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SCHOOL PROGRAMS
School
Performances and Workshops
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MUSIC OF LATIN AMERICA
(Grades K-12)
During the “Music of
Latin America” program by Lorena Garay and Surcari, student audiences
take a musical journey through Latin America. Audiences learn about the music, folklore and
traditions of the Andes, the Spanish Caribbean, Central and South America,
Spain and Mexico, while hearing the rhythms and authentic instruments from different
regions. Students are invited to sing, clap, play
percussion instruments, and dance as they explore different carnival traditions.
Student volunteers will create a rainforest soundscape and play along with
Surcari. Surcari’s integration of costume props from different cultures adds
even more visual interest to the overall performance. During holiday season, Surcari
offers a special program where students enjoy songs from various holiday
traditions.
SCHOOL PROGRAM FORMATS (Can be customized to fit
your curriculum.)
Assembly:
An interactive and participatory performance. Interactive songs in Spanish,
based on the musical styles and traditions of Latin America.
Length: 1 hour. Audience limit: 250 students.
Workshop:
An interactive, hands-on program of Latin music. Instruments demonstration
& cultural aspects. Questions & answers. Length: 45 minutes. Audience
limit: 20-45 students.
ABOUT SURCARI
Surcari's school performances
are available through Young Audiences with CCT and NEFA funding available. Please
click on the link “Bookings: Surcari” for more information.
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Old Saybrook Students Enjoy Latino Beat
By
Melissa Pionzio / Hartford Courant / November 5, 2008
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See all those little arms
in the air? In elementary school, little waving arms are a sure sign that
students really, really, really want to get picked for something!
That was the scene in the
Goodwin Elementary School auditorium in Old Saybrook today, every time members
of Surcari, a Latin American entertainment troupe, asked for volunteers
during their live musical journey through Latin American and Caribbean
culture.
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Eugenio Huanca, Lorena
Garay and Tany Cruz, the talented members of Surcari, opened their show dressed
in traditional Andean ponchos.
Each song that followed was
from a different culture, and featured traditional instruments from various
countries like Paraguay, Columbia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic,
Mexico and many more. Lorena chatted with the kids in Spanish and English,
and the school's principal Sheila Brown told me that the Kindergarteners
and first graders probably understood many of the words, as they are studying Spanish
in their classes.
Surcari, Lorena told me, is
derived by combining the Spanish word for south and Cari, the first
four letters of the word Caribbean. The members of SURCARI are
originally from Chile, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico.
This show rocked, it
really did. The music just never stopped and as I sat in the back of the room
watching, I was impressed with how intent these kids were on the music and the
performers - they clapped, moved around on their bottoms or rocked back and
forth in place. Do you know how hard it is to engage a group of Kindergarteners
and first graders in one big room for more than half an hour and then do it all
over again for second and third graders?
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During a short break
between performances (the group gave two and I got to see both!) I asked
Lorena just how she managed it.
"That same
enthusiasm I feel about Latin American culture and folklore, I want
to pass on to them, not to teach them, but to share," she said.
"And also to have them be interactive, to be a part of it so they are
a part of the whole celebration."
So thaaaat's the
secret, give kids the chance to get right in there and participate in
a program that is interesting, humorous, full of music, culture and
history, and they won't be able to help themselves from enjoying it.
Principal Sheila said the
program is just one of many ways her students experience the
culture of different countries. The students at Goodwin also meet
regularly with students from urban schools through Authors and
Amigos, We Are the World and Circle of Friends initiatives, which are made
possible through a grant from LEARN.
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Cinco De Mayo At South Elementary
By
Shawn Beals / Hartford Courant / May 11, 2009
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In celebration of Cinco
de Mayo, the musical trio Surcari took students at South Elementary School in
Windsor Locks on a musical journey through Spain, Latin America, South America,
Mexico and the Caribbean on May 5. The group demonstrated more than 40 instruments
and also taught students about indigenous cultures, hats, clothing and
languages.
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Students play percussion
instruments to recreate the sounds of the rain forest. They volunteered to help
the musical trio Surcari during a Cinco de Mayo performance at South Elementary
School in Windsor Locks.
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Students at South
Elementary School in Windsor Locks play percussion instruments during a
performance by Surcari, a Spanish musical trio. The group took students on a
"musical journey" through Spain, Latin America, South America, Mexico
and the Caribbean. The group demonstrated over 40 instruments.
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Students at South
Elementary School in Windsor Locks wear sombreros and play percussion
instruments during a Cinco de Mayo celebration. A Spanish musical trio,
Surcari, took students on a "musical journey" through Spain, Latin
America, South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The group demonstrated over
40 instruments and taught students about indigenous cultures.
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