Latinos in Illinois and the USA: Music, Cultural History and Communication

Music can be viewed and read as a tool that shares the cultural values, roots, and history of peoples. There are numerous Latino musical genres that share the concerns of Latinos throughout the years.

For example, there are songs about immigrant woes of the early 20th century to today. Recently, Latinos around the U.S. commented on the 43 student-teachers murdered in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero by creating various songs in different genres.

This program focuses on a broad overview of the last 75 years of music in the Latino U.S. as a way of understanding the history, roots, and concerns of Latinos in this land, with a special emphasis on Mexican and Puerto Rican musicians in Illinois as Latino populations that have profoundly marked the state’s culture and music.

The presentation, paired with slides and musical samples, is lively, light and fun, and focused on participation, discussion, and musical enjoyment!

This event is free and open to the public.

Funded project of Illinois Humanities, state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.