Music of the Americas: Closing the Season

Monday, August 25, 10 am

Nicolás Fioravanti is an Argentine luthier, composer, and guitarist based in the Andean region of Catamarca. A musician trained in Argentine popular music, he studied at the Escuela de Musica Popular de Avellaneda in Buenos Aires and has been an active maker of plucked string instruments including guitars, charangos, and ronrocos, for decades. 

From his home in Londres in Catamarca, which is one of the oldest cities in Argentina, founded by the Spanish in 1585 close to the Inca city of Shincal, he sent us this version of his "Chacarera en el aire," with Damián Fioravanti and Inti Diago. This piece "evokes the Quimivil Valley, touching on themes such as the landscape, the flora of the place, the people, and the landscape in general with its powerful energy." Fioravanti built the guitar he plays in this video, and he restored the charango played by his brother Damian, which was built by Argentine luthier Jorge "Chiquito" Rodríguez.

Tuesday, August 26, 10 am

Agustín Sarno is an Argentine guitarist, composer, and educator who studied guitar and composition at the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM). 

Using one of Fioravanti's guitars, he sent us this solo version of his "Ciclos," a chacarera doble he composed while working at the UNSAM. 

Wednesday, August 27, 10 am

Jahra Duo is a musical research and creation project formed by Jairo Rodríguez and Epiara Murillo. It is based on sound exploration of the traditional and ritual music of the world's peoples. The group is inspired by traditional music from around the world to create sounds that evoke the primal spirit of these forms of music, for which they have a deep respect and admiration.

From Bogotá, they sent us this version of "Serpiente roja," a piece that puts a psychedelic spin on the traditional Andean call-and-response musical technique called sikureo. 

Thursday, August 28, 10 am

Diego Janssen is a Uruguayan multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer, who synthesizes the power of Afro-Uruguayan candombe from the perspective of a contemporary musician, exploring jazz, rock, and psychedelia. He is a two-time winner of the National Music Award in the Jazz Fusion category and, in 2022, received the Graffiti Award for Best Candombe Fusion Album. He has shared the stage with artists such as Hugo Fattoruso, Manu Sija, and Daniel Maza.

From Montevideo, he sent us this version of "Ciudad Chiquero" performed on his live looping setup, utilizing a seven-string guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, drum samplers, and electronics. This is a track from Janssen's debut album, El hijo de. It is a fusion of candombe with rock and psychedelic jazz.

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

The 2024–2025 series is also supported, in part, by the Howard Gilman Foundation, Augustine Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, Mex-Am Cultural Foundation, Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, Amphion Foundation, and Mid Atlantic Arts.