By Jonathan Turner, Hola America News
Augustana College kicked off a new culture series with Latin American music at Brew by the Slough Monday night, Oct. 12.
The Office of Student Cultural Connection (OSCC) and Latinx Unidos presented “Noche de Serenata” (Night to Serenade), with Latin American QC singer-songwriter Adrian Guerra, who sang songs in Spanish. The new series is called “Cultures in Motion.”
“It is about bringing culture to life through different experiences,” Ashley Allen, Augie’s executive director of intercultural experiences, said Monday of the series, to include music, dance, fashion and other arts. “This was a great opportunity for our office to partner with Latinx Unidos, who has been on our campus for a number of years, especially during Hispanic Heritage Month.”
Hispanic Heritage Month ends Oct. 15, and Latinx Unidos has held food events on the campus quad, celebrating Latin American cuisine, from different countries, said social chair Yazmin Rodriguez, an Augie sophomore. L.U. (founded in 1992) meets every Monday and has about 50-60 members.
Allen hopes to have six to eight Cultures in Motion events during the fall semester.
“The whole purpose is like, there’s a lot of culture on our campus. We want students to experience culture in different ways, and what better way through things like dance and music and fashion and storytelling?” she said. “Food definitely is a big thing.”
Adrian Guerra was chosen for the first Cultures in Motion event since Letty Martinez, OSCC administrative assistant, saw him perform at the Freight House Farmers Market in Davenport.
“And I really enjoyed his music, and I thought he was great,” she said. “I thought this would be a good way to maybe bring him on campus so he could get his foot in the door. And we have a lot of events that I thought Ashley would really enjoy him. And so I invited her out on a Saturday night to one of his performances.”
A Moline native, Guerra’s mother is Cuban and father from Ecuador, and he spent his early years growing up in Venezuela.
Rodriguez hoped students and the public learned something new about the different countries of Latin America (there were also a variety of flags displayed, with a brochure listing the song titles).
“Because each song that we have playing in the background or each song that Adrian is singing has a meaning to it,” she said. “From that meaning, it tells stories, the struggles of Latin American people, what they go through every day. It just shows emotion and passion.”
“We want to create spaces where students can experience different cultures, learn something new, and connect with people from different backgrounds,” Augie student Yna Wangari, a member of OSCC, said Monday in introducing the event. “Tonight is actually our first Cultures in Motion event, and we’re kicking things off by celebrating Latin American cultures through music.”
“Throughout the night, the music you’ll be hearing will highlight how songs hold meaning for families and communities by preserving memories, sharing emotion, and connecting generations,” Rodriguez said. “Latin American rock in particular gave artists the opportunity to express their experiences and identities in Spanish, creating music that reflects our culture and communities.”
“I think it’s great,” Guerra said during a break. “These folks are kind of like from outside of the community. So they probably look for things that are going to be more similar to what they are used to back home. So I think these types of programs are great, particularly what I do, the songs that I sing.”
To learn more about Augie’s OSCC, click HERE.
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