Iconic artists, music and dance conference and free events;
New speaker’s series, online exhibition, Dia de los Muertos
San Jose, California, July 8, 2014 – The organizers of ¡VivaFest!, San Jose’s Latino destination festival, announced today its 2014 fall schedule. Appearances by Academy Award and Grammy Award winners Rita Moreno and Paul Williams and Grammy award nominees Jose Hernandez and Mariachi Sol de Mexico highlight the 2014 schedule which includes the festival’s annual mariachi music workshops, Gala mariachi concert, outdoor festivals, a speaker’s series and concert recitals in the folk music of Mexico. Many events, including the Gala mariachi concert, are free to the public this year.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
San Jose’s annual mariachi and ballet folklorico conference kicks off July 25, 2014 with an expanded schedule of mariachi and ballet folklorico workshops followed by a vibrant season of music and cultural events in San Jose. Mariachi workshops will be led by Jose Hernandez of Mariachi Sol de Mexico and dance workshops will be led by the award winning dance master artist Maria Luisa Colmenarez, founder of Danzantes Unidos, and master artist Jose Tena, Founder and Artistic Director of Ballet Folklorico de la Tierra del Encanto, and dance faculty at New Mexico State University and the Harvard University summer arts program. New this year to the work shop schedule is a class on the basics of coding for musicians offered by software engineer and master artist Juventino Mejia and a workshop on Jalisco harp offered by master artist William Faulkner.
July 30 - VivaFest presents “An Evening of the Music of Angels,” a concert recital by Jalisco Harp Maestro William Faulkner at the San Jose Women’s Club.
August 1, the festival annual mariachi gala event presents with Symphony Silicon Valley traditional icons Mariachi Sol de Mexico headlining “Songs in the Key of Mexico,” a free concert at San Jose State University.
September 14 the festival and Mundo Fox celebrate Mexican Independence Day at Discovery Meadow with a free day of family activities, music, food and fun.
September 16 VivaFest opens an online exhibition of “The Artistic Mestizaje,” an outdoor mural artwork by Carlos Perez in a project co-presented with the Google Art Institute. The exhibition will feature digital views of the mural taken by Google’s street team and an in-depth examination of the artistic heritage depicted by the artist in a panel discussion on the modern convergence of culture with the artist and curatorial staff from Google.
September 26, VivaFest and the Commonwealth Club of California present a conversation with Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner Paul Williams, at the Mayer Theatre in Santa Clara. Currently President of ASCAP, Williams’ recent work includes major Latino creative projects with Guillermo del Toro and a new book, “Gratitude and Trust: Six Affirmations That Will Change Your Life.”
October 17, 2014, VivaFest and the Commonwealth Club present a conversation with Latina icon Rita Moreno. Moreno is one of the few artists to win a Grammy, Oscar, Tony and Emmy awards and the National Medal of Honor. She continues to maintain a busy performing schedule and is the author of the recently published book, “Rita Moreno, A Memoir.“
On October 25, ¡VivaFest! and Milagro Marketing co-present Dia San Jose, three days of cultural events celebrating Mexico’s Dia de Los Muertos - a traditional celebration of heritage, family and ancestry at the San Jose City Hall Rotunda and St. James Park.
Artists for Fiestas Patrias and Dia San Jose will be announced later this summer.
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About Mexican Heritage Corporation:
The mission of the Mexican Heritage Corporation is to celebrate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of Mexico in the U.S. and showcase multicultural arts in the region. MHC achieves its mission by providing heritage arts education programs and presenting VivaFest, Silicon Valley's annual festival of Latino heritage arts and education. Visit us online at
www.vivafest.org.
