STARS: Jarabe Mexicano

Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life ~ Border band Jarabe Mexicano presents one of Mexico’s most dynamic and cherished holidays, Día de los Muertos, through their distinctive brand of versatility and charm. With an altar and stories commemorating their deceased loved ones as well as popular icons like Ritchie Valens, Bob Marley, and Juan Gabriel, this concert features musical selections that range from traditional Latin folk to more contemporary genres such as Rock & Roll and Reggae-Cumbia. Endorsed as cultural ambassadors by the Mexican Consulate in the U.S., Jarabe’s celebration of life highlights the importance of family connections through time and space while also illustrating the power of cultural remembrance for Latinos living in the United States and beyond.

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Suggested Age Range: 4^th Grade & Up

ABOUT THE JARABE MEXICANO: Jarabe Mexicano invites audiences on a joyride through a versatile songbook of Mexican Folk as well as Rock & Roll, Tex-Mex, Latin Rock, and Reggae-Cumbia. Performing on stringed folk instruments accompanied by lively percussion, Jarabe’s dramatic, harmonized vocals in Spanish and English have gained them the admiration of audiences across the country.

The quintet, with its eclectic border spirit, stands out with performances by lead vocalist Tavo Alcoser, José Martín Márquez on requinto & vocals, Kevin Lomes on vihuela & vocals, Chris Behrens on guitarrón & vocals, and musical director Danny Brito on percussion. Cultural anthropologist, distinguished author, and admirer Dr. Alejandro Lugo raves that Jarabe’s musicians “are truly excellent and bring new blood to the musical traditions they perform… their version of ‘La Malagueña’ is simply the best I’ve heard in decades, if not ever.”

For the members of Jarabe, every performance, wherever they go, is an opportunity to create a deeper and more inclusive sense of family and community. As advocates for the arts and education and with a special commitment to underserved communities, Jarabe Mexicano has forged fruitful collaborations with an array of both public and private organizations, academic institutions, and government entities–all in their effort to help bridge the frontiers between musical genres, diverse cultures, and generations.

Jarabe Mexicano invita a sus públicos a pasear por un cancionero versátil que incluye la música folclórica mexicana al igual que el rock & roll, el tex-mex, el rock latino, y la cumbia-reggae. Tocando instrumentos típicos de cuerda acompañados de percusión, sus voces apasionadas y armonías dramáticas les han concedido la admiración de audiencias a lo largo del país.

El quinteto, con su eclectico sabor fronterizo, se distingue con las actuaciones de Gustavo Alcoser en la voz principal, José Martín Márquez en el requinto, Kevin Lomes en la vihuela, Cristóbal Behrens con su guitarrón, y el director musical Daniel Brito en la percusión. Distinguido autor, antropólogo cultural, y admirador, el Dr. Alejandro Lugo asegura que los músicos de Jarabe “son excelentes y traen savia nueva a las tradiciones musicales que interpretan… su version de La Malagueña es sinceramente la mejor que he escuchado en decadas, sino en la vida.”

Para los miembros de Jarabe, cada actuación, a dondequira que vayan, es una oportunidad para crear un sentido familiar y comunitario más inclusivo y profundo. Como voceros de las artes y la educación y con un compromiso especial con las comunidades desamparadas, Jarabe Mexicano ha forgado colaboraciones exitosas con un sin fin de organizaciones públicas y privadas, instituciones académicas, y entidades gubernamentales–todo en su esfuerzo por ayudar a conectar las fronteras entre los géneros musicales, las culturas diversas, y las generaciones.

Learn more about this artist at: www.jarabemexicano.com