Latin American Choral Voices at 450th anniversary of Santa Cruz

(Santa Cruz, February 25, 2011).- "We are a free river standing fast” (Somos un río libre y de pie) is the title of the concert which will mark the close of the Latin American Choral Voices workshop organized by CAF - Latin American development bank – as part of its Social Action Through Music program in partnership with the Santa Cruz Municipal Government. The music event, which coincides with the celebration of 450th anniversary of the foundation of Santa Cruz department, will be held in Manzana Uno on Saturday 26 February at 20:00h.

At the concert, the teachers of the Venezuelan Schola Cantorum Foundation, partner institution in Latin America, will raise the baton to lead 150 voices and a similar number of musicians who have been sharing, since February17, a choral training and development workshop.

"On a 400-meter stage, a large group of Santa Cruz orchestras accompanied by children and young singers will celebrate over four centuries of Santa Cruz department. The event will be a choral show of the highest quality" CAF director representative in Bolivia, Emilio Uquillas, said.

For the occasion CAF facilitated the arrival from Venezuela of Luimar Arismendi, teacher specializing in choral training, and Victor Gonzalez, baritone and choir director. The two teachers led the workshop on vocal technique and were responsible in the last few days for perfecting the choral skills of the 100 juvenile and 50 children’s voices which concluded the workshop.

"The holding of the workshop and the production of the magnificent concert, as part of its closure, are not isolated events for CAF but are part of one of the institution’s most ambitious plans for improving skills and building human capital, "the CAF executive said referring to the Latin American Choral Voices project, one of the key components of the Social Action through Music program.

The workshop, for the choirs of the Institute of Fine Arts and the Municipal Voices of Heaven, was also open to children from the town of Portachuelo, and young people from various groups such as Canta Cruz, Municipal Santa Cecilia and the Bolivian Evangelical Association who all raised their voices for almost ten days of intense rehearsals.

The workshop was accompanied by prestigious orchestras from Santa Cruz department, which will return on Saturday for the music show. These include the New Men's Orchestra, the Municipal and Juvenile Symphony Orchestras, and the Strings Group of the Institute of Fine Arts.

In the show, choirs, musicians and singers will perform themes commemorating the founding of Santa Cruz department. The air will be filled with melodies composed by César Scotta, Aldo Peña, Nicholas Menacho, and others.

"We are a free river standing fast" will be performed with Latin American Choral Voices, component of the CAF Social Action Program for Music created to stimulate the infinite potential of the voice as an instrument of body and spirit, and as a tool for alleviating the marginalization of children and youth in the region.