Junior Julieta Garc铆a performs on stage during Mexican singer Lila Downs鈥� Artist Series concert.
When Julieta Garc铆a arrived at Macky Auditorium one Saturday afternoon last month, she only had a vague idea of what to expect. It wasn鈥檛 until the junior from Jacona, Michoac谩n in Mexico, saw the stage that reality sunk in.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what to expect,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 had never been in a show like that before. When I saw the stage and musicians set up for the soundcheck, I thought, 鈥榃hat did I get myself into?鈥欌��
That night, March 3, Mexican artist Lila Downs would be performing to a sold-out audience in her signature 鈥渃antina-classical鈥� style. And for one song鈥攁 traditional 辫耻谤茅辫别肠丑补 tune from her home region鈥擥arc铆a would be up there with her.听
鈥淚鈥檝e been a fan for as long as I can remember. She鈥檚 such an idol to me,鈥� Garc铆a says.
Indeed, her admiration of Downs鈥攚ho has made a career of melding traditional and popular music from Mexico鈥攕tarted when Garc铆a was a music conservatory student. Downs visited the Conservatorio de las Rosas in Morelia, Mexico, and presented a master class.
鈥淪he鈥檚 such an avid fighter for the rights of indigenous people,鈥� Garc铆a says. 鈥淪he鈥檚 one of the people who has brought to the world what being Mexican really is. And she鈥檚 done it through music, which is such a wonderful thing.鈥�
Garc铆a鈥檚 background in music can be traced back to the traditions of her 辫耻谤茅辫别肠丑补 grandfather. As a professor and native speaker of the 辫耻谤茅辫别肠丑补 language, he brought culture into Garc铆a鈥檚 home environment, also instilling in her a love of music from an early age.
鈥淚 loved music because of my grandfather,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e grew up with him, always with a book around, always listening to music. He would turn on the TV and watch ballets and orchestra concerts.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I have a passion for music, why I sang in different choirs and in church, and why singing grew into a profession for me.鈥�
A young Julieta Garc铆a and her grandfather watch an orchestra performance on television in her hometown of Jacona, Mexico.
Those traditions were with Garc铆a the night of her performance with Downs. She wore an authentic 辫耻谤茅辫别肠丑补 dress that was made for the occasion by a woman she met in the small town of Nurio.
鈥淚 saw her in the street when I was home over winter break and asked here where I could by a 辫耻谤茅辫别肠丑补 dress,鈥� Garc铆a explains. 鈥淪he told me she could make me one. She turned out to be an award-winning dressmaker. Lila complimented the dress at the concert.鈥�
The dress, Downs鈥� presence on stage and the crowd made the night one Garc铆a won鈥檛 soon forget. 鈥淚t was just a marvelous experience. I鈥檝e never felt so proud and so free,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s soon as I stepped out on stage, I saw people whom I鈥檇 never met shouting my name. And they were mostly Chicanos or immigrants from Mexico, and I hope I gave that feeling of openness and warmness back to them through my singing.鈥�
Professor of Ethnomusicology Brenda Romero helped orchestrate the meeting when she heard Downs was coming to 麻豆影院 for CU Presents鈥� Artist Series. She had interviewed Downs in the past and took several students to the concert last month to see her perform.
According to Romero, it鈥檚 opportunities like these that make the Artist Series invaluable for CU students. 鈥淧eople like Lila are a tremendous inspiration for students,鈥� she says 鈥淭he fact that Julieta could be on stage with her and have a chance to introduce herself to that audience鈥攕he was so excited and happy.鈥�
Romero will perform the same 辫耻谤茅辫别肠丑补 song with Garc铆a at the Latin American Ensemble Concert on April 22.听
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2018-19 Artist Series, which welcomes show-stopping musical acts Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sarah Chang and many more world-class acts to Macky Auditorium next year. For information, visit .
