Music of the Americas: End of Online Season

Tuesday, August 27, 10 am

Peruvian singer-songwriter Olga Milla was born in Lima and currently lives in New Jersey. With music that bridges tradition and innovation, she released the albums Caricia (1996) and Repercusión: Baladas afroperuanas y otras agitaciones (2005), and was featured on the compilation album The Rough Guide to Afro-Peru (1997). She has performed in Peru and abroad. 

She sent us this version of her song "El calor del Norte" with guitarist Edmundo Vargas. This song is in the northern Peruvian genre called tondero, and Milla says its lyrics are "born from that search for a personal orientation (figuratively, 'north') that every human being needs, like a welcoming hug. That is the warmth and the north that I talk about in my song. It is the search for that accomplice in our adventure who will encourage and protect us. I am an immigrant. I have experienced many cultures. I have witnessed fatigue, solidarity, hope. Many times we do not need to leave our country. Sometimes, by simply moving to other neighborhoods, we return to seek that warmth, that strength to break barriers, and grow with dignity. All of us, in all languages, seek the warmth of the north."

Wednesday, August 28, 10 am

Dúo Mapas is based in Unquillo, about 20 miles north of Córdoba, in central Argentina. Pamela Merchán (bass, voice, and dance) and Mateo Martino (Andean woodwinds, voice, and programming) embarked on this musical journey born out of experimentation and a love for songs in 2019. They bring a novel approach to Latin American folk music, combining urban and ancestral sounds to create a unique style that also includes theatrical and dance elements. Working on original repertoire, they have been recognized by several institutions in Argentina and abroad, and performed throughout the country and Latin America. 

They tell us about their song "Salvador": "One summer evening in the Uruguayan coast, we got to know Noctiluca (scintillans, a bioluminescent microorganism) at the same time of the birth of our godchild, Salvador. We couldn't stop thinking of what he would say about these incredible animals, so we dedicated this song to him." 

Thursday, August 29, 10 am

Argentine composer and multi-instrumentalist Eugenio Masa was born in Pehuajó and currently lives in La Plata, where he has performed with several groups ranging from folk music to rock and funk. He is currently a member of the Sindicato Argentino de Boleros. 

Alongside Joaquin Doorish and Checho Fanzini, Masa sent us his "Efervescencia," a piece composed in 2020 that is part of an artistic exploration of a joyful sea of musical influences. 

The MetLife Foundation Music of the Americas concert series is made possible by the generous support of Presenting Sponsor MetLife Foundation.

The Spring 2024 Music program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, by the Howard Gilman Foundation, by the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, by the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, by the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, by The Amphion Foundation, by the Augustine Foundation, and by the Mex-Am Cultural Foundation.