Music of the Americas: Guitars and More

Monday, May 16, 10 a.m.

Pascuala Ilabaca y Fauna are back with "Isla," another original song recorded in Valparaíso. 

Tuesday, May 17, 10 a.m.

Costa Rican group Éditus (Ricardo Ramírez and Edín Solís) is back with Solís' "Vals."

Grammy winner composer and guitarist Edín Solís founded Éditus with Ricardo Ramírez in 1991. The group has toured the world and received countless awards.

Wednesday, May 18, 10 a.m.

Born in Rosario, Martín Neri was the guitarist for the legendary Dúo Salteño for five years, touring internationally with the group. In 2015, Neri, who is also a composer, released Matriz del agua, a concept album including ten songs that work as scenes of a play. The album was the result of his close work with a local fishing family. Current and upcoming projects include Manada, created with poet Leopoldo "Teuco" Castilla; Proyecto Sur, with arranger Carlos Villavicencio; and De un mismo barro with poet Ramiro González.

In December 2020, Neri, in collaboration with Popi Spatocco, composed "De un mismo barro," a song he performed alongside the Orquesta Sinfónica Provincial de Rosario with superstars Silvio Rodriguez, Teresa Parodi, Chango Spasiuk, Trueno, Ramiro González, and special guest Estela de Carlotto. In September 2021, he launched the single "Encierro," the first chapter of a new concept audiovisual album that reflects on pandemic isolation. It features Leopoldo "Teuco" Castilla, Jorge Fandermole, Nadia Larcher, Gustavo Cortés, Carlos Aguirre, and Teresa Parodi.

He writes about "Despierta":

"This is one of the songs/scenes that make up Matriz del agua. It comes from an image by Argentine poet Oliverio Girondo, who declared that there is no deeper tenderness than caressing a sleeping loved one. It is a guarania—a type of music from the northeast of the country that originates in Paraguay." 

Friday, May 20, 7 p.m.

The Fabián Forero Trio (Alexander Parra Ríos, Jean Carlo Espíndola, and Fabián Forero Valderrama) combines traditional and current instrumental, harmonic, and contrapuntal musical techniques. From Bogotá, they sent us a program dedicated to the music of Gentil Montaña. 

Watch here

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.