Music of the Americas: La Plata

Tuesday, July 9, 10 am

Singer, guitarist, composer, and producer Inés Mauri is a major figure in the queer musical universe of the region. Her music is irreverent, flirts with youth and maturity, the intimate, indie, and electro-pop. Her latest release was a collaboration with the upcoming Latin American queer scene. She also leads the trans feminist label GEMA Discos. She sent us "Mirada," a song which will be part of her upcoming third release, currently in production with a release date set for 2025. The composer says about the song: 

"The piece immerses you in a dark, electronic atmosphere, with hypnotic vibes. It is influenced by synthwave and psychedelic electro-pop, taking you in a nocturnal journey with enveloping synths and pulsin rhythms. The melody is loaded with mystery and nostalgia. The lyrics, introspective and melancholy, explore disillusionment in a relationship, and and resonate in a of loss and self-reflection, creating a perfect environment to get lost in the night and follow the music." 

Wednesday, July 10, 10 am

Malaplata Tango (singer Gisela Magri, bandoneonist Manuela Pérez Crispiani, guitarist Patxi Asdrubat Linares, and bassist Javier Sosa) is a band dedicated to the composition and performance of 21st century tango. 

They sent us this instrumental version of Pérez Crispiani's "Fase 3."  

Thursday, July 11, 10 am

The female folk music quartet La Bestia Folk creates versions of hits from all times and musical styles through the lens of Argentine folk music, blurring genre boundaries. They take songs known by all due to their status as classics and turn them into Argentine folk songs that invite the audience to sing along and dance. The band started in 2019, with all the members of the group (Mariángeles Betervide, Vilma Wagner, Carén Rodriguez, and Constanza Salamanca) hailing from different cities in the province of Buenos Aires. 

They sent us their take on "Darte un beso," Prince Royce's bachata hit, set in the northern Argentine rhythm bailecito. The arrangement features bombo, guitar, piano, and violin— instrumentation typical in Argentine folk music, and four-part vocal arrangements. 

Friday, July 12, 10 am

Saxophonist and flutist, composer and improviser Joaquin Pérez specializes in jazz and Latin American music. He has performed with Tioco Afrojazzbrasilatino, Banda Hermética, and others. He has worked as a session musician and teaches at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

Percussionist and composer Federico Lucía works on body percussion, beatboxing, live looping, and drums. For several years, he was a member of Choque Urbano and is the founder of LarrySh-t and Friends. 

Larry Sh-t is a live looping project that includes written music and guided improvisation using live hand signs. It combines jazz harmonies with house, funk, cumbia, and electronic music. 

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.