Music of the Americas: From Chile to Mexico

Monday, May 2, 11 a.m.

The composer, guitarist, arranger, and producer, Edín Solís, was born in Zarcero, Costa Rica and currently lives in San José. He studied guitar and music at the University of Costa Rica. After winning the National Guitar Contest in Costa Rica in 1991, he continued his studies in Spain and France and in the same year founded the group Editus with violinist Ricardo Ramírez. With this group, he has been performing Costa Rican music across the world. Solís has received two Grammy Awards for Best Producer and Engineer for the album Mundo with Rubén Blades and has also received national awards as an arranger and composer. As a guitarist, he has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Olympia in Paris, and the Montreux Festival in Switzerland. He has shared the stage with Rubén Blades, Armando Manzanero, León Gieco, Aterciopelados, Danilo Pérez, Luis Fonsi, Jorge Strunz, Soraya, and Luba Mason, among many others.

From San José, Solís sent us three original pieces recorded with Ramírez.

Tuesday, May 3, 10 a.m.

Betsayda Machado is the voice of Venezuela. Raised in El Clavo, a small village in the region of Barlovento, her recent rural recordings with lifelong friends Parranda El Clavo brought new attention to the Venezuelan Afro-Soul genre "Tambor." After their New York City debut in January 2017, The New York Times' Jon Pareles called Betsayda and Parranda: "The kind of group that world-music fans have always been thrilled to discover: Vital, accomplished, local, unplugged, deeply rooted." Alongside La Parranda, Betsayda is celebrating their 30 year anniversary with a series of concerts and residencies.

Recorded in the village of El Clavo, Barlovento, with the kind support of Odelia Artists and the Ragas Live Festival, Betsayda and Parranda El Clavo sent us a few videos of their riveting music. Today we share "Popurrí del tambor de Aragua."

Wednesday, May 4, 10 a.m.

Brazilian guitarist João Camarero performed to a sold-out house in 2020, just a few weeks before everything shut down. At the time, he had just released Vento brando, and the recital, which also included guest João Luiz, was dedicated to the album's tracks.

From home in São Paulo, Camarero sent us two new pieces. Today we share the third of his "Pequenas Valsas sentimentais."

Thursday, May 5, 7 p.m.

This concert has been postponed

We are disappointed to have to cancel this concert, so here is a video of Momenta playing a string version of an originally vocal piece by another Mexican composer, the Málaga-born Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, who worked in Puebla from 1622 to his death in 1644.

Momenta Quartet was last on our stage with their virtual Festival in 2021. 

More information

Friday, May 6, 10 a.m.

Born in Valparaíso, Chilean singer-songwriter Pascuala Ilabaca is a unique and treasured voice in the Latin American and global music scenes. In little over a decade, she has released six LPs and performed on multiple world tours. Ilabaca received the Guitarpin de Oro prize at the Festival del Huaso de Olmué in 2010. In 2013, alongside Fauna, she was also the Audience Award winner for Best World Beat Album at the Independent Music Awards. In 2015, she received the Pulsar Prize, the most important music industry award in Chile. Ilabaca and her band Fauna bring an anthemic power and an air of solidarity to every stage, with a repertoire of original songs and classics that is representative of a unique and contemporary take on Chilean musical tradition. Ilabaca’s music is based on Chilean folk sounds, fused with rock, jazz, pop, funk, and other styles of Latin music, as well as Indian classical music, which she studied for multiple years in India.

From Valparaíso, Ilabaca and Fauna sent us two original songs. Today we share "Son de la vida," which Features the singer on the accordion.

The MetLife Foundation Music of the Americas concert series is made possible by the generous support of Presenting Sponsor MetLife Foundation.

The Spring 2022 Music program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by the Howard Gilman Foundation. 

Additional support provided by iShares and The Augustine Foundation.