The celebration will take place September 27 and 28. Junta for Progressive Action will host programming at 169 Grand Avenue, New Haven from noon to 5 pm on September 27. There will be a day of performances held at the Peabody Museum, located at 170 Whitney Avenue, on September 28 from noon to 5 pm. Programs will be free, community-led, and accessible to participants of all ages.
The event is a collaboration between the Peabody Museum and Junta for Progressive Action, with support from the New Haven Free Public Library, Yale Latino Networking Group, and Arte Inc. Entravision is the media sponsor.
The festival returned to in-person programming in 2024. Several thousand people attended events at both Junta and the museum, creating an electric atmosphere around the celebration. “Our goal is to celebrate Hispanic culture through community programming and through sharing objects from the Peabody’s collections about those cultures,” said Andrea Motto, YPM’s director of education. “Working side by side with Junta, we will celebrate the breadth of identities in the Hispanic community in and beyond New Haven. We hope to foster connection and solidarity through education, performance, storytelling, and hands-on cultural activities.”
“Fiesta Latina is more than a festival. It is a reflection of our mission to uplift and empower the Hispanic and immigrant families of Greater New Haven. Together with the Yale Peabody Museum, we are proud to celebrate our culture while opening doors to education, opportunity, and a brighter future for the next generation,” said Frederic De Pourcq, Director of Development & Operation for Junta.
The festivities at the Peabody will begin at noon on September 28 with a performance by Proyecto Cimarron, a Puerto Rican Bomba performance group. The Spanish Community of Wallingford’s youth mariachi band and dance troupe, committed to preserving the cultural heritage of Mexico, will take the stage at 1:30 pm. The show will conclude with Orquesta Afinke, a salsa band based in Stratford, CT.
All performances will take place in the Peabody Museum’s Central Gallery, a bright and open space featuring an epic battle between an Archelon (a large prehistoric turtle) and a Mosasaur, a fearsome prehistoric fish, high in its rafters.
In addition, prominent Yale neuroscientist Daniel Colon-Ramos present a talk in Spanish on innovations in neuroscience. Throughout the museum, Spanish-speaking scientists will be on hand to talk about how their research contributes to a deeper understanding of the world around us.
For more information about the Yale Peabody Museum, visit Peabody.yale.edu. For more information about Junta for Progressive Action, visit juntainc.org.
SEPTEMBER 28 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
12:00-1:00- Proyecto Cimarron
1:30-2:00- Spanish Community of Wallingford Youth Mariachi Band and Dancers
3:30-5:00- Orquesta Afinke
Proyecto Cimarron is a Puerto Rican bomba performance group based in New Haven, CT. The members were brought together by their love of Afro-Latino culture, a shared commitment to preserving and sharing bomba rhythms, and utilizing bomba as a gateway for advancing social justice.
The Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW)
At SCOW, community is our strength. SCOW supports the Wallingford community with programs exemplifying our core values: guidance, education, and sharing.
- Our social service referrals guide people to find the services offered to everyone in the Wallingford community.
- Our educational programs help children take full advantage of their educational opportunities and help adults gain the confidence to fully participate in U.S. society.
- Our music and dance programs enable all Latinos to share the rich and varied cultures of their native countries, adding to the mosaic of American culture. Conversely, these programs help the children of the Hispanic community to retain the cultural heritage their parents brought with them.
AFINKE (pronounced ah-‘fin-keh and correctly spelled “afinque”) is a traditional Spanish slang term used amongst percussionist and musicians in general to denote a group who plays together as a team (‘nsync). Our 8-piece musical group is comprised of seasoned musicians, who after touring with many notables, decided to come together to share their talents of entertaining audiences and educating them about our Latin musical genre. In addition, we wanted to reach our youth and teach them about our cultural heritage through our music. Our band is highlighted not only for our musicality but also for our showmanship.
Throughout our band’s lifespan, we have had the pleasure of performing in many forums. Some of these include universities, public schools, festivals and even cruises. We have been one of the highlight bands at several large events such as the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, Norwalk Oyster Festival, Celebrate! West Harford and Queens College Summer Festival Series to name a few. Our diverse repertoire includes styles typical to many Latin American countries including: Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Boleros, Plena, Latin jazz, among others. Our repertoire consists of well-known songs as well as original compositions orchestrated specifically for our ensemble.
Orquesta Afinke is led by trombonist Tito Planas and percussionist Samuel Diaz Jr., two educators who have had the pleasure to share the stage with many well known artists such as Frankie Negron, Tony Vega, Choco Orta, Charlie Cruz, Kevin Ceballo, Raulin Rosendo, Hermanos Moreno amongst other greats of the Latin musical field. Many of our members have recorded with many notables in the Latin and Jazz world. We are currently working on our first CD, which should be released soon.
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