Geetings, amigas and amigos:
The spirit of Mexico filled the concert hall at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in downtown Nashville last Thursday.
Casa de la Cultura Latino Americana brought back its famed “México en el Corazón” music, dance and multimedia program after a multiyear absence due to COVID restrictions.
Nashville’s mayor, several city council members and Mexico’s consul general helped kick off the event, which also honored the 80th anniversary of the Bracero program that brought Mexican agricultural laborers to the U.S. in the 1940s to work in the fields under short-term contracts.
Female mariachis performed some of Mexico’s greatest songs and men and women danced in colorful and elegant grab. The “Viva Aguascalientes” number simulated a cock fight between two of the male dancers that showed off their foot work.
While I was watching from the balcony, I imagined my Abuelita Virginia seated next to me. Before she died in 2019, I used to go on grandmother-grandson dates with her to enjoy performances of Spanish and Latin American music in Tampa, Florida. My greatest delight was seeing her smile because a song reminded her of a lovely time in her life.
Although that side of the family was from Cuba, my mother, two of her siblings and my abuelos spent some time in Mexico City before emigrating to the U.S., absorbing many of the musical and food traditions.
As I left the hall, I was approached by reporter Ana Flores who asked if I could have ever imagined a packed venue just to see a Latino-oriented function in Nashville, Tennessee. I recall saying that I was just grateful the community had grown so much to be able to share their culture amply and fill a place like the symphony center.
TYT Newsroom