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BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:sabre-vobject-c533581b-b5da-4f01-84de-75b18bd6458d
DTSTAMP:20260601T171357Z
SUMMARY:Sounds of Latin America |  Sonidos de América Latin
DTSTART:20250810T140000Z
URL;VALUE=URI:https://community.cityofmacomb.com/u/f920ff6d94
DTEND:20250810T163000Z
LOCATION:201 S Lafayette St
DESCRIPTION:\nThe Western Illinois Museum presents an afternoon celebrating
  the vibrant musical traditions of Latin America on Sunday\, August 10th\,
  from 2:00 to 4:30 pm. The event will include a Latin American music works
 hop and performance by the dynamic Colombian-American virtuoso Daniel Roja
 s\, as well as a performance by the chamber group River Town Duo (harp/bas
 s). The duo’s program will feature works inspired by Latin American folk
  traditions\, including three world premieres and a composition for bass a
 nd voice based on poetry of Francisco X. Alarcón.\n\nYou are invited to c
 ome and get to know Latin American music by playing it\, then hear it come
  to life in two performances. Doors open at 1:30 pm. A $5 suggested donati
 on will be collected at the door. All ages are welcome to come learn\, pla
 y\, and listen at this special event.\n\nThe afternoon begins with a hands
 -on music workshop from 2:00 to 3:00 pm led by one of the nation’s best 
 harpists in Latin American traditions\, Colombian-American Daniel Rojas. P
 articipants will learn to hear these rhythms and styles by playing music o
 n the cuatro (guitar)\, maracas\, and arpa llanera (harp). All musical ski
 ll levels are welcome\, and egg shaker maracas will be provided. If you ha
 ve a guitar or ukulele\, feel free to bring it to learn rhythms typically 
 played on the cuatro\, but no experience with the instruments is required.
 \n\nThe workshop will be followed by a solo performance by Rojas from 3:15
  to 3:45 pm\, bringing to life the expressive range of the Latin American 
 harp – from Colombian-Venezuelan joropo music to Mexican son jarocho to 
 Paraguayan polkas.\n\nThe program concludes with a chamber concert for bas
 s and pedal harp from 4:00 to 4:30 pm by the River Town Duo (Claire Happel
  Ashe\, harp\, and Philip Alejo\, bass) featuring three world premieres by
  Daniel Rojas\, José Daniel Vargas\, and Andres Martin. The works are par
 t of a project by the River Town Duo to commission works by Latin American
  composers inspired by musical traditions from the region that include har
 p and bass. Alejo will also perform an additional work for bass and voice 
 by José Daniel Vargas that includes the poetry of Chicano poet\, Francisc
 o X. Alarcón – Words Are Birds\, Luna Llorona\, and Flor y Canto – fr
 om his collection Canto Hondo.\n\nSchedule\n1:30 pm Doors open\n2:00-3:00 
 pm Latin American Music Workshop (Daniel Rojas)\n3:15-3:45 pm Arpa Llanera
  Performance (Daniel Rojas)\n4:00-4:30 pm River Town Duo Performance (Clai
 re Happel Ashe\, harpist\, and Phlip Alejo\, bass)\n\nAbout the Performers
 \n\nDaniel Rojas was born in Bogotá\, Colombia\, and began learning music
  at an early age from his grandmother on the tiple\, a form of guitar. He 
 then learned the cuatro and llanera starting at age 12 by playing among fo
 lk groups. Although self-taught at first\, he continued his studies with m
 aster teacher Carlos Rojas Hernández. He performs with many ensembles\, m
 ost recently with his own group under the name Arpa Café. He has toured t
 hroughout the United States and Europe with groups such as Europa Group Lo
 s Llaneros and Tardes Llaneras. Performances at festivals and concert venu
 es include the 2021 Arpafest (Cancun\, Mexico)\, the Old Town School of Fo
 lk Music (Chicago)\, 2010 Western Alliance Music Conference (Los Angeles)\
 , 2010 Festival Mundial del Arpa (Asuncion\, Paraguay)\, 2010 Association 
 of Performing Arts Presenters (New York City)\, and 2009 Encuentro Interna
 cional Arpas al Fin del Mundo (Concepcion\, Chile). As an educator\, he ha
 s presented and taught at colleges and universities through the Arts Latin
 as Entertainment Company and given local workshops and lessons through Har
 p Folklore Inc. Cultural Foundation in Fort Lauderdale\, Florida\, the Lla
 no y Joropo Academy in Bogotá\, and the Débora Arango High School of Mus
 ic in Medellín.\n\nSince its formation in 2012\, River Town Duo (Claire H
 appel Ashe\, pedal harp\, and Philip Alejo\, double bass) has presented do
 zens of recitals at venues including the University of Arizona\, Universit
 y of Illinois\, Avaloch Farm Music Institute\, Mackinac Island Music Festi
 val\, University of Notre Dame\, and the University of Wisconsin\, among o
 thers. They have also appeared as invited artists at the International Soc
 iety of Bassists Convention and the American Harp Society Summer Institute
 . In 2020\, the duo released their first recording\, For Claire & Philip\,
  on Furious Artisans Records. The album marked the culmination of a projec
 t launched in 2014 to commission and premiere new works for harp and bass 
 by American composers\, including Caroline Shaw\, Han Lash\, Whitney Ashe\
 , Derick Evans\, Evan Premo\, and Stephen Andrew Taylor. Currently\, the d
 uo is in the midst of a new commissioning initiative focused on composers 
 rooted in Latin American musical traditions. Drawing on their work studyin
 g Latin American folk styles for bass and harp\, the composers are writing
  original works inspired by these traditions. In January 2023\, they premi
 ered compositions by Alfredo Rolando Ortiz and Daniel Rojas at the Tucson 
 Bass Jam\, and will premiere three additional works by Daniel Rojas\, Jos
 é Daniel Vargas\, and Andres Martin at the Museum for this performance. T
 he final work for the project will be a piece by Mexican-American harpist 
 and composer Zacbe Picardo\, to be premiered in 2026.\n\nThis program is f
 unded in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council.\n\nThe Western Ill
 inois Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and nurt
 uring the history\, culture\, and traditions of McDonough County. As a vib
 rant community hub\, the Museum features exhibits\, an open collection are
 a\, lectures\, live music\, and other programs in a historic setting. Visi
 t us at 201 S. Lafayette Street\, just one block south of Macomb’s Court
 house Square. Our building is fully accessible.\n\nA full schedule of even
 ts can be found atwimuseum.org or follow us on social media @wimuseum. For
  more information\, call 309-837-2750\, text 309-837-2613\, or email info@
 wimuseum.org
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