MUSIC OF LATIN AMERICA

ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

In the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month I have looked and sadly have yet to find the inclusion of one single piece of music by a Latin American composer in the programs of any of our musical institutions.

Here I provide a list of over two dozen composers of either Latin American nationality or heritage. Once read you might like to search You Tube for their music. Surprises await you.

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Latin-American and Spanish Composers

  1. Sergio Assad (1952) Brazil
  2. Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944) Paraguay
  3. Leo Brouwer (1939) Cuba
  4. Ricardo Castro (1864-1907) Mexico
  5. Daniel Catán (1949-1978) Mexican – En un doblez del tiempo https://youtu.be/ffvB-MTypfQ
  6. Carlos Chávez (1899-1978) Mexico
  7. Aurelio de la Vega (1925) Cuba – Elegy for Orchestra https://youtu.be/9sknyKPyP_g
  8. Paquito D’Rivera (1948) Cuba – Homenaqje a Cachao https://youtu.be/xMudvRq2eGs
  9. Gabriela Lena Frank (1972) Peruvian-American – The Mestizo Waltz https://youtu.be/XE1W1GzmMEs-
  10. Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) Argentina
  11. Yalil Guerra (1973) Cuba – Symphony No. 1 “La Palma Real” (first movement)https://youtu.be/WBcecrIo_Tk
  12. Ricardo Iznaiola (1949) Cuba
  13. Eunice Katunda (1915-1971) Brazil
  14. Antonio Lauro (1917-1986) Venezuela
  15. Ernesto Lecuona (1896-1963) Cuba
  16. Tania León (1943) Cuba – Batá https://youtu.be/x9dXLkQHDX4
  17. Arturo Márquez (1950) Mexico– La conga del fuego nuevo https://youtu.be/HT0QeD_mP1w
  18. Gabriela Montero (1970) Venezuela – Piano Concerto No. 1 “Latin” (first movement) https://youtu.be/UwSFv5oJmN8
  19. Alberto Nepomuceno (1974-1920) Brazil
  20. Jacqueline Nova (1935-1975) Colombia
  21. Gabriela Ortiz (1964) Mexico – Tambuco https://youtu.be/2KW97FgnQu8
  22. Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) Argentina
  23. Manuel Ponce (1882-1948) Mexico
  24. Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940) Mexico
  25. Robert Xavier Rodriguez (1946) Mexican-American – Finale from De rerum natura https://youtu.be/eji0TpCCmP4
  26. Roberto Sierra (1953) Puerto Rico – Fandangos https://youtu.be/GAzIX8zJUXo
  27. Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) Brazil

Published by ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Rafael de Acha has enjoyed a distinguished career in the arts as a performer, stage director, producer, and educator. He was born and grew up in Cuba. At the age of 17 he moved to the United States to study Drama at the University of Minnesota, and later Languages at L.A. City College, Music at the Juilliard School of Music, at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, and at the New England Conservatory of Music, from which he received the Master's degree. He has taught courses on the History of Music at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and at Florida International University, and contributed writings and reviews to Seen and Heard International (www.seenandheard-international.com ) and to this blog. He co-founded the award-winning New Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida, where he produced and staged twenty seasons of classical and contemporary theater, including fifty world premieres of plays that went on to have international and national productions on and off Broadway, including Ana in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2002 and Tony Nomination 2003.) In 2006 he was presented with a citation from The Dade County Cultural Affairs Council for “trailblazing contributions to the arts in South Florida.”