Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month
Latinx Heritage Month (also known as Hispanic Heritage Month) is celebrated September 15 to October 15. It honors the notable contributions of Americans who are from or have ancestors from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South American countries. The United States is home to over 62 million people of Latin American descent, with just over 1 million living in Orange County (34% of the total OC population).
The term Latinx is a gender-neutral alternative to Latina/o. While still a relatively newer term, it is the most inclusive term available to us at this moment to refer to people of Latin American descent living in the United States. Although we don’t have one perfect word to represent or unify all the races and ethnicities, Indigenous communities, and complex histories found throughout the Americas, we can always connect to each other through the universal language of music.
With that in mind, the Center’s Community Engagement department aims to uplift local artists and reflect the multicultural communities of Orange County through its public programs and events, enjoyed by audiences from all backgrounds. We welcome Latinx artists to the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza all year long. Here we highlight some of our recent Plaza performers who embody the dynamic range of musical styles found throughout Latin America and the United States:
La Santa Cecilia
Named after the patron saint of music, Grammy Award-winning La Santa Cecilia exemplifies the modern-day creative hybrid of Latin culture, rock, and world music. The group draws inspiration from all over the world, utilizing Pan-American rhythms including cumbia, bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz, and klezmer music. La Santa Cecilia kicked off the very first Summer Sounds concert on the Plaza in May 2021 and brought our audiences and exciting performance that set the stage for an enjoyable summer of music.
Mariachi Arcoiris
Mariachi Arcoiris is the first LGBTQ+ mariachi in the world, bringing beautiful mariachi music across Southern California while advocating for the queer community. The group is led by director Carlos Samaniego and is proud to have the first transgender female in the history of mariachi, Natalia Melendez, as one of its members. Mariachi Arcoiris first performed at the Center in 2021 as a part of the Summer Sounds outdoor concert series and quickly became an audience favorite, performing again just a few months later at the Raise the Curtain celebration in September 2021. This past July, the band brought their incredible talent back to the Plaza for another incredible Summer Sounds concert that treated audiences to the highest level of musicality in mariachi and Mexican folklore.
Alice Bag
We hosted our first Summer Sounds punk show on the Plaza this past July with Alice Bag! Alice Bag was the lead singer and co-founder of The Bags, one of the first bands to form during the initial wave of punk in Los Angeles. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed books 'Violence Girl' and 'Pipe Bomb For the Soul.'
Cumbiatón
Founded by DJ Sizzle Fantastic and Normz la Oaxaqueña, Cumbiatón first appeared on the Plaza last fall with a night of music, dance and art that audiences of all ages enjoyed. This art and music collective returns to the Center on October 21 with their exuberant mix of cumbia, rock en español, reggaeton, and more.
El Santo Golpe
El Santo Golpe first performed on the Argyros Plaza during a Rock, Paper, Scissors event in April 2021 and returned for the annual Dia de los Reyes celebration in January. They use traditional instrumentation like jaranas and tarimas (a wooden platform) from son jarocho (Mexico), primero from Garifuna (Belize), djembe from West Africa, accordions and tambora from Colombia, and many more.
Very Be Careful
Named after the patron saint of music, Grammy Award-winning La Santa Cecilia exemplifies the modern-day creative hybrid of Latin culture, rock, and world music. The group draws inspiration from all over the world, utilizing Pan-American rhythms including cumbia, bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz, and klezmer music. La Santa Cecilia kicked off the very first Summer Sounds concert on the Plaza in May 2021 and brought our audiences and exciting performance that set the stage for an enjoyable summer of music.
Jungle Fire
Named after the patron saint of music, Grammy Award-winning La Santa Cecilia exemplifies the modern-day creative hybrid of Latin culture, rock, and world music. The group draws inspiration from all over the world, utilizing Pan-American rhythms including cumbia, bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz, and klezmer music. La Santa Cecilia kicked off the very first Summer Sounds concert on the Plaza in May 2021 and brought our audiences and exciting performance that set the stage for an enjoyable summer of music.
Segerstrom Center is thrilled to continue to host these brilliant Latinx musicians and many more that bring inspiring art and incredible energy to our broader Orange County community. In addition to our programming on the Plaza, this season, we’re looking forward to several exciting performances in our halls that highlight the work of Latinx artists, a few of whom include Broadway legend Chita Rivera, renowned singer Lila Downs, and flamenco dancer Farruquito. Traditions like Fiesta Navidad continue this December, and the North American premiere of Like Water for Chocolate—the ballet adaptation of Laura Esquivel’s novel—are taking center stage in March. As we continue to expand our programming throughout the coming years, the Center hopes to continue to bring impactful artists to our campus and celebrate Latinx arts and culture.