Movie stars and workshops, oh my!
Rita Moreno, mariachi and dance, visual art, and so much more coming up at ¡VivaFest! 

Estimados,

We're just days away from our 23rd annual mariachi and dance workshops! This year we have new master classes in Jalisco harp taught by William Faulkner (read more about him in our last newsletter), and a tech/folk music mash-up with a class in basic vihuela and software coding taught by Juventino Mejia Jr. 

Our music workshops will be led by José Hernandez and Mariachi Sol de Mexico, and dance workshops will have Maria Luisa Colmenarez, José Tena and Rosalia Novotny at the helm. Workshops will conclude with a Gala outdoor concert performance on the Great Lawn with Mariachi Sol de Mexico, August 1 at San José State. This year the Gala is free to the public!
 
And don't miss our Jalisco harp concert with William Faulkner on July 30 at the San José Woman's Club! Tickets are available at the door.

The Festival has more in store this fall, including our first-ever Dia de los Muertos celebration, an online visual arts exhibition and two very special events co-presented with the Commonwealth Club of California: an evening of conversation with Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, who will talk about her new memoir; and a second event with composer/songwriter Paul Williams and author Tracey Jackson about their new book, Gratitude and Trust. Besides keeping busy with his writing activities, Mr. Williams is working on projects addressing Latino themes and advocating on behalf of composers, authors and publishers as president of ASCAP. 

And we have a very special third speaker's event coming up in September that is so top-secret we can't announce it just yet -- so stay tuned later this summer for more exciting news.

For now, enjoy a trip down memory lane with Ms. Moreno's performance in West Side Story, Paul Williams' classic "Evergreen," a sneak peek at Juventino Mejia's vihuela class, and José Tena tearing up the rehearsal floor at the Danzantes Unidos Festival. Be sure to register online for our workshops at www.vivafest.org/registration!

Saludos,
Marcela

 

[video:
Rita Moreno and the West Side Story movie cast sing "America."

 

 

 

[video: Barbra Streisand sings
Barbra Streisand sings Paul Williams' classic song "Evergreen."
 

 

 

Vihuela Melody
Juventina Mejia playing "Vihuela Melody."

 

 

 

La Loca - DUF 2013 - Maestro Jose Tena
José Tena hits the rehearsal dance floor at the Danzantes Unidos Festival.

 

 

 

Funding for the Mexican Heritage Corporation and its programs such as ¡VivaFest! and its mariachi education program is provided in part through: a grant from the Office of Cultural Affairs of the City of San José, The National Endowment for the Arts, The TomKat Charitable Trust, The Hewlett Foundation, The Union Bank Foundation, Wells Fargo Bank, MACYs, Southwest Airlines, Mundo Fox, earned revenue from ¡VivaFest! and from readers like YOU. THANK YOU. To learn more about all of our generous donors please visit www.vivafest.org/sponsors.

 

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About Mexican Heritage Corporation
The mission of the Mexican Heritage Corporation is to affirm, celebrate, and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Mexican Community and showcase multicultural arts within the region.
 

 

Mexican Heritage Corporation 
Marcela Davison Avilés
President and CEO
More Information: 877-MHC-VIVA