AMERICANOS
On July 15th 1999, a historic concert and celebration took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Conceived, hosted and produced by actor/activist Edward James Olmos, the concert was the culmination of
a multimedia project that included a documentary film, CD, book and photography
exhibition sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute. The project was the most comprehensive look
at Latin-American culture ever undertaken. As part of that initiative, THE AMERICANOS CONCERT
traced the evolution of Latin music from its roots in Africa and Europe. Travelling from the Caribbean to South and Central America and Mexico, the
musical odyssey arrived at the rich mixture that is the current Latin music scene in the United States.
The innovators of Latin Pop, Latin Jazz, Regional Mexican, Cuban and Afro-Cuban, Puerto Rican and Salsa
music made this unique musical experience an historical evening. As a forerunner in Latin music,
José Feliciano joined Gloria Estefan, Cachao, Juan Luis Guerra, Sheila E, Vikki Carr, Marc Anthony
and others as they traced this musical heritage of Latin diversity.
Copyright © 2001 Janet Handley. All rights reserved.
