes was something to see.” — The New York Times

Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s repertoire is a carnival of folkloric traditions and original creations both choreographic and musical developed since 2003. Artistic Director & Co-Founder Alberto Lopez Herrera tells narrative-based stories entirely through dance, music, elaborate and colorful costumes, and the passion and virtuosity of its performers.

 

Subscriptions available at https://www.esperanzaartscenter.us/tickets/subscriptions-and-packages/

 

To attend the Virtual Latino Arts Festival and learn more about upcoming performances visit www.EsperanzaArtsCenter.us. The Virtual Latino Arts Festival is presented by the Esperanza Arts Center.

Esperanza Arts Center’s Virtual Latino Arts Festival 2021, is generously underwritten by:

Santander – Festival Sponsor
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
William Penn Foundation
Connelly Foundation
Comcast Universal
Mellon Foundation
Philadelphia Cultural Fund
Pennsylvania Council for the Humanities
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
The Presser Foundation
Southern Exposure
Steven R. Gerber Trust
Musical Fund Society
NALAC

For media inquiries, please contact Samantha Martinez at smartinez@esperanza.us
More information at: www.EsperanzaArtsCenter.us

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Esperanza Arts Center
Guided by our core values of faith, excellence, and integrity, Esperanza Arts Center (EAC) will touch the lives of and foster positive social change in, the Hunting Park neighborhood and the Latino community through the arts. EAC will be the center for Latino arts and culture in the Philadelphia region – presenting music, dance, theater, cinema, and visual art from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as a broad spectrum of traditions from around the world.

Esperanza is a national community-based social benefit organization founded in 1986 by the Reverend Luis Cortés Jr., and the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity with the biblical mandate to serve and advocate for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Beginning with a local initiative, with programs targeted to address the unmet needs of North Philadelphia’s Hispanic community, Rev. Cortés is now sought by national and international leaders alike on issues of economic and workforce development, housing, immigration, and education. Under his leadership, Esperanza has grown from a small operation to a $52 million organization with more than 500 employees. Visit www.esperanza.us or follow us on social media @esperanza_us on Twitter and Instagram, EsperanzaUSA on Facebook and Esperanza US on YouTube.

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