Day: April 18, 2022

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center presents 6th Annual Noche de Romance

Noche de Romance, San Antonio’s premier mariachi event, returns to the Guadalupe Theater on April 23 and April 24, 2022. Photo: google

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s 6th Annual Noche de Romance, San Antonio’s premier mariachi event, returns to the Guadalupe Theater on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 8p.m. and Sunday, April 24, at 5p.m., featuring the award-winning Mariachi Azteca de America performing an array of traditional Mexican love songs, boleros, baladas and rancheras. (Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 2022)

Audiences return year after year for the romance and grandeur of the night, along with the intimate setting of the historic Guadalupe Theater in San Antonio, located at 1301 Guadalupe St. Led by Guadalupe Traditional Music Program Director Gino Rivera, Mariachi Azteca de America’s versatile ensemble of musicians delivers dynamic performances of classic songs by Mexican musical luminaries such as Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Juan Gabriel, and Agustin Lara. This year, concert-goers will be treated to a special tribute to the legendary Vicente Fernandez, also known as “El Rey,” along with special featured guest Arturo Vargas, a world-class vocalist and member of the renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. Local talents Rhonda Garcia and Mateo Lopez will also participate in the program, which will open with the Guadalupe Youth Mariachi Ensemble.

Gonzaba Medical Group is sponsoring Noche de Romance performances, which are open to the public, on Saturday April 23 at 8p.m. and Sunday April 24 at 5p.m. Tickets cost $25, $30 and $35, and table sponsorships are available. The Saturday performance includes a preconcert reception for sponsors and members of the music academy. Noche de Romance supports the continued expansion and development of Guadalupe’s Traditional Music Academy and Youth Mariachi Ensemble. Funds from the concert help to ensure that the mariachi tradition lives on for future generations while supporting students’ public performances and the annual summer mariachi camp.

The medical group also is sponsoring special private concerts for the local senior community and area schools. The concerts are offered by invitation and will take place on Friday, April 22 for seniors and on Monday, April 25 for students.

Public Concerts:
Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8p.m.
Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 5p.m.

Special Private Concerts by Invitation:
Friday, April 22, 2022, for Seniors
Monday, April 25, 2022, for School Students

Guadalupe Theater
1301 Guadalupe St.
San Antonio, TX 78207

Admission:
Tickets available: $25/$30/$35
Table Sponsors available

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center was founded in 1980 as a nonprofit, multi-disciplinary organization. Located in the heart of San Antonio’s westside, the Guadalupe is one of the largest community-based organizations in the US with the mission to cultivate, promote and preserve traditional and contemporary Chicano, Latino and Native American arts and culture through multidisciplinary programming.

Children’s Ballet of San Antonio debuts ‘Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp’

Aladdin dancers at Estancia del Norte. Photo: Children’s Ballet of San Antonio, used with permission.

A poor young man, a beautiful princess, a wealthy Sultan, a powerful sorcerer, and a magical genie come together on stage in the enchanting, exotic adventure that is the Children’s Ballet of San Antonio’s debut production of ‘Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp’ at the Majestic Theatre. Set against the mystical background of the Arabian city of Agrabah, the ballet tells the story of Aladdin and how his quest for self-discovery ultimately becomes an adventure in true love. From flying carpets to other big surprises, this debut production will take audiences on a journey to far-off lands where wishes do come true. (Children’s Ballet of San Antonio, 2022)

Based on one of the most famous folktales from “The Book of One Thousand and One Nights,” the show features all the splendor and richness of the culture. Award-winning CBSA founder and artistic director Vanessa Bessler spent countless hours researching and immersing herself in all the details to provide the most authentic production for her audiences. The show will feature a combination of the classic Disney orchestral scores audiences loved from Aladdin, along with original live scores created specifically for CBSA by local French Lebanese composer Gabriel Nohra. Using traditional Arabic instruments including the Oud, Bendir, Darbuka, and Kanun, Nohra provides the musical backdrop for the talented array of young performers to showcase their skills. Award-winning choreographers Bessler and Nick Fearon, along with Feleacia Quezergue have created spectacular numbers that highlight the abilities of each dancer while integrating traditional numbers choreographed by Karen Barbee, who specializes in the cultural dances of the land of Aladdin. It is the perfect combination of culture and creativity, enhanced by the dazzling costumes brought in from London, Moscow, and the Far East. The final effect will cause the audience’s hearts to soar—no magic carpet required.

Featuring performers ranging from internationally acclaimed classical dancers to gifted special needs artists ages 3-19, the production showcases a variety of disciplines and talents. Award-winning dancers including hip-hop, jazz, tap, and contemporary will take the stage with a talented array of young performers including actors, musicians, gymnasts, and singers for this larger-than-life production. Leading this talented cast is founder and former Prima Ballerina and seven-time Youth America Grand Prix Outstanding Teacher Award winner Vanessa Bessler. Under her watchful eye, CBSA has become a gateway for young artists interested in pursuing a professional dance career. The elite artists have had the privilege to train in some of the world’s best academies including the Royal Ballet School in London, the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia, and the School of American Ballet in New York City, to name a few. Through recognition, awards, and scholarships from the most prestigious ballet competitions and schools in the world for many of its dancers, CBSA has elevated San Antonio to the world stage, making it a strong player in the arts world.

Performance dates and times
Friday, May 6, 7p.m. to 9p.m.
Saturday, May 7, 2p.m. to 4p.m.
Saturday, May 7, 7p.m. to 9p.m.

The Majestic Theatre
224 E. Houston Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Tickets are available on the Children’s Ballet of San Antonio website.

Admission proceeds directly benefit CBSA in fulfilling its mission to inspire the pursuit of excellence and prepare children for productive and creative lives through dance by offering extensive training and performance opportunities for talented children from all backgrounds. Donations from the event will benefit dance scholarships for special needs and underserved youth, as well as the transportation and organization of several hundred Title 1 school students to attend each performance. Funds also go to the production costs of theatre, costumes, lights, and special effects that allow these dancers to perform in San Antonio’s top theatres in professional productions as part of their professional-level training.

The award-winning Children’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) is an authentic, professional-level ballet company that produces professionally staged productions showcasing San Antonio’s most talented children. Dancers are selected by invitation or audition. The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio is a nonprofit organization 501(c)3. The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) seeks to inspire the pursuit of excellence and prepare children for productive and creative lives through dance by offering extensive training and performance opportunities for talented children from all backgrounds.

Former Lost Boy of Sudan turns adversity into opportunity

Paulino Mamiir Chol’s ‘Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Story’ tells the story of his extraordinary personal journey from kidnapping survivor to leader. Photo: amazon

Paulino Mamiir Chol is an author and current PhD candidate dedicated to using his experience, expertise, and education to help his current community in the US as well as his East African homeland, South Sudan. For decades, despite multiple kidnapping attempts by the radical militias, airborne assaults, and the murder of his friends and family, Mr. Chol rose in the leadership hierarchy and helped over four thousand Lost Boys to come to America. Mr. Chol has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in Law and Policy from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He looked death in the eye multiple times, surviving abduction, a 3,000-mile barefoot trek in searing heat across South Sudan, and unspeakable starvation during the Second Sudanese Civil War. His memoir, “Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” tells of his extraordinary journey from kidnapping survivor to leader, showing how tragedy can be turned into triumph. (Mac Foundation, 2022)

As a member of the Lost Boys of South Sudan who led over 700 boys across three African countries, from refugee camp to refugee camp, Paulino Mamiir Chol is the only one in a position to tell this story. A testimony to the atrocities happening at that time—the killings and kidnappings committed by radical militias before and during the Second Sudanese Civil War—the book describes how the author had to build the grit, determination, and sheer organizational ability to save lives, and find freedom. In so doing, he also offers hope in the power of the human spirit to overcome trauma and tragedy—especially when we focus on serving others. “Leading The Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” is part of Paulino Chol’s effort to fight the inhuman darkness we are all capable of, and to empower and inspire the hearts of those suffering.

“This book is a form of defense, and I promise to fight against inhumanity and human rights abuses. This fight consolidates my belief, faith, and hope in humanity, and human rights.” – Paulino Mamiir Chol

All proceeds will go to the Mamiir Chol Foundation (MACH), which will provide funds to villagers in Twic County for clean drinking wells, clinics, schools, and community centers. Proceeds will also support organizations working for human rights, homeless children, widowed mothers, disabled people, and to protect women and girls from sexual abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence. “Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” is available in digital and paperback on amazon and other major retailers.