It's salsa time!

Worcester's Latin American Festival arrives

by Ed Hazell

In a world where racial and ethnic differences are too easily construed as divisions and barriers, any reason to bring people together is a good one. And in a world where too many people work too long and too hard, any excuse to relax is a good one. So this weekend, Worcester is fortunate to have the annual Latin American Festival organized by Centro Las Americas -- the perfect way to relax and lose your troubles in music and dance, as well as celebrate the many Latino cultures represented in New England.

Last year, the two-day celebration of Latino and Hispanic-American culture brought more than 30,000 people together to enjoy the music, food, and culture of New England's large and varied Latin-American community. This year, with 18 bands, four local talent showcases, a tent showcasing native Puerto Rican artisans and their crafts, and cuisine available from countries throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America, an even bigger crowd is anticipated.

Although salsa superstar Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez headlines the weekend's music on Sunday night, the emphasis is squarely on bands from New England. "I firmly believe that some of the best Latin-music talent in the country is right here in New England," says Dolly Vázquez, the festival coordinator and director of the Institute of Latino Arts and Culture.

"Unfortunately, opportunities for local bands to play are limited. It seems like the big-name bands from New York and Puerto Rico get all the best gigs. We wanted to present our great local talent."

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Worcester's Latin American Festival Schedule

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Perhaps the band who best embody the festival's spirit of pride and strength through diversity are Worcester's Los Pleneros del Coco. Regarded as the premiere plena band in New England, they have performed not only throughout the area, but also at New York's Lincoln Center and at the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife in Washington, DC. They were also the first Latin-music group ever to perform at the annual Fourth of July Boston Pops Hatch Shell concert. "It's important for me to play the music of my heritage as a Puerto Rican," says Miguel Almestica, the band's founder and artistic director, "But I want to pass on a greater message through the music -- a message of brotherhood, of respect for our elders, for culture and learning."

Almestica's philosophy is reflected in the title of the 13-piece group's debut CD, El Lagado de Cortijo (Cortijo's Legacy) (Bom Bom). Afro-Puerto Rican musician Rafael Cortijo helped revitalize and modernize the island's plena tradition and brought pride to the island's poor black population in the process. Almestica, a relative of Cortijo's, says, "It's our responsibility as musicians and as a people to make sure that the legacy is not neglected or forgotten." Like Cortijo's groups, Los Pleneros del Coco are true to their roots; they do not water down the plena's complex African-derived rhythms or change the call-and-response song form. And in keeping with the tradition of plena, which has been called the "sung newspaper," Almestica's original songs address contemporary concerns of the Puerto Rican community. While they maintain the integrity of the music's heritage, the band add nontraditional touches such as jazz harmony and Brazilian and Cuba influences to keep the music fresh.

Keeping traditions alive in the modern world is one important goal of the festival. Besides the modern sounds of jazz and salsa, there are bands from all over New England representing a wide range of countries and musical styles. Springfield's Asi Canta la Montaña play jibaro music, the lilting rural songs from the mountains of Puerto Rico (4:30 p.m. on Saturday), while Lydia Pérez y Amigos from Providence play another popular Puerto Rican folk form, the bomba (Sunday at 6 p.m.). The Boston-based Grupo Scorpio work cumbia, punta, and ballenato styles into their repertoire of folkloric music from El Salvador (1 p.m. on Saturday). Northampton-based Viva Quetzal blend the folk music of Peru with modern pop and jazz music.

Although not from New England, the Puerto Rican steel-drum band Los Isleños, who play at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and again at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, are of special interest. Steel drums are not usually associated with the music of Puerto Rico, but this family of musicians hails from Culebra, a small island where steel-pan orchestras have a long tradition.

"Too often the Latin community is perceived as a single entity," says Vázquez. "But there are great differences inside our cultures. Puerto Rico is not the same as Peru; the food is different, the music is different. One of the things I hope people get out of the festival is a better understanding of and respect for those differences."

Although there may be a serious purpose behind the festival, the primarily goal shared by organizers and musicians alike is that everyone enjoy themselves. "When I look out at the end of the concert," Almestica says, "and I see everyone dancing and going nuts -- that's the reason I play music."

The annual Latin American Festival organized by Centro Las Americas takes place from noon to 8 p.m. on August 16 and 17 on the Worcester Common. For more information call 798-1900.