We Are All Immigrants
Jazz Reflections on Today’s America
The lives of immigrants are a dialogue between the memory of what was left behind and the assimilation of new experiences. Perhaps it is their liminality - their sense of simultaneously being ostracized and embraced - that enables these Latin American artists to approach jazz, the most American of art forms, and make it their own.
In response to the newly introduced immigration reform bill, Third Row Live presents a series of concerts which celebrate the contributions of immigrants and mark a new chapter in our national dialogue. Three revered jazz musicians - Claudia Acuña, Magos Herrera, and Felipe Salles - will bring their respective ensembles to the historic Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, MA.
Due to pandemic restrictions, each artist will perform to an empty house, yet they will look out from the stage and see the faces of fans from around the world on an interactive video wall. The concerts will be co-presented by Third Row’s international coalition of theatres, festivals, and radio stations who are working together to innovate and sustain the performing arts during this challenging time.
There is no single immigrant narrative, however each of these artists came to the United States to pursue a more expansive, musical career. As Magos Herrra puts it, “Living in New York protects me from my own ignorance.” Each has composed work that examines and reflects upon this uniquely personal journey.
The series begins on March 6th with Chilean vocalist, Claudia Acuña, who arrived in New York at age 20 speaking no English and energized by the dream of appearing in the city’s legendary jazz clubs. “I met my angels and my devils here in New York,” remembers Claudia. Within a few short years, she was signed to Verve Records and gained recognition as one of the most intriguing and original vocalists on the scene.
On April 2nd, the series continues with Mexican vocalist, Magos Herrera. “I never thought of myself as belonging to a single nationality,” says Herrera, “but the Trump era triggered my Latin-Americanism and brought me closer to my roots.” Her recent collaboration with Brooklyn Rider, Dreamers, is a dialogue between a Mexican immigrant absorbing the language of Jazz, and an American string quartet assimilating the works of Ibero-American writers and composers.
The series concludes with Brazilian saxophonist and composer, Felipe Salles, presenting his most recent work, The New Immigrant Experience. Performed by his 19-piece Interconnections Ensemble, this powerful multimedia composition is inspired by the lives of Dreamers, whose stories are woven throughout. The day will also feature a conversation between Salles and a panel of immigration rights activists. “You’re creating a new identity. It’s a process to accept that you are neither and both at the same time,” remarks Felipe Salles, “the art becomes the story of your life”.
Felipe Salles performance is presented in partnership with Blues to Green and Next Stage Arts and is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.
Claudia Acuña
Latin Grammy Award nominee, Claudia Acuña, presents a two-part musical celebration to mark International Women’s Day. Broadcast live from Northampton’s Academy of Music Theatre, the production features a six-camera shoot to capture the intimacy of her performance and the majesty of this historic opera house. Audience members are invited to join via Zoom so they can “be seen” by the artists on a video wall in the orchestra pit.
Growing up in Chile, Claudia dreamed of performing in the iconic jazz clubs of New York City. She fell in love with this unfamiliar music while listening to international stations on her transistor radio. At age 20, she sold all of her possessions and immigrated to the US with no English and little more than her own ambitions. In a short period of time, she began appearing at jam sessions and gained recognition as one of the most intriguing and original vocalists on the scene. “She sings in the tradition of the great ones.” remarked Abbey Lincoln, “ Her sound is her own.”
Claudia will be joined by Pablo Vergara on piano, Carlos Henderson on bass, Juancho Herrera on guitar, and Rodrigo Recabarren on drums.
Magos Herrera
UPDATE: The Magos Herrera shows on April 2nd have been moved to Saturday, April 17th. We made this change to enable Magos to perform as part of the United Nations Generation Equality Forum, a landmark event that sets priorities for women’s rights around the globe.
Born in Mexico City and currently based out of New York, Magos is best known for her eloquent vocal improvisation and her singular bold style, which embraces elements of contemporary jazz with Ibero-American melodies and rhythms singing in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Regarded as one of the most active vocalists in the Latin American jazz scene, she is also a United Nations spokesperson for UN Women UNITE, a program promoting the elimination of violence against women, and the UN’s “He For She” campaigns to promote gender equality. An all-star ensemble will join Magos featuring Luis Perdomo on piano, Sam Minaie on bass, and Alex Kautz on drums.
Join us in celebrating the vital contributions of women in the arts as part of the 2021 International Women Rising Series. Be the first to hear highlights from the Generation Equality Forum in Mexico City, where Magos performed on behalf of UN Women and the Mexican and French governments. Broadcast live from the historic Academy of Music Theatre; this event weaves together a tapestry of musical performances and conversations with distinguished artists and leaders in gender equality.
Felipe Salles
Blues to Green (Springfield, MA) and Next Stage Arts (Putney, VT) are proud to present The New Immigrant Experience, the remarkable eighth release by renowned composer Felipe Salles, is a powerful multimedia work inspired by the lives of “Dreamers,” the almost seven hundred thousand individuals currently protected by DACA. The performance will be preceded by an investigative panel discussion to ground us in the work’s sociopolitical context.
Written by Salles –who emigrated from Brazil to the United States in 1995 – and developed with the aid of a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship, the work uses speech cadences and melodic motifs based on key words as its main source of musical material. The compelling and personal stories it tells were collected through interviews Salles conducted with a group of nine Dreamers during the summer of 2018. It’s an emotional musical journey through beautiful orchestral textures, carefully developed motifs, and intense solo features, that combine the power of a big band recording and the dramatic landscape of a soundtrack.
This program is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies. Additional support for this performance provided by the Mass Cultural Council.