By Alexandra Medina
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and the Arsht Center is celebrating Hispanic excellence with a variety of performances throughout the fall. The celebrations kicked off Sept. 15-18 with the return of Siempre Flamenco Festival de Cante. This year’s festival featured acclaimed Spanish singers Macarena de Jerez, Morenito de Illora and Jose Campos; guitarist Paco Fernandez; world-renowned dancer Juan Jose “El Junco”; and Siempre Flamenco founding members Celia and Paco Fonta.
The celebration continued Oct. 1 with a one-night-only performance of the HBO film For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story, which featured a live performance by the legendary Cuban trumpeter accompanied by the Frost School of Music’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra as the digitally remastered film appeared on the big screen.
The festivities extend well beyond Hispanic Heritage Month with the Arsht Center debut of Colombian singer-songwriter Andrés Cepeda on October 20 and a special tribute to Celia Cruz in December. With a career spanning more than 20 years — making him one of the most important pop artists in Latin America — the Bogota-born Cepeda brings a career-retrospective concert, La ruta púrpura, and signature brand of Latin pop and rock mixed with bolero, to the Arsht Center's Knight Concert Hall.
With ¡Celia Vive! on December 2, musicians India and Lucrecia will join their unmistakable voices for the first time to pay tribute to the legendary Queen of Salsa. With the flavor and rhythm of their unmatched styles, the artists will delight audiences with the great musical hits of the immortal Guarachera de Cuba, including “La Negra Tiene Tumbao,” “Tu Voz,” “Bemba Colorá” and “La Vida Es Un Carnaval.”
Whether you’re into traditional flamenco or prefer Latin pop or salsa, there are plenty of opportunities to recognize and celebrate the rich diversity and culture of Hispanic communities that call Miami home. For tickets and more information, go to arshtcenter.org.