The next two weeks will bring an extra taste of Hispanic culture to the University as part of Hispanic Awareness week.
Among the range of events being offered in the busy time period are a Latin jazz concert and a play on Latina women.
Both events are unique in their presentation and purpose, yet combined in their common message, said Pablo Davis, associate dean of students and a key planner of the events.
"These events shed light on the U.S. Latino experience," Davis said. "They break down what might be a too simplistic boundary between U.S. Latino and Latin American cultures. In reality, these cultures are very much intertwined."
The first of these two events, a jazz concert by Grammy-award winner Eddie Palmieri, will take place at 8 p.m. tonight in Old Cabell Hall. Tickets are $8 for students and are being sold at the Newcomb Hall office, as well as musictoday.com and Plan 9 music store.
According to Davis, Palmieri's concert is an opportunity to witness a unique combination of Latino and jazz music. Davis said he remembers with pleasure the last time he heard Palmieri perform -- almost 20 years ago in New York -- and is excited at this chance to listen to Palmieri again.
"He's an unbelievably powerful artist," Davis said. "His original synthesis is the Cuban tradition as experienced in the Latino neighborhoods of New York City. Lots of artists have worked in the same sort of materials, but he's done something new."
Following Palmieri's concert is a play dealing with the multi-faceted identity of the Latina woman, entitled "Yo Soy Latina."
Primarily brought to the University through the efforts of the Lamda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., Davis said the play portrays the different experiences of six women of different Latina backgrounds. These women include a New York Puerto Rican, a Colombian and a biracial Irish and a Cuban woman.
Chapter president Daniela de la Piedra said she perceives the play as a contribution to both these weeks of Hispanic awareness and the current National Woman's History month.
"It was a play we chose at the very beginning of the year based on its success in other chapters of our sorority," she said. "Our sorority empowers the universal women. We want people to understand that Latinos are from all different backgrounds."
As a Chilean and Peruvian female, Piedra said she believes she will be able to connect to the women featured, however she hopes others -- of different ethnicities -- will be able to relate to the plays issues as well.
"Yo Soy Latina" will be playing this Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. in McLeod Auditorium. Tickets will be on sale at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m.
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