Mason Artist-in-Residence La Santa Cecilia Engages with Campus and Community
“Whether people like it or not, we are as American as apple pie and tacos,” Marisol Hernandez said in a 2019 interview with NPR.
Hernandez is the vocalist for La Santa Cecilia (11/15), the Grammy Award-winning pan-American band named after the patron saint of music. The group consists of Hernandez (aka “La Marisoul”), accordionist and requinto player Jose ‘Pepe’ Carlos, bassist Alex Bendaña, and percussionist Miguel ‘Oso’ Ramirez. With a captivating voice that sings about love, loss, and everyday struggles, the band has become the voice of a new bicultural generation in the United States, fully immersed in modern music, but always close to their Latin American influences and Mexican heritage.
As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, La Santa Cecilia will work within our community to meaningfully engage with folks. Planned activities include:
- A discussion about art and advocacy, hosted by the Institute for Immigration Research, which is a joint venture of George Mason University and The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. of Massachusetts.
- Discussions in George Mason classrooms, and at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center.
- A conversation with UndocuMason, a group that works to institutionalize support for undocumented students.
We hope you’ll join in for these activities and more, and don’t miss La Santa Cecilia’s concert on November 15!