Two performing ensembles from SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music, the Crane Concert Choir and Crane Latin Ensemble, will present their “¡Canta Cuba!” program at Herricks High School on Monday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
The concert, “¡Canta Cuba!,” will feature choral music by Cuban composers Esteban Salas y Castro, Calixto Álvarez, Wilma Alba Cal, Moisés Simons, Tania León, Compay Segundo, Miguel Matamoros and others.
The Crane Latin Ensemble will perform traditional Afro-Cuban pieces as performed by Tito Puente, La Lupe, Hector Lavoe, Oscar Hernandez and Chris Washburne, among others.
The Crane Concert Choir is a vocal ensemble whose performances focus on diverse American cultures that are prevalent in New York State. Over the past 18 months, members of the Crane Concert Choir have walked and performed along the Camino de Santiago in Spain and biked the Luther Trail in Germany. The year will culminate with a hike to Machu Picchu in May 2019.
The Crane Latin Ensemble is dedicated to promoting Latin American dance music, specializing in Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican traditional musical styles, including Son, Mambo, Cha Cha, Guaguancó, Cumbia and even a bit of Reggaetón.
The ensemble collaborates with traditional artists, such as former members of the Tito Puente Orchestra and Los Naranjos, the oldest continuously functioning Son group in Cuba, as well as contemporary artists such as Chris Washburn.
The Crane Latin Ensemble recently returned from a cultural exchange trip to Cienfuegos, Cuba. In addition, they have performed in Monterrey, Pachuca, and Puebla, México, as well as in Ottawa, Ontario. The group has also recently toured around central New York State and New York City, presenting workshops on Afro-Cuban music at local schools.
Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has established a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. With more than 540 undergraduate and graduate students, Crane places a strong emphasis on cultural diversity within ensemble programming.
For more information, please visit http://www.potsdam.edu/crane.
