City of Blue Island Discover Blue Island, The Historic Heart of Chicago Southland
Chicago’s own Mexican folk music sextet, Sones de México Ensemble, announced a 10-concert tour of Chicago and suburbs for 2011.
The concert series entitled ¡Viva México! 2011 is free and open to the public (or very low cost in some instances) thanks to the generous sponsorship of Comcast. Additional funding is being provided by Volaris Airlines and the Illinois Arts Council, with support from the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago.
Viva Mexico 2011 Concert Series Schedule [.pdf]
Sones de México Ensemble is a non-profit organization formed by a group of musicians and music educators in Chicago in 1994 to keep the tradition of Mexican “son” alive. “Son” is a large family of music and dance styles rooted in a blend of Indigenous Mexican, European and African influences. The group has toured 30 different U.S. states, released five albums, received two Grammy Nominations, represented the U.S. at the 2008 World Folksong Festival in Beijing, performed at Carnegie Hall, and taught educational programs to tens of thousands of children and adults everywhere it has traveled. This year the ensemble will play in 10 different communities throughout Chicagoland: in gazebos, park district clubhouses, and high school auditoriums.
All events are made possible through collaborations between Sones de Mexico Ensemble and a variety of local community organizations. These organizations agree to host concerts, provide venues, and help promote events, while Comcast and Sones de Mexico provide marketing and technical support, so that communities are able to enjoy a renowned Mexican musical group at no cost to the audience.
Javier Saume, member of Sones de México Ensemble since 2006, says “It is very moving to see this kind of community support for our music. It makes me very happy to share music with people who not only come to the shows but who also work on our behalf to help us make the concerts possible.”