LatAm in Focus: The Soft Power of Latin American Music

Whether it's a rioplatense tango, a Cuban bolero, or Brazilian bossa nova, music threads through the cultural fabric of the Americas. The region's rhythms and melodies are an open invitation to engage with the evolving history and social traditions that stretch from Patagonia to Alaska. As Sebastián Zubieta, music director at Americas Society, puts it, “When you're listening to music, it starts a curiosity for what else is there behind that music and that moment of emotion that you experienced.”

In conversation with AS/COA’s Luisa Leme, Zubieta sketches an almost 60-year history of the Music of the Americas concert series at Americas Society and shares his approach to curating the program. “ The ingredients that make up the music and the culture in Latin America are a particular mixture that I happen to like. That's what we are emphasizing with the series,” he said. Throughout his tenure, Zubieta has presented acts that range from Mexican folk choirs and an experimental Canadian opera to early music from Guatemala and calypso-infused jazz from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao. Music of the Americas has featured established Latin American musicians such as Brazil's Egberto Gismonti, as well as performers making their U.S. debuts, like Venezuela’s C4 Trio, who later became Latin Grammy winners.

Although many of the performances have been hosted at the New York headquarters of Americas Society, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Zubieta found a way to keep the music going. He invited artists across the region to send in homemade music videos to be shared online. “The idea was that every day at 10 am, there will be something nice for you to do, five minutes of happiness on your computer,” he said. Due to its success, the En Casa series continues on a weekly basis, adding to a digital library of over 500 performances.

For those in New York, Zubieta highlighted a few concerts to look out for in the 2025 program. These include Brazilian jazz pianist Heloísa Fernandes, a new string composition by Natalia Domínguez Rangel, and a tango-opera. Americas Society members enjoy exclusive access to these and other music performances—as well as the art gallery and current affairs events—throughout the year.  

And as a holiday gift, the AS/COA Online team offers a few Latin American book and film recommendations. Below is the list of what they shared:

• I’m Still Here, by Walter Salles (feature film)
• You Dreamed of Empires, by Álvaro Enrigue (novel) 
• A Last Supper of Queer Apostles, by Pedro Lemebel (collection of essays) 
• Las Amazonas de Yaxunah, by Alfonso Algara (documentary) 
• The Great Divide, by Cristina Henríquez (novel)
• LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority, by Marie Arana (non-fiction book)