Music of the Americas: Songs and Piano

Tuesday, September 27, 10 am

Cuban pianist Ana Gabriela Fernández is back with the third of her videos dedicated to Mexican composers, this time with a piece by Mario Lavista. 

Wednesday, September 28, 10 am

Colombian singer Lina Silva, leader of Las Melinas, was born in Bogotá. Since she was child, she has studied Latin American music, and in particular Tambora music from the banks of the Magdalena River in Colombia, participating in field research. She currently lives in New York City, where she plays with musical groups such as La Manga, Las Melinas, Chico Raro, and La Conspiración.

They sent us "Volar," a song that Silva composed in Bogotá and is inspired by traditional rhythms such as the huayno and cumbia.

Thursday, September 29, 10 am

Maya Burns is a bilingual singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music ties cultures together through a powerful message of unification. Burns traveled around California with her parents, crafters at music festivals such as Live Oak, and grew up in Ensenada, Mexico, since she was four. Her bicultural upbringing played a big role in her musical education and shaped her style as a combination of ranchero, folk, blues, funk, and jazz. She has played at festivals such as Whole Earth, Live Oak, Irvine Lake Festival, and was the headliner of the 2018 Jazzatlán Festival performing her original compositions alongside the Jazzatlán Big Band. Maya constantly explores diverse genres with her voice, piano, guitar, and saxophone. She has shared the stage with Linda Ronstadt, started composing at the age of 12, and enjoys a career that spans the United States and Mexico. 

Alongside Lucero Fuentes, Burns sent us this version of her song "Un solo mundo," a song written when she moved to Mexico City for the first time at 18. The music is inspired by old bolero songs and then it turns into a funky twist at the end. The words are a reminder that we are all from one Earth and that our skin is clay from many soils, and all the beauty that exists is incomparable.

Friday, September 30, 10 am

Composer and singer Luca Mundaca was born in Brazil and is currently based in Ohio. Her albums Day by Day and Primeiro feature all original compositions, mixing her native Brazil with a touch of downtown New York. Influenced by jazz and bossa nova, Mundaca's songs often speak of nature and our relationship with it. She has won an Independent Music Award in the World Fusion category and has placed third in the International Songwriting Competition in the World Music category. In addition to her own albums, Luca’s work has been featured on two compilations distributed by Putumayo World Music: Brazilian Lounge and Women of the World: Acoustic. Her music has been featured in movies including End of Watch, The Visitor, Kissing Paris, and television shows such as HBO series Californication, ABC show Mistresses, and Brazilian telenovela TiTiTi. ​

She sent us a version of her song "Só eu."

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

The Fall 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 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.