by María Siraguen Martínez
A concert with Latino blood and spirit Coro Hispano of San Francisco playing at Mission Basilica Dolores, will offer a series of performances around the Bay Area in January. (photo by Mark Kitaoka)
When we say chorus, we hardly think that this word would be part of the Latino world. But think again.
A group of very professional singers and musicians, some of them voice and music professors, continuously have kept Coro Hispano and Grupo Nuevo Mundo resounding like a heaven’s fell celestial musical ensemble.
Founded in 1975, under the direction of Juan Pedro Gaffney, the Coro Hispano de San Francisco is a chorus of the Spanish-speaking communities of the San Francisco Bay Area dedicated to exploring and performing the choral literature of the peoples of Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Ranging from the 12th through the 20th century, this repertory embraces both classical and folk music from all parts of the Hispanic world, as well as ethnic music in Amerindian tongues.
Conjunto Nuevo Mundo is an ensemble of professional vocalists and instrumentalists dedicated to the parallel repertory of vocal chamber music and solo literature of Iberian and Latin American composers.
Medieval chants, Renaissance motets, Baroque villancicos, and lively aguinaldos from Latin American folk traditions is part of the Coro Hispano.
This Spanish speaking chorus fi lls the hearts and souls of whoever presences it’s lively music. With the New Year hitting in the corner, this upcoming year won’t be the exception, as the Coro Hispano prepares it’s 21st annual concert celebration of Día de los Reyes.
Every January since 1987, Coro Hispano has brought the Bay Area spectacular concerts from the children’s concert at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco’s Mission District to its mass concerts at the Basilica of Mission Dolores. Coro transports its listeners a magical sound and love through their music, an instrument that is universal around the world. If your interested in joining the celebration of Día de los Reyes, please visit http://corohispano.org/tickets.
Cds of their music will be sold and signed onsite. Don’t miss it! (For more schedule details, read our calendar of event on page 4.)
