Berry College recently hosted a concert in recognition of Hispanic Heritage month.
“Las Magnificas” explored the lives of three historic figures in Latin America culture: Mexican Ranchera singer Chavela Vargas, Cuban singer Celia Cruz, known as the Queen of Salsa and Chilean singer Violeta Parra, the mother of Latin American folk music.
Music included songs made famous by the artists: “Tu voz,” “Gracias a la vida,” “La vida es un carnival,” “La Llorona,” and “Volver a los 17” and instrumental music by Latin American composers Ernesto Lecuona, Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes, José Alfredo Jiménez, Víctor Jara and Tania León.
Singing actress Nadya Encarnacion portrayed the three musicians. Encarnacion is known for her TV and film roles in “The Saxophonist” and “Primal Instinct” among others. She has trained in musical theatre and drama from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York, N.Y. and has a bachelor’s from Fairfield University and a master’s from Manhattan College.
Accompanying musicians were Michael Parola on percussion, Ju Young Lee on cello and Mikael Darmanie on piano.
Parola has a Ph.D. in musical arts from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He has commissioned and performed with the Aequalis Trio, the Chinary Ung Triple Concerto with the New Hampshire, Stony Brook, Phoenix, and Honolulu Symphonies.
Young Lee received a bachelor’s degree in cello from the Julliard School in New York, N.Y. Young Lee has performed solo recitals in chamber music performances in the U.S. and South Korea.
Darmanie is pursuing his Ph.D. at SUNY Stony Brook and teaches undergraduate piano and music history/theory. He is a member of the Warp Trio and performs in jazz, hip hop, and electronic music. Darmanie has made festival appearances at the High Peaks Festival, Mozarteum, Mainly Mozart, Pianofest in the Hamptons, and L’Academie de Musique de Sion.
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. This event was sponsored by Sigma Delta Pi, Department of Visual and Performing Arts and the Department of World Languages & Cultures.
Written by Public Relations Student Assistant Reed Couch
