Music of the Americas: Start of Fall

Tuesday, September 22, 10 am

Fede Peludero is an Argentine multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and singer who plays the charango, Venezuelan cuatro, cavaquinho, guitar, bass, Andean wind instruments, slide trombone, and percussion. He has been a member of ensembles spanning a variety of Latin American folk music and composed and recorded music for puppet theater productions and audiovisual projects.

From Santa Rosa, in the Argentine province of Catamarca, Peludero overdubbed himself for this version of his 2020 piece "D pra gozar," a composition in the key of D major that shows influences from Peruvian festejo, Argentine chacarera, and jazz, including moments of improvisation. 

Friday, September 25, 10 am

Vanessa García is a Salvadoran singer-songwriter and the creator of the "rock rosado" (pink rock) concept—a style that reinterprets rock music through the female experience. Her songs blend energetic guitars with honest lyrics about love, personal growth, and the contradictions of adulthood.

From San Salvador, with Diego Calvo, she sent us this video of her song "Tiempo." Vanessa writes that "this is a song about accepting the end of a story and understanding that not all wounds require an apology to heal. Through the metaphor of an Earth that never stops turning, the song portrays the moment a person stops waiting for answers, acknowledges that they were not responsible for everything that happened, and decides to move forward. It is a reflection on grief, emotional maturity, and the ability to carry on even when questions remain unresolved."

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

The 2026–2027 series is also supported, in part, by the Howard Gilman Foundation, Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and Mid Atlantic Arts.