Music of the Americas: Mariel Mayz Video and En Casa 

Tuesday, May 9, 10 am

Colombian multi-instrumentalist Shangó Dely was born into a family of musicians. His parents are singer Leonor Dely and Istvan Dely, the first Eastern European conga player, who was Shangó's teacher in the art of the drum. At the age of six, Shangó won awards from national folk music festivals throughout Latin America. He studied classical percussion Conservatorio Pedro Biava in Barranquilla, and continued his studies at Universidad del Atlántico and at Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. 

He has recorded and worked with Grammy Award winners Carlos Santana, Emilio Estefan, Carlos Vives (with whom he won three Latin Grammys), DMX, KC Porter, John Barnes, JB Eckl, Andy Vargas, Brian Culbertson, Joe Arroyo, Chelito de Castro, and he has also played with the legendary Jerry González, Caramelo de Cuba, and Alain Pérez. He has been teaching percussion over the world for over 30 years and is planning to open his own school, called Tabalá. 

Dely says about his work: "Personally my greatest happiness has always consisted in this: Inspiring others, making them happy, making them want to live, love, and laugh. I try to do this through the drums." 

From his home in Gran Canaria, he sent us two pieces, in which he plays all the instruments. Today we share "Zamba Timbiquireña," a traditional Afro-Colombian piece from the country's Pacific coast, in which he sings and plays recorders and traditional percussion instruments including the tambora, conuno, guasá, and shekere.

Wednesday, May 10, 10 am

Venezuelan harpist, teacher, and arts entrepreneur Ángel Tolosa works in the intersection of Venezuelan music, classic and contemporary urban sounds, and world music. He has presented concerts and workshops throughout the Americas and Europe. 

From Mexico City, he sent us "El Arpometro de Carlos," a work that evokes the beauty of three Venezuelan coastal rhythms (joropo, merengue, and orquídea) and that displays the various playing techniques of the instrument, which combine European African, and Indigenous musical traditions. 

Thursday, May 11, 10 am

Alejandro Brittes, an Argentine accordionist, composer, and researcher of the music of his country's northeastern region, was awarded the Best Musician award at the prestigious Festival de Cosquín in 1996 and won several other awards in Argentina and Brazil, where he currently lives. 

He will be on his first U.S. tour this fall with his latest project, called (L)ESTE, a play on the word "East" in Spanish and Portuguese.  

From the beautiful Farol Santander, in the historic downtown of Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brittes and his Baroque Ensemble, which includes also André Ely, Carlos de Césaro, Érico Marques, Diego Schuck de Biasibetti, Fernando Cordella, Giovani dos Santos, Márcio Cecconello, and Ricardo Arenhaldt, sent us three pieces that explore the connections between chamamé (the traditional music of the region) and European baroque music. Today we share "Vientos del Este," by Brittes and Odair Teixeira. 

Friday, May 5, 7 pm

In March, the New York-based pianist and composer Mariel Mayz launched her latest album, dedicated to the piano music of Leo Brouwer, with a program that included also her own compositions and music by Ernesto Lecuona and Egberto Gismonti. 

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 2023 Music program is also supported, in part, by the Howard Gilman Foundation and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Additional support comes from the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, The Amphion Foundation, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, New Music USA’s Organizational Development Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals’ ArtsForward program, made possible through support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and The Augustine Foundation.