Grammy Award-nominated family-music singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos will kick off the long-awaited return of the School-Time Matinee series at the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the community is invited to the bilingual Spanish-English performance at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 23, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
General-admission tickets are $8. Purchase tickets online, by phone at 814-863-0255, or in person (10 a.m.–4 p.m. weekdays) at the Arts Ticket Center in Eisenhower Auditorium. The $4-per-ticket service charge will be waived for phone and in-person purchases. The Arts Ticket Center is the only authorized outlet for individual tickets for events presented by the Center for the Performing Arts.
“We have been thinking about how we make our programs accessible to everyone, and one way to do that is to open our morning performance by Sonia De Los Santos to the public,” said Amy Dupain Vashaw, the audience and program development director at the Center for the Performing Arts. “Perhaps there are folks who don’t want to drive in the dark or who work at night. This way, they have an option to attend with their children, grandchildren, neighbor kids or just come themselves.”
De Los Santos and her band will play their jarana, leona, accordion, drums, trumpet and other traditional Mexican instruments in a joyous bilingual concert that shares the artists’ love for music with a younger generation.
“We hope to see some Penn State faculty members take advantage of this opportunity to involve their Spanish-language learners and elementary education students,” Vashaw said.
De Los Santos will also perform at a free celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on Sunday, Sept. 22, at Schlow Centre Region Library. The event will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Downsbrough Community Room. (Registration is recommended.)
For more information about the ticketed event and the free community activity, visit cpa.psu.edu/events/sonia-de-los-santos
With her experiences bridging Latin America and her new home in New York, De Los Santos uses her love of music to share her perspective that celebrates the memories and heritage that connects everyone.
“My band and I are so excited to play these songs for you while we explore together many different countries, rhythms and sounds from the Americas,” she said.
Her family-music album, “Mi Viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York Island,” features song-stories of her experiences growing up in Mexico, moving to another country, learning about other cultures and connecting to her own heritage.
“’Mi Viaje’ means my journey,” De Los Santos said. “This incredible journey is filled with many adventures that are personal, and yet universal.”
