First-Ever University of Illinois Chicago Latin American Music Festival To Launch This April

This April, the University of Illinois Chicago's (UIC) School of Theatre and Music will host its first-ever Latin American Music Festival, a three-day interdisciplinary event designed to engage students, teachers and families from all over the city through educational workshops, lectures, and performances dedicated to mariachi, Latin jazz, folk music, and Latin American choral music.

Taking place on UIC's campus Thursday, April 11 through Saturday, April 13, the festival will culminate in a community-oriented block party featuring Latin American DJs and bands, folkloric dances, and an artist market. The program, produced in collaboration with Indiana University's Latin American Music Center, will feature performances by international and local artists including Mariachi de la Universidad Veracruzana (Mexico), Sones De Mexico, Chicago Latin Groove Band, Grupo Vanguardia, Tonos del Sur, Magdalena Delgado, and more, as well as student artists from UIC's School of Theatre and Music and Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music.

The festival will invite more than 500 students from local community and high school mariachi and choral ensembles to UIC to participate in workshops and clinics with international guest artists. The clinics include opportunities for teacher professional development and will conclude each day with a public performance from professional and university student groups. The final day of the festival will culminate in a multi-stage block party at UIC's Student Center East that is free and open to the entire Chicagoland community to experience music by international and Chicagoland artists and DJs.

“We are thrilled to center and celebrate the rich musical traditions of the Latino/a/e student population that makes up nearly half of UIC's music program with this inaugural festival,” said Brent C. Talbot, Professor and Head of Music at UIC. “The idea for this program came from our students, many of whom play in local groups, and were eager to produce something that represents them and their cultural heritage. The resulting festival gives students a platform to express their identities, allows us to meaningfully engage with our larger community, and extends our expertise and partnerships beyond the UIC campus by providing opportunities for local educators to develop their skills and learn from leading professional musicians in these genres.”

“Latin American music is such an integral part of UIC, Chicagoland, and the global music landscape,” said Guillermo Duarte, Marketing and Communications. “As a UIC alumnus and co-founder of Pachanga, I couldn't be more excited to help bring renowned International Artists to campus and highlight the talented artists who make up our student body. I hope that this festival will serve as a testament to our students and to the Chicago community of how deeply UIC's School of Theatre and Music supports and engages with the music of our communities in and outside the classroom.”

Several local schools will participate in the Mariachi Festival on Thursday, April 11 and the festival will include public performances from UIC Mariachi Fuego and a special guest artist, Tonos del Sur, an early music ensemble that will perform 18th century villancicos from the Santiago Cathedral.

The Choral Festival component of the program, which will take place on Friday, April 12, marks the third annual Choral Festival hosted by UIC. This year's theme is “Singing Together, Learning Together, Belonging Together” and will feature commissioned work by Rodrigo Cadet from Chicago A Cappella's ¡Cantaré! Chicago – an education program designed to bring composers from Mexico directly into Chicago classrooms.

As Chicago's only public research university, serving one of the most diverse student bodies in the country, initiatives such as the Latin American Music Festival are exemplative of how UIC is continuing to pave the way for students of all backgrounds to have successful careers in the arts by bridging academia and real-world applications of the arts.

This project was made possible with generous support from Leticia Gonzalez, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and LOUD Affinity Group.

The full schedule of programming for the festival follows below and for the latest updates and announcements, visit the School of Theatre and Music's website

PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Student Center East

750 S Halsted St.

Mariachi de la Universidad Veracruzana and Mariachi Fuego | 2 p.m.

Friday, April 12, 2024

Notre Dame de Chicago

1040 W Harrison St.

Celebrating Chilean Music from the Colonial Villancico to the Nueva Canción | 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Programming will begin at 1 p.m. at Student Center East

East Terrace

ChiArts Latin Jazz Combo | 1 p.m.

Mariachi Perla del Medio Oeste | 2 p.m.

Lakeside Pride Latin Band | 6:15 p.m.

Roger McFly | 8:30 p.m.

Dewey Lo Hace | 9:45 p.m.

Grupo Vanguardia | 11 p.m.

Eva Maria | 12:00 a.m.

Illinois Room

Indiana University Latin Jazz Ensemble | 1:30 p.m.

Sones De Mexico | 3 p.m.

Mariachi de la Universidad Veracruzana | 5:15 p.m.

Collaborative Institute of Cultural Arts | 5:30 p.m.

Chicago Latin Groove Band | 7 p.m.

Cardinal Room

Duo Destello | 2:30 p.m.

Banda el Pueblo | 8 p.m.

Hull House

UIC Mariachi Fuego | 4 p.m.

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