Cecilia
Esquivel coaxes a melody from a guitar-like instrument made from an
armadillo shell. In her hands, a donkey's jawbone raps out a lively
beat.
As part of the duo Cantare, Esquivel creates
Latin American children's music that incorporates traditional styles,
such as merengue, swing, baiao and candombe , from all over the Spanish-speaking world.
At
10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Cantare, which features Esquivel and Patricia
Vergara, who is originally from Brazil, brings its spirited sound to
Kids' Day Out, a monthly cultural series at Fort Washington's
Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center.
Kids get wide
exposure to Latino music these days. Dan Zanes borrows from Latino
tunes and collaborates with Latino musicians on his popular children's
albums. A PBS cartoon show features Latino twins Maya and Miguel, and
"Sesame Street" has been bilingual for years. With its catchy rhythms
and emotional themes, Latin American music holds natural appeal for
kids, especially in the D.C. area, with its large, varied Latino
population.
Cantare performs traditional folk songs
and some original compositions, and gives audience members the chance
to sing, dance and make music themselves. Though the armadillo guitar,
called a charango , and donkey jawbone are off-limits because they're fragile, goats' hooves are "a big hit with children," Esquivel said.
Interactivity
is an important part of the Kids' Day Out program. According to
Lawrence Knowles, director of arts at Harmony Hall, the point is to
make music fun, vivid and immediate. "It's tough to entertain kids and
teach them at the same time," he said. So performers make sure they
involve the audience.
Kids' Day Out has been a
regular program at Harmony Hall since the facility opened in 1989. The
monthly performances bring artistic and cultural groups to
schoolchildren from Prince George's County schools and nearby private
and parochial schools. Targeted at preschoolers through fourth-graders,
the events are also open to the public. Knowles advises parents to make
reservations. Some walk-up tickets are available, he said, but
"performances are popular. . . . It'd be a shame to disappoint children
at the last minute."
Cantare, with its
child-targeted music and inclusive style, is typical of the Kids' Day
Out offerings. "Our goal is teaching American kids about Latin America,
and teaching Latino kids about parts of the culture they might not know
about," Esquivel said. "We show American kids there's more to Latin
culture than Mexican food, and we give Latino kids pride in their
heritage."
At Harmony Hall, Cantare will perform
what she called "a musical journey through Latin America." Between
songs, she and Vergara will demonstrate and explain their unusual
instruments -- there are a total of 20 -- including maracas, panpipes,
drums and an accordion. Then they'll invite children to sing and dance
-- and play along with the goat hooves.
Esquivel,
who was born in Argentina, studied at the National Conservatory of
Music in Buenos Aires and received a music degree from the University
of Maryland. She won a Wammie award last year from the Washington Area
Music Association as best Latino vocalist. She's also a clinical social
worker, specializing in the needs of the Latino community. "I use a lot
of my social work skills in my music," she said. "It's a nice way to
combine both careers."
Founded about 10 years ago by
different members, Cantare has featured Esquivel and Vergara, a
full-time professional musician, since 2002.
"We
should be familiar to a lot of the kids in the audience" because of
frequent appearances at libraries and schools, Esquivel said.
Cantare,
which appears with the Washington Performing Arts Society and the
Cathedral Choral Society, also performs music not specifically geared
toward children.
Esquivel said many D.C.-area
Latinos might be familiar only with popular standards or trendier pop
songs that get radio play. Her own interests focus on folk traditions
and music passed on orally through the generations.
Upcoming
Kids' Day Out events include the Unified Jazz Ensemble on Oct. 19, a
group that explores, through children's eyes, the birth and development
of jazz music, which Knowles said "will help teach kids about rhythm,
music -- and math." On Nov. 16, the Native Nature Dance Troupe presents
American Indian dance. And on Dec. 7, a Russian group, Carelian, will
present a holiday performance of folk music on instruments such as the
Finnish harp, mandolin and bagpipes.
Esquivel said
she finds performing for children and introducing them to her musical
heritage "rewarding and gratifying." And the best validation comes from
her audiences' enthusiastic reactions. As one teacher wrote her,
Esquivel said, " 'Thank you for making Spanish cool again at our
school.' "
