For Immediate Release 21st annual Latin American Festival to feature one of the top ten global bands Impressive musical acts; rich and savory cuisine; local visual artists and international crafts; inspiring dance presentations; delightful children’s activities – all this and much more can be found at this year’s Latin American Festival. The festival takes place on Sunday, October 9, 2011 from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. (rain or shine) at Symphony Park in South Park. General admission is $5, children ages 9-12 are $3, and children under 8 and Mint Museum members are free. The annual event, which attracts thousands of visitors each year, is a true cultural experience that showcases the traditions of the Caribbean, Central and South America. This year’s musical line-up spans a wide variety of styles and genres, characterizing the diversity of Latin America. We are proud to present legendary Colombian pop/rock band Aterciopelados, recognized by TIME magazine as one of the top 10 contemporary global bands and honored by the United Nations for their work denouncing violence in Colombia. Aterciopelados fuse rock and pop rhythms with a variety of Colombian and Latin American musical traditions. They also use their influence to speak out about myriad issues including political injustice, women’s rights and environmental destruction. Grammy winner Xperimento will get the crowd moving with their unique blend of music styles including Merengue, Ska, Kuduru and Jazz. With Jose Conde, recognized as one of best live Latin performers in the US, you’re guaranteed a non-stop blend of grooves with Cuban roots and a mixture of American and Brazilian old-school funk, reggae, Afrobeat, and NYC dance beats. New York City’s Gersey Nicolas will move the audience with the infectious Bachata rhythms from the Dominican Republic while Charlotte’s own Los Tarascos de Michoacán and Fusion Latina round out the line-up with traditional Mexican and Latin grooves, respectively. The Festival’s Carnaval stage will feature dramatic, beautiful and lighthearted dance presentations from a variety of Latin American countries. Each traditional dance has its own incredible costumes and fascinating history weaving visual tales from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America. The Festival is proud once again to have Food Lion as the 2011 presenting sponsor. Proceeds from the Festival will go to its organizing associations: The Mint Museum, the Latin American Coalition and the Latin American Women’s Association. These organizations offer direct social services, educational and informational initiatives, scholarship support as well as arts and cultural programming which improve and enrich the lives of families living in the greater Charlotte area. For more information, visit www.festivallatinoamericano.org |