CSM brings a taste of Latin American culture with festival
Get ready to experience Salsa, Mexican, Afro-Cuban, Merengue, Brazilian and Latin rhythms this Friday and Saturday in Charles County.
Local residents will find themselves enticed in a Latin American themed music festival mixed with some entertaining musical activity at the Annual Latin Music Festival held at the College of Southern Maryland La Plata Campus, Fine Arts (FA) Center.
Stephen Johnson, director of the CSM Latin Ensemble Ritmo Caché and chair of the CSM Communications, Arts and Humanities department, said this year two concerts will be the focus of the music festival which typically has approximately 100-200 people attend both nights.
This year CSM is expecting even more of Southern Maryland to come out and support the students and community members who are involved in the ensemble.
“Rhythm is essential to Latin American music so the audience will see how all of the different rhythm patterns of the music intersect. The audience is really going to notice how the band moves and breathes together and follow the same rhythm,” Johnson said.
The CSM Latin Music Festival begins on April 15 at 8 p.m. with feature performances by Ritmo Caché, which consists of 13 student and community musicians who play drums, hand percussion, rhythm section, woodwind and brass instruments. The ensemble will perform many Latin America musical styles such as Salsa, Mexican, Afro-Cuban and Merengue.
On April 16 at 8 p.m., the Latin Music Festival will feature performances by Latin American band Pa’ Gozar Latin Band, a well-known band that performs concerts, workshops and festivals throughout the Mid-Atlantic area. Pa’Gozar Latin Band will perform Brazilian, Cuban, Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Mexican and other Latin rhythms for those in attendance.
The Charles County Arts Alliance President Robert check to the College of Rausch presented a $750 Southern Maryland Foundation on Feb. 24 in order to help fund this year’s music festival.
In a letter to the Charles County Arts Alliance, Michelle Goodwin, vice president of advancement for the College of Southern Maryland Foundation, said the foundation is pleased to acknowledge the Charles County Arts Alliance donation in support of the foundation’s Arts fund. She said the donation will have a significant impact on the lives of the students.
Goodwin also took the time to express how thankful the foundation is for the organization’s generosity and support of the initiatives and programs at the College of Southern Maryland.
“We are very happy to be in a partnership with the CSM Foundation for the presentation of the Latin Festival weekend.
It is our hope that next year, we will be able to provide increased financial support for this important community outreach,” Rausch said.
The Charles County Arts Alliance believes that CSM’s Annual Latin Music Festival also serves the goal of providing diverse cultural fine arts events for Southern Maryland’s Hispanic community.
“I hope the audience will be infected by the enthusiasm of the ensemble,” Johnson said. “The audience will see the ensemble live the music and when they do, then the audience will be up on their feet.”
Tickets to the CSM Latin Music Festival are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.