Festival Chispa Presents: Gaby Moreno & Las Cafeteras

8 pm

Festival Chispa, a celebration of New Latin music in partnership with Avokado Artists, presents Latin Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno and the incredible L.A.-based Latin alternative band Las Cafeteras.

Born and raised in Guatemala, singer/songwriter Gaby Moreno was captivated in her youth by the sounds of the blues, soul, and jazz, and now calls Los Angeles home. Mixing English and Spanish vocals in elegant harmonies, she was awarded the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2013. Her albums include Still the Unknown (2008), Illustrated Songs (2011), Postales (2012), Posada (2014). and Ilusión (2016), nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. She sings the theme song for Disney’s animated television series Elena of Avalor, and is featured on the soundtrack for the 2017 film How to Be a Latin Lover, starring Selma Hayek, Eugenio Derbez, and Rob Lowe. Ilusión goes back to Moreno’s beginnings, capturing the pure spirit of an aspiring immigrant artist who made her way in a new country with just her guitar, her extraordinary voice, and the songs she was eager to share. The bilingual refrain of the track “Fronteras” (“Borders”) embodies the essence of the album and the artist’s confident state of mind when she created it: “Y río y bailo. Está en mis venas. Y libre sueño. This is where I belong.” (“And I laugh and dance. It’s in my blood. And I dream free. This is where I belong.”)

Las Cafeteras fuse the Afro-Caribbean roots and vibrant energy of traditional son jarocho with an edgy East Los Angeles alternative sound and a community-based political message, creating a new urban folk sound in both English and Spanish. The product and reflection of a diverse, hard-working, politically active neighborhood, they use their music to tell stories about the streets where they were raised, the communities they live in today and their dreams for the world they hope to see in the future. Their eclectic instrumentation includes jarana, requinto, quijada (a donkey’s jawbone), marimbol (a West African bass instrument), cajón, tarima (the wooden platform traditionally used to dance zapateado), and Native American drum and flute. Their second studio album, Tastes Like L.A., features songs of activism and celebration and includes an updated version of their song “If I Was President.” Blending Mexican folk traditions with hip hop flavors and political discourse, this bilingual song serves as a perfect summation of what the band is about. It is accompanied by an interactive video encouraging the public to submit their own verses and audio stems allowing remixers to make their own versions, engaging people’s imaginations about the future of the country.
$27

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Chispa: New Latin Music Series: La Yegros

8 pm

While La Yegros now lives in Buenos Aires, her family comes from the rural rain forests of northern Argentina, bordering Brazil. She received classical conservatory training in music, and made her professional debut performing before thousands with experimental theatre troupe De La Guarda. Her diverse repertoire includes tropical rhythms, Argentine folk, reggae, dancehall, soul, and Arabic music. The 26^th concert in the Center’s signature Latin Diva Series is presented in partnership with Avokado Artists as part of Festival Chispa.
$12, $17, $22 with $2 discount for students, seniors, and NHCC members

La Yegros VEVO HERE.

Chispa: Latin Diva Series, Las Migas

7:30 pm

Formed as a flamenco quartet in Barcelona in 2004, Las Migas now performs a repertoire of “Mediterranean music,” including lively Latin rhythms and pensive ballads. The members, Alba Carmona, Marta Robles, Alicia Grillo and Roser Loscos, come from four cities spanning both the geography of Spain and its cultural diversity—Barcelona, Sevilla, Córdova and Lérida. The group has headlined at major theatres and world music festivals throughout Europe; the upcoming tour is its first in the U.S. Their new show, recently launched, begins with an intimate, personal approach and builds in emotional intensity, showcasing the exquisite, heartfelt style that has always characterized Las Migas’ music. The concert, the 25^th in the Center’s signature Latin Diva Series, is presented in partnership with Avokado Artists.
$12, $17, $22 with $2 discount for students, seniors, and NHCC members

Las Migas video HERE and HERE.

Chispa: Latin Diva Series, Vanessa Zamora

7:30 pm

Born in Tijuana, Baja California to parents who were both pianists, acoustic folk-pop singer/songwriter Vanessa Zamora became interested in the performing arts as a child. She began piano lessons at the age of eight, and continued a year later with guitar and drums. While a student at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, she began uploading videos covering favorite songs by various artists on YouTube and social networking sites. When her melodic vocals and skilled musicianship attracted increasing attention, she added her own original compositions. Her EPs include Correr and No Sabes; her first album, Hasta la fantasia, was released in 2014.

Now living in Mexico City, Zamora comes to Albuquerque following an appearance at South by Southwest, Austin’s famed annual music and media conference. The 24th in the Center’s signature Latin Diva Series, this concert is presented in partnership with Avokado Artists.
$12, no discounts

Chispa: Latin Diva Series, Ceci Bastida

Due to personal reasons and circumstances beyond the NHCC’s, Avokado Artists’ and the artist’s control, the Ceci Bastida show originally scheduled for March 5^th at the National Hispanic Cultural Center has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 25, 2016.

We are very excited to bring Ceci Bastida to the Center for the kick-off-the-summer event! Tickets for the June 25^th event will be on sale soon. Call the NHCC Box Office for more information.

7:30 pm

Born and raised in Tijuana and now living in Los Angeles, Ceci Bastida was one of the first women to rise in the ranks of contemporary Latin rock, joining the band Tijuana NO when she was just 15 and embarking on her solo career in 2006. Her 2010 album Veo la Marea was nominated for a Latin Grammy. Presented in partnership with Avokado Artists.
$12, $17, $22 w/ $2 discount for seniors/students/NHCC members