Visiting Artist series closes with a celebration of Mexican music and art

LEAVENWORTH – Icicle Creek Center for the Arts (ICCA) will be wrapping up its 2023-2024 Visiting Artist series with a night celebrating Mexican music and arts on May 12.

“The evening is just going to be a party. It’s all starting outside with Mariachi Noroeste and tacos. Then we move inside where the stage and dance floor will be going for the rest of the night. Bring the family and be prepared to dance,” said ICCA Executive Phil Lacey, in an email to Ward Media.

The night will have a blend of performances, starting with Mariachi Noroeste, a group of college students from Wenatchee who perform traditional mariachi music. The second performance will feature Seattle-based folklórico dancers, Bailadores de Bronce, who have been promoting “the beauty and richness of Mexican traditions through music and dance in the Pacific Northwest” for over fifty years.

“Icicle Creek is working to become more of a cultural home and resource for the Latino / Hispanic community here in north central Washington, so we hope this event will be exciting for everyone who lives in the area,” said Lacey.

The headlining act, Las Cafeteras, combines both traditional and contemporary music in a blend of Afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats, and rhymes. The band plays traditional instruments such as the 8-string Jarana, 4-string Requinto, Quijada, or donkey jawbone, and Tarima, a wooden platform.

“These musicians bring so much energy and excitement, with every performance being a celebration. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the season, end the school year, and get students excited about the summer,” said Lacey.

Leavenworth will be one of over thirty stops on the East Los Angeles band’s three-month tour promoting their newest album, “A Night in Nepantla,” a Nahuatl word meaning "in-between" or "in the middle.”

“As a band, we deeply resonate with the land of ‘Nepantla’ and feel that we live in the middle of multiple worlds, sounds and identities, and this album brings people together to sonically join us in our joy, grief, struggle, and liberation in Nepantla,” said frontman and singer Hector Flores in a press release.

Mariachi Noroeste will start at 5 p.m., followed by Bailadores de Bronce at 6 p.m., and Las Cafeteras at 7 p.m. on May 12. Tickets available at icicle.org.

“The event will have something for everyone, and an exciting opportunity to see local favorites alongside major artists from across the U.S.,” said Lacey.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media