Leo Lara 3820 Main Street Northeast Columbia Heights MN 55421 (763) 789-3619 YoSoyLaRa@aol.com Work Samples Audio: A Mi Palomita/My Little Dove Canto Del Agua/Song of the Water Hoy Dia, Manana/Today, Tomorrow To hear the work samples, Windows Media Player is required. If you do not have it installed, you can download it for free here: Download Windows Media Player

Leo and Kathy Lara Latin American music Leo and Kathy Lara present an exciting program of Latin American folkloric music from the Andes Mountains, using a wide variety of authentic instruments, including the charango, cuatro, bombo, quena, and panpipes. They display, perform and provide information on the history and legends behind these unique instruments, including the indigenous, European, and African influences on them. Leo and Kathy bring the sounds of Latin America to life as they play and share the stories and traditions of the people and culture from whom this music comes. Through folkloric music, Leo and Kathy inspire interest and concern for those beyond the border and provide audiences with new insights on Latin America. Leo and Kathy's programs, offered to audiences of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, are energetic, entertaining, enlightening, and very hands-on! Available: Anytime Space: Four boom microphone stands, two vocal and two instrumental microphones, two stools and three large tables for displaying the instruments Fee: Negotiable

Additional Information:
Latin American Folkloric Music and New Song

Leo and Kathy Lara are excellent who use Andean music to give audiences a window into the history and culture of Latin America.

Latin American culture emerged as indigenous, European, and African influences came together during the colonial period. The traditional music of this region reflects all of these sources. Spanish and Portuguese colonists, for example, introduced stringed instruments, and today the cuatro, charango, and other related folk instruments are a very integral part of Latin American music. Un the wake of the slave trade, African rhythms, and dances became a vital part of many local musical traditions. Even as conquest, slavery, and political upheaval radically transformed the region, indigenous traditions passed down since Pre-Columbian times remained strong.

Leo is from Ecuador. He grew up surrounded by Andean music in a community with a rich calendar of celebrations. In 1971, Leo became interested in using music as a tool of communication a way to bring about social change. He traveled to many towns in the countryside, learning from the people, and bringing the songs back to the city. He attended and helped organize many festivals. Several years later, he met Kathy, an educator from the US who was working with street kids in Ecuador. The two came to Minnesota in 1978, and began performing together the following year. Their performances were well received, by Latin Americans and North Americans. Since that time, Leo and Kathy Lara have performed in many settings, including folk festivals, concert halls, schools, conferences, churches, libraries, and museums. They have appeared on radio and television. As co-founders of the Minnesota New Song Committee, they worked to disseminate music and bring Latin American musicians to Midwest states and to encourage identity and a sense of community for Latin Americans living in Minnesota. They were pat of the U.S. delegation to the Third International Festival for New Song in Quito in 1984, through committee work they have organized many concerts, workshops, cultural events and peñas. As musicians and educators, Leo and Kathy Lara use music as a bridge between cultures. The Laras offer exciting programs that are very flexible in format. They give concerts, workshops, and demonstrations. Their performances generally center on traditional Andean music. The Laras use many kinds of authentic instruments, including the charango, tiple, and cuatro ( all three of which are Latin American adaptations of mandolins and guitars); and the panipipes. They are also able to teach the making and playing of Andean folk instruments. Through all of this, they hope to build bridges between communities, and to introduce new audiences to the richness of Latin American music, history, and culture.