Mariachi group to perform at Furman Park

DOWNEY - Furman Park will get festive next week when a mariachi and Mexican folkloric dance group performs a free concert at 7 p.m.Mariachi Monumental de America will perform in a joint concert with the dance group Folklor Pasion Mexicana. The concert is free and residents are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Under the musical direction of Juan Jose Almaguer, Mariachi Monumental de America was founded in 1995. The ensemble has shared the stage with Luis Miguel, Vicente Fernandez, Alejandro Fernandez, Juan Gabriel, Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar, Cristian Castro, Pedro Fernandez, Ana Gabriel and more. They have performed across the country, including concerts at the Latin American Film Festival, Universal Amphitheatre, Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Locally, they have performed at Whittier Narrows Recreation Center in concerts hosted by Spanish radio personality "El Cucuy." The group was recently chosen to perform with the mariachi band Vargas de Tecalitlan during a statewide tour. Folklor Pasion Mexicana is a dance company from Los Angeles that works to preserve the traditional Mexican folkloric dance. The group specializes in authentic footwork and style, and pays homage to the tradition and beauty of folklorico dance as it was originally created. The group is still new, having formed in early 2009, but they have already performed alongside Mariachi Vargas de Tecatitlan and Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, among others.

********** Published: July 22, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 14