-- PBS SHOWCASES RICH DIVERSITY OF LATIN MUSIC WITH
M SICA LATINA: IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Hispanic Heritage Month Special Features Performances
by Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz and Others
Airing October 8
WASHINGTON, D.C. PBS presents M SICA LATINA: IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE, a television music special taped in the East Room of the White House. President and Mrs. Obama will host the concert event spotlighting an array of Latin music on Monday, September 16. The evening will feature artists Natalie Cole, Lila Downs, Gloria Estefan, Raul Malo, Ricky Martin, Prince Royce, Arturo Sandoval, Romeo Santos, Alejandro Sanz and Marco Antonio Sol s. (Program subject to change.) The one-hour television special is part of the long-running IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE series, now in its 36th year. The program will premiere Tuesday, October 8 at 8 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings).
Both English- and Spanish-language versions will be available to PBS stations throughout the country. M SICA LATINA: IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE will also be available on www.pbs.org/whitehouse beginning Wednesday, October 9. In addition, the program will be broadcast Sunday, October 13 on the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world. The concert, including President Obama's remarks, will be available for press via the White House Press Corps pool feed and streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov.
M SICA LATINA: IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE showcases Latin musical heritage, reflecting the influence of successive waves of immigration from all over the Americas and celebrating the beauty and diversity of Latin music. From the lively rhythms of Central America and the Caribbean to the haunting sounds of South America, Latin music is known for blending a wide variety of styles.
WETA is proud to join the White House in bringing this concert to the American people, said Sharon Percy Rockefeller, president and CEO of WETA. WETA has a rich tradition of producing performance and history programs, and we are delighted to offer this special together with the forthcoming Latino Americans documentary series this fall during Hispanic Heritage Month.
M SICA LATINA: IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE will bring energetic, passionate music to our audiences and share some treasures of Latino culture with our viewers, said Paula A. Kerger, president and CEO of PBS. Much like the people that it honors, Latin music is extraordinarily diverse, and I am proud that we are able to share this program with audiences across the country.
Latin music has become a powerful force in the national culture, mirroring the growing size and importance of the Latino population in the United States, said Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive director of Latino Public Broadcasting. We are honored to be a part of this fabulous production.
CPB is proud to support IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE, said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This inspiring series invites all Americans, through public media, to experience and celebrate our country's rich and diverse musical heritage. M SICA LATINA continues this great public media tradition.
In addition to the evening concert, on the morning of the concert taping, the White House will host Celebrando el Ritmo Latino: The History of Latin Music, an educational workshop held in the State Dining Room for 130 middle and high school students from the Washington, D.C., area. The event will be produced by The GRAMMY Museum and led by Robert Santelli, the museum's executive director. A leading musicologist and music educator, he will give the participating students an overview of the origins of Latin music, inform them of the elements of the genre, discuss how Latin music has been popularized in other parts of the world and examine the many subgenres that encompass the larger Latin genre. Santelli will be joined by special music guests, including Lila Downs, Romeo Santos and Marco Antonio Sol s, who will share their experiences and answer student questions. The White House Celebrando el Ritmo Latino: The History of Latin Music workshop will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live.
This is the sixth educational workshop at the White House that The GRAMMY Museum has organized in cooperation with the In Performance at the White House concert series. As with previous concerts, M SICA LATINA: IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE will be accompanied by a broader educational program including a downloadable curriculum and materials for middle and high school teachers, available at www.grammymuseum.org. Educational materials will also be on the series' companion website www.pbs.org/whitehouse along with information about the performers, photos from the evening, a list of song selections, clips from the performances and video of the full broadcast.
M SICA LATINA is the twelfth IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE program created during President Barack Obama's administration. From February 2009 to the most recent broadcast in May 2013, these latest IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE events have honored the musical genius of Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Carole King, Burt Bacharach and Hal David; celebrated Hispanic musical heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month; marked Black History Month with events featuring the music from the Civil Rights Movement, Motown, Memphis Soul and the blues; explored the history of the uniquely American art form of country music; and spotlighted Broadway and the exceptional spirit of the American musical. The star-studded lineups have included Marc Anthony, Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Jamie Foxx, Jos Feliciano, Dave G
