Worlds collide when a Grammy Award-winning roots-rock band performs alongside an acclaimed dance company.
Critical darlings Los Lobos join dance troupe Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno for a 7:30 p.m. show Sunday at the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.
The performance is a stop on their national tour of “Fiesta Mexico-Americana, A Celebration of Mexican-American Heritage.” A free pre-show Mac chat discussion precedes the performance at 6:30 p.m.
Los Lobos, which formed in 1973 in Los Angeles, will perform traditional Mexican folkloric music along with a selection of their own material. They will perform alone and alongside the dancers in a show that both explores and honors Mexican tradition in dance and music.
“The reaction has been uniformly fantastic. We were worried that the hardcore Lobos fans wouldn’t necessarily appreciate the dancers but we haven’t heard anything but happiness and praise from everyone who’s come to see it. It really is a magnificent pairing,” Los Lobos saxophone player Steve Berlin wrote in an email.
“It is quite a bit different from a normal Lobos show, but I think people will appreciate the beauty and grace of the dancers, and they portray everything from Aztec dance to modern day, so it really is a culturally educational and enjoyable evening.”
Ballet Folklorico Mexicano was founded in 1967 by Carlos Moreno Samaniego in Oakland, Calif., and currently under the direction of his son Carlos Garcia Moreno.
Its mission is to provide audiences with a greater understanding and appreciation for Mexican culture.
This show began its run in mid-January in California, Moreno said.
“So far, it’s been a success. The audiences have received it very, very well,” he said.
The idea came about a couple of years ago, with the thought of fusing Mexican-American cultures in dance and music, he said, much like the ballet company and the band were both founded in America but deeply honor their Mexican heritage.
“It just seemed to be a perfect match. We both agreed we would like to go into this project together and worked on it together, and got something pretty special,” he said.
The Ballet Folkloric dancers perform with Los Lobos, and each act also performs by itself.
“It’s been a great show. There are definitely some popular pieces that all of us grew up hearing here, such as ‘La Bamba’ and ‘Celito Lindo’ — musical pieces that Mexican-Americans identify with since childhood,” Moreno said.
“And then there are some more specific pieces that were created by Los Lobos as part of their repertoire of music. And some creative pieces that we have with the Ballet Folklorico that are a little bit more contemporary. Overall, we put on a show that is a great experience for people of all ages and all cultures can come and enjoy this presentation.”
There will be 13 dancers performing with the five musicians in Los Lobos, he said. The first half of the show, the band will be set up to the side, so the dancers can use the rest of the stage, he said. The second half, Los Lobos will be upstage playing their own music, while the dancers perform on the side and in front of the band, he said.
The dancers range in age from 18 to early 30s, so many of them didn’t know who Los Lobos was.
“It was quite a wonderful experience that the first time we got together and rehearsed with Los Lobos, it was an instant click,” Moreno said. “It was like an immediate family. You could see the joy and excitement in Los Lobos, and then in the dancers also, to be able to dance with such professional musicians. It clicked in an instant. It was amazing.
“All of our dancers and the musicians have been getting along so well. Los Lobos — I think most of them are in their 60s already — but they seem so rejuvenated and so excited when they’re out there performing.”
Both acts are well-known powerhouses in their own rights, but are finding new fans via cross-pollination.
“Initially, people weren’t too sure of what to expect,” he said. “People have been pleasantly surprised. I know some people who showed up to see a rock concert by Los Lobos, but by the end were like, ‘Wow, this is better than I ever expected.’ It’s a great feeling.”
Audiences tell him that they love the joy and energy the dancers bring to the performance, and he hears that people have never seen Los Lobos like this before.
“Towards the end of the show, we definitely have a lot of people up and dancing, which is really exciting, to have the audience up and on their feet,” he said. “They should expect to get a touch of the culture of Mexico in a way that a lot of us Mexicans-Americans experience it through our families. There will be a lot of moments to relax and enjoy the music and a lot of moments of excitement and exhilaration in watching the performance. And at the end of the show, I know everyone is going to come out really happy and excited.”
Annie Alleman is a freelance writer.
‘Fiesta Mexico-Americana!’ Los Lobos with Ballet Folklorico Mexicano
When: Sunday
Where: McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn
Tickets: $55-$75
Information: 630-942-4000; AtTheMac.org
