Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University is pleased to announce that over 20 regional acts were selected to perform on three stages at the third annual Heartbeat of Mexico’s free Outdoor Festival on Sunday, May 27 from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Featuring some of the top local and regional Mexican-American ensembles in Southern California, the festival will present traditional and contemporary music, dance and folklórico performances to the community. Every region of Mexico has its own dance style, music and costuming from a variety of rich cultural influences, including the indigenous tribes, Spanish, Africans, Germans and the French. The performances selected for this year’s event reflect the beauty of Mexico’s rich history, music and art.
Performance Schedule
Aitken Arts Plaza Stage:
1 p.m.—Opening Ceremony
1:15 p.m.—El Sol Academy: Kindergarten through fifth grade students perform and delight in traditional costumes
2:15 p.m.—Calle 4 Cumbia Electric: This high-energy Santa Ana band plays songs that highlight the pride and strengths of the Mexican-American community
3:15 p.m.—Ballet Folklórico Estrellas de OCSA: Dancers from Orange County School of the Arts paint the vibrant history of Mexico through folk and traditional dance
4:15 p.m.—Primero Sueño Ensemble: This visionary band sings original songs inspired by resilience and nature
5:15 p.m.—El Santo Golpe: Experience the world of Afro-Latin music, with infusions of cumbia, son jarocho, garifuna, African drum beats, poetry and folkloric dance.
Performers Court Stage:
2 p.m.—Los Sanchez Mariachi Quartet: The Sanchez family—Lino, Esbeyde, Erandi and Eraydelin—bring beautiful mariachi music from their Anaheim home to the entire region
3 p.m.—Mariachi Los Santos of Santa Ana High School: Founded in 2000, this stunning ensemble from one of Orange County’s oldest high schools preserves the rich traditions of Mexico’s musical culture
4 p.m.—Felipe Orozco and his Mariachi Tierra Azteca: This band has delighted all ages across Southern California with popular mariachi songs, Latin pop and banda hits.
5 p.m.—Ruby Clouds: Dream along to the original songs of this R&B/Rock duo of siblings who grew up on both sides of the border and sing in both English and Spanish
6 p.m.—Daniela y Fito: This father-daughter duo spreads the beauty of Mexican folk songs with a sound that will melt your heart
Wells Fargo Stage:
2:45 p.m.—Relámpago Del Cielo: For more than 40 years, this non-profit dance community has ignited the joy of Latin culture in Orange County
3:45 p.m.—The Dream Act: Students, alumni and faculty from Middle College High School and Santa Ana College blend pop, rock en Español, and cumbia
4:45 p.m.—MEXIKA (Music & Dance of Ancient Mexico): With brightly colored traditional feather garments and ancient instruments, this high-powered ensemble reflects the ancient culture they celebrate
5:45 p.m.—Grupo Folklórico Fusion Mexicana: Based in Ventura County, these dancers are more than just great performers; they also have a deep passion for education and community activism
6:45 p.m.—Cambalache: Close out the night in the spirit of the fandango with the East LA-based group playing high-energy son jarocho music from Veracruz
In addition to the performances, the festival will feature a variety of family fun activities, a food fair and many more events outside on Aitken Arts Plaza. Family activity highlights include: creating a Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera-inspired zine, shouting ¡Loteria! during a hilariously popular group game with similarities to bingo, making paper flowers and papel picado and exploring the regional cultures with the Consulate of Mexico during a fun Passport Adventure Game.
Mariachi Los Camperos headlines Musco Center’s third annual Heartbeat of Mexico festival on Saturday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. Generally regarded as Southern California’s top mariachi ensemble, this band was founded by the legendary Nati Cano. They performed at the first Heartbeat of Mexico festival in 2016 and return by popular demand. Mariachi Mestizo from California’s Central Valley will open the evening. This group is among the state’s top youth mariachi and features both boys and girls across all instruments. Venerated across Mexico, Natalia Lafourcade will perform Sunday, May 27 at 6 p.m. She is a rapidly emerging voice of the people, lilting across the borders of folk and pop into pure rock superstardom.
Heartbeat of Mexico is a Musco Center World CAFE Event presented in association with Chapman University’s Latinx Staff & Faculty Forum. The community is invited to participate in the free and ticketed events throughout the third annual Heartbeat of Mexico festival. Tickets for May 26 are on sale now and may be purchased through the Musco Center online at www.muscocenter.org/ or by calling the box office at 844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726). All print-at-home tickets include a no-cost parking pass. Musco Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Chapman University at 415 North Glassell, Orange.
