¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! returns to Santa Barbara to bring people together to share the rich cultural heritage of Latin America. The 2023-24 lineup features a Grammy nominee, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles, mariachi, and more.
Grammy nominee Perla Batalla (Sept. 8-10) is a Ventura-based singer who brings a lifetime of experience crossing musical borders to her programs of traditional and contemporary Latin American music. Batalla’s Mexican and Argentine parents ran Discoteca Batalla, a Los Angeles record store where Batalla was exposed nonstop to music that cut across genres and languages. Through her performance, Batalla will express love for her identity and the hybrid musical culture in which she was raised. People can expect to hear Spanish-language favorites that will be rendered with contagious rhythm and joy.
Founded in 2011 by Kareli Montoya, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles (Oct. 13-15) tells stories of Mexican heritage through original choreography inspired by traditional folk-dance forms. The company achieved international recognition when they were featured in the 90th Academy Awards ceremony dancing in celebration of the Disney/Pixar film Coco. Often having as many as 40 dancers on stage at once, their performances offer precision and a spirited expression of Mexican culture.
Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles (Jan. 19-21, 2024) brings sensitivity, beauty, and vicious spirit to the historic art of mariachi as they blaze a trail for women in a male-dominated musical genre. Since being established in 1994, they have gone on three record albums and shared the stage with world-renowned artists.
Quitapenas (Mar. 8-10, 2024), a group that shares a love of dance rhythms from Afro-Latin diaspora, along with Jarabe Mexicano (May 17-19, 2024), who captures the nostalgic spirit of their border roots with their brand of “Bordeño soul,” will also be featured in the upcoming season.
For more information about ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara!’s free community performances, see artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/learn/viva-el-arte-de-santa-barbara.
