Chicago's premier Mexican folk dance and music groups to perform in Goshen

Concert: Sones de México and the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago
Date and time: Friday, Oct. 23, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Sauder Concert Hall, Goshen College Music Center
Cost: Free, though advance tickets required (donation of nonperishable food items will be accepted and taken to The Window in Goshen)
Event sponsors: Goshen College Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning and the Performing Arts Series
For more information: Contact the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566 or e-mail welcomecenter@goshen.edu
Web site: www.sonesdemexico.com

GOSHEN, Ind. – Sones de México, a unique ensemble of seasoned Mexican folk musicians and educators that hails from Chicago, will perform with the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago at Goshen College in the Music Center/s Sauder Concert Hall on Friday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. This concert will be free and open to the public, though advance tickets can be reserved by calling the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566.

Sones de México formed in 1994 to keep the tradition of Mexican son alive in its many regional forms, true to its roots and old masters, and current and fresh at the same time. In Mexico, son is a term used to define a large family of regional music and dance styles. Each region has its own brand of son, each with its own repertoire, instruments and dancing and singing styles.

In 2008, Sones de México was a Grammy Award Nominee for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album, and in 2007, it received a Latin Grammy Award Nominee for Best Folk Album. In a review, the Chicago Tribune wrote, "[They] move seamlessly between styles and instruments playing with rock'n'roll energy without sacrificing cultural authenticity." The group's 2007 release, "Esta Tierra Es Tuya" is homage to the contribution of immigrants to the United States and the ensemble's most ambitious studio project to date.

In concerts, audiences watch as the group works its way through a collection of more than 25 folk string, percussion and wind instruments and employs bright four-part vocal arrangements and acrobatic dance demonstrations. The group's cross-cultural view of music links son to the diverse ethnic roots of Mexico's mestizo culture: Native American, Spanish and the often-overlooked influence of Black music in Mexico.

The Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago (MFDC) was founded in 1982 by José Luis and Matie Ovalle, its present artistic directors and choreographers. As Chicago's oldest Mexican dance institution, MFDC has received countless recognitions and awards, including performing for three presidents and representing Mexico in the 1994 USA World Cup opening ceremony, as well as multiple television performances.

Fast costume changes, ringing music and festive dancing have characterized the company's performances for more than two decades. An extensive repertoire presented in lavish costumes, worn by young, energetic dancers make the program an exciting, yet educational experience designed to satisfy the intellectual mind of the avid learner as well as the adventurous taste of the show seeker.

This concert is being sponsored by Goshen College's Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning (CITL) and the college's Performing Arts Series. Begun in late 2006, CITL aims to show how small liberal arts colleges can best serve the rapidly growing Latino population in the United States.

 The center focuses on research, educational access and transforming the learning community at Goshen College.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.