AC Musical Project to Celebrate Latin Americans in the United States

Provided

Amarillo College will conclude its observance of Hispanic Heritage Month with the presentation of a special musical project honoring the Latin American immigrant population living in the U.S.

Headliner Javier Jara and his team of collaborators will present “Our Rhythms, Our Voices” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14 at the Concert Hall Theater on AC’s Washington Street Campus.

The event – part oral history, part roots-music experimentation – is free and open to the public.

Jara, who is married to Amarillo native Jane O’Brien, undertook the musical project with support provided by a grant from Humanities Texas. Jara and his team interviewed immigrants from all walks of life and from all over Latin America to celebrate songs, primarily using the rhythms from their native lands.

Their tour celebrates Latin American immigrants’ diversity, cultural heritage, and their contributions to this country, by providing a unique window into the individual lives of Americans living in the U.S. – from a Guatemalan housekeeper to an Otavalena Indigenous woman who works in IT.

Photographer Alejandro Moreno-Alanis will display his portraits of each person interviewed along with significant quotations in accompanying panels. All music is composed by Jara, with lyrics by Yahir Duran.

Generous support for this concert comes from Humanities Texas. Their grant to Javier Jara and “Our Rhythms, Our Voices” allows Amarillo College to host an incredible, cultural event, making it free to the public, according to Joe Bill Sherrod, AC’s vice president of institutional advancement.

Additionally, he said, this concert serves as a way to heighten the College’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage month. To that end, the AC Foundation was able to raise an additional $30,000 to contribute to the Los Barrios de Amarillo Legacy Endowment Scholarship, bringing the total endowment to $50,000 as this community celebrates the 50th anniversary of Los Barrios de Amarillo.

Additional sponsors include: Education Credit Union, King Country Trailer, Krause Landscape Contractors, Inc., Grand Construction, M&R Liquors, Budweiser, and Southern Glazer.

-Amarillo College