The ten-day music festival kicked off with a spirited Latin melody by the MSU Percussion Ensemble.
Latin IS America is dedicated to showcasing Latin influences in American music, said College of Music spokesman Michael Sundermann.
The festival shows the cultural connection through music, film, theater, visual arts and scholarly discussions.
A mix of student and professional groups will put on different musical performances until the festival ends on April 19.
Performances include a show by the Children’s Ballet Theatre of Michigan and an assortment of guest bands who will sing and play to Mexican, Cuban and Venezuelan music.
There also will be lectures by several musicologists on musical connections in Cuba and Mexico.
MSU College of Music faculty members created the festival to celebrate Latin American culture.
“We have a pretty heavy influx of international faculty, so international music is one of those things that are (sic) important to us as artists, but also to students as well,” Sundermann said.
On Wednesday night, a packed hall watched closely as 26 students put on the two-hour percussion show.
The percussion ensemble played 15 pieces that were all influenced by Latin origins.
Gwendolyn Burgett, ensemble director, said every Latin country is very specific with drums, different rhythms and the way things are put together.
“The variety of the concert is going to be interesting,” Burgett said.
During the concert, students played on a variety of percussion instruments, such as güiras, vibraphones and maracas.
Through the course of the night, graduate student Alex Smith played a total of nine instruments.
“This is the highlight of the semester for us,” Smith said. “We want to make sure that Latin America is no longer its separate place. It’s just America. We’re all on the same continent.”
International relations and music senior Yuna Nordeen attended the show Wednesday to support her husband, who is a member of the ensemble.
“It’s fascinating because as music majors, we don’t really play Latin music but rather focus on the European classical music instead, so it’s a rare opportunity,” Nordeen said.
The festival will wrap up on Saturday, April 19 in Demonstration Hall with Tejano, a seven-member band.
They will discuss their award-winning tunes and their musical migration from Texas to the Midwest.
Every event of the festival is free for students.
