'México en el Corazón' delights the audience and brings back beautiful memories
Greetings, amigas and amigos:
The spirit of Mexico filled the concert hall at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in downtown Nashville last Thursday.
Casa de la Cultura Latino Americana brought back its famed "México en el Corazón" music, dance and multimedia program after a multiyear absence due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Nashville's mayor, several city council members and Mexico's consul general helped kick off the event, which also honored the 80th anniversary of the Bracero program that brought Mexican agricultural laborers to the U.S. in the 1940s to work in the fields under short-term contracts.
Female mariachis performed some of Mexico's greatest songs, and men and women danced in colorful and elegant garb. The "Viva Aguascalientes" number simulated a cock fight between two of the male dancers that showed off their foot work.
While I was watching from the balcony, I imagined my Abuelita Virginia seated next to me. Before she died in 2019, I used to go on grandmother-grandson dates with her to enjoy performances of Spanish and Latin American music in Tampa, Florida. My greatest delight was seeing her smile because a song reminded her of a lovely time in her life.
Although that side of the family was from Cuba, my mother, two of her siblings and my abuelos spent some time in Mexico City before emigrating to the U.S., absorbing many of the musical and food traditions.
As I left the hall, I was approached by reporter Ana Flores, who asked if I could have ever imagined a packed venue just to see a Latino-oriented function in Nashville, Tennessee. I recall saying that I was just grateful the community had grown so much to be able to share their culture amply and fill a place like the symphony center.
Scroll down to watch a video montage from the "México en el Corazón" show and read more interesting pieces from the past week:
Dr. Sammie Gutierrez of Memphis is one of several Caribbean medical school graduates who is helping with the Mid-South's medical doctor shortage.
Nashville public schools are looking to address racial disparities in gifted programs.
Segregated schools are still a reality for many students across the U.S.
Bad Bunny won big at the MTV VMAs (and he also made waves).
Latino Tennessee Voices storytellers
I am excited to announce our storytellers for the Latino Tennessee Voices live event at 7 p.m. Oct. 13 at Plaza Mariachi in South Nashville.
Fabián Bedne, originally from Argentina, was the first Latino immigrant member of the Metro Nashville Council.
Ana Escobar, a general sessions judge in Davidson County who was just elected to a full eight-year term
Yenín Miralda Echeverria, originally of Honduras, is a graduate student, immigrant rights and DACA advocate, and Equal Chance for Education scholar.
Diana Pérez, originally from Colombia, is a nonprofit leader now at Conexión Américas and a Metro Arts commissioner.
Miguel Vega, who was raised in Mexico, serves as a regional corporate governor for NAHREP - National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.
Click here to get tickets.
Other events
Equal Chance for Education, Sept. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at Plaza Mariachi: Salsa for Scholarships event raises money for college aid for Dreamers in Tennessee. Get tickets: https://www.equalchanceforeducation.org/salsa-for-scholarships/
Conexión Américas, Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15): Multiple events include an awards ceremony, student essay contest and the return of The Latin Party on Sept. 30. Learn more: https://www.conexionamericas.org/hhm-award-ceremony/
Fiestas Patrias celebration, Sept. 18, 12-10 p.m. at Plaza Mariachi: Celebrate Mexican independence and the independence of other Latin American countries in this outdoor festival filled with music, children's activities and food. Learn more: https://plazamariachi.com/event/fiestas-patrias/.
International recognition
On Tuesday, the Online News Association released its list of finalists for the annual Online Journalism Awards.
Latino Tennessee Voices was a finalist, along with our sister publication Black Tennessee Voices, in the newsletters portfolio category. This is an international contest, so we are competing against news outlets from Boston and Brazil.
What an honor to be among the finalists and to be recognized in service of our readers.
¡Muchas gracias a todos!
David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. He is of Colombian and Cuban descent, has studied or worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, and was the founding editor of Gaceta Tropical in Southwest Florida. He has lived in Tennessee since 2014. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 'México en el Corazón' delights the audience and brings back memories
