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Canto Latino: Creando Mole

date

September 30, 2023

Time

3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

location

Harrison Park (1824 S. Wood St.)

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Add to Calendar 9/30/2023 3:00 PM 9/30/2023 6:00 PM America/Chicago Canto Latino: Creando Mole Canto Latino is a free outdoor festival that brings together thousands of students from across our programs for a celebration of the city's proud Latin American heritage through song, story and dance. This year, through the theme of Creando Mole, we will honor Mexico's diverse music styles and celebrate artists of Mexican descent who have transformed the tradition through their own creativity. Harrison Park (1824 S. Wood St.)

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Join us for Canto Latino: Creando Mole, a free outdoor festival that honors Mexico's diverse music styles and celebrates artists of Mexican descent who have transformed the tradition through their own creativity.

Why mole? Mole is a traditional dish that creates balance through the fusion of ingredients into a beautiful sauce unique to the creator and their journey. Like mole, the music of Mexico is multidimensional! Creando Mole will explore the many genres of Mexican music, including son huasteco, cumbia, mariachi, ranchera and more.

Canto Latino is an annual event that brings together youth across Uniting Voices Chicago programs for a celebration of the city's proud and variegated Latin American heritage through song, story and dance. Join us for an afternoon of live performance from singers of all performance levels, as well as special guests, food trucks, interactive experiences and JOY!

Schedule

3pm: Event start

3:30-5:30pm: Concert, featuring Uniting Voices Chicago singers and guest artists

Getting There

Canto Latino will be celebrated in Harrison Park in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. The festival takes place on on the West field of the park, between 18th & 19th Street by Wolcott.Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets!

Harrison Park is easily accessible via the #18 and #50 buses, as well as the Damen Pink Line stop. Public street parking is available on Damen, 18th and 19th Street. For more information, visit the Harrison Park website.

Accessibility

Uniting Voices Chicago strives to make music and performance accessible to anyone who wants it. To request accommodations, please email info [at] unitingvoiceschicago [dot] org.

To view this webpage in other languages, open it via Google Chrome. On the right of the address bar, click Translate, then click on your preferred language.

Guest Artists

We are excited to welcome local musicians and culture bearers from Chicago's Latin American community who will help add authenticity and flair to performances with our singers.

Pinqy Ring

Pinqy Ring is a Puerto Rican rapper, author, speaker, hip-hop educator and Uniting Voices alum decolonizing minds one rhyme at a time. Born and bred in Chicago, Pinqy is also a proud hip-hop Cultural Ambassador, traveling overseas to manage and facilitate hip-hop diplomacy programming. She has been featured on NPR, was named Best Hip Hop Artist by the Chicago Reader in 2023, and has collaborated with such organizations as Google, the Universal Hip-Hop Museum, Spotify and others. Hip-hop has taken her from the 'hood to Harvard, and she raps her legacy loudly into place while creating pathways for others to do the same.

Watch her performance at Paint the Town Red 2022 with Voice of Chicago.

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Oliver Fade

Oliver Fade is a DJ, music producer, engineer and music royalty specialist. He was born in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico and raised on the South Side of Chicago. Surrounded by the cultural influences of the city and directly impacted by its violence, Fade found a sanctuary in music where he was able to embrace hip-hop and Chicago’s very own house music. Oliver Fade became a Grammy-voting member in 2009, and continues to solidify his legacy within hip-hop and house music in Chicago.

Ballet Folklorico de Chicago

Ballet Folklorico de Chicago is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide cultural and artistic programming focused on Mexican folkloric dances. They aim to preserve traditions for future generations and improve the community’s involvement in the arts. Through rehearsals and event participation to promote wholesome and family-friendly activities that elevate their reputation in the community, they cultivate and invest in future generations and help students achieve higher education goals by awarding college scholarships.

Learn more
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Jarochicanos

Jarochicanos, established in 2008, is a Son Jarocho collective based out of Chicago that focuses on learning, practicing and teaching música de jarana. Jarochicanos uses música de jarana as a tool to share knowledge, build community and act in solidarity through workshops, performances and community work. The community-based projects of Jarochicanos are a direct response to the uprooting of our communities’ cultural and historical knowledge. Jarochicanos strives to create spaces in our urban, American setting where these past ways of life and historical funds of knowledge can be shared, practiced and remembered, for they have what we believe is the key to transforming our communities.

Mariachi Perla de Mexico

Mariachi Perla de Mexico was founded in 1997, and has grown from seven original members to its current size, featuring eleven of the best mariachi musicians in the Midwest. Four months after its founding, it was named the official Mariachi for all events of the Illinois Mexican Civic Society and La Raza newspaper. The band is regarded as one of the best mariachi bands in Chicago. It also is one of the most requested mariachi bands for recordings of local singers and to accompany famous artists who visit Chicago and other cities around Illinois.

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Guest Vendors

Local Businesses and Artisans

  • 51st Ward Books - Chicago’s first bilingual and social justice-based bookstore for children.
  • Clay Chikas - handmade clay jewelry and accessories from two Latina sisters.
  • Emvi Beauty - Handcrafted vegan soap, skincare, soy candles and wax melts inspired by Cultura.
  • La Tiendita Artesenal - artisanal Mexican clothing and gifts from a mother-daughter duo.
  • Paselo Señito - Mexican-owned cultural gifts store featuring handmade jewelry, dolls, pet clothing and more.
  • Sin Titulo - Clothing from a Latina collective emphasizing cultural and social justice designs.
  • Stream of Creations - Latina-owned business offering customizable products ranging from clothing puzzles to tote bags.

Local Restaurants and Vendors

  • Eatin Puerto Rican - Undeniably authentic Puerto Rican cuisine from a Latina chef with over 20 years of experience in food.
  • Indigo - Get a sneak peak at the mini-Pilsen food hall coming soon, from the owner of the restaurant Casa Indigo.
  • La Niña Chamoy - Taste pre-packaged chamoy and other Mexican candies.
  • Paleteria Los Magos - Cool off with frozen Mexican sweet treats using fresh ingredients.

Canto Latino: Cruzando Fronteras

Stream our virtual Canto Latino celebration from 2021!

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