Spring Break
Latino center adds culture to campus
Tricia Blauvelt
Issue date: 2/28/06 Section: News
With eyes closed and hands pressed tightly against his chest, Damian Rivero sung out in tones of beauty, passion and lust; what is known to most as the tango. The night began with familiar faces, laughter, and smells of empanadas and hot vino navegado from Chile. As the crowd settled, the lights dimmed and the music roared-Una Noche de Tango Y Romance began.
On the evening of Thursday Feb. 16, around 100 students, professors, family, and friends of all ages and ethnicities packed into the Latino Cultural Center to celebrate the first La Pena of 2006. La Pena, an LCC Thursday series event, takes place every third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in Lecture Center B2. Rodrigo Carraminana, the director of the Latino Cultural Center, started off the themed evening "Una Noche de Tango Y Romance," by greeting the crowd and introducing La Pena as, "A night dedicated to Latino music, and cultural awareness."
Agustin Alvarez accompanied Rivero on the guitar, playing with a smooth strum that adapted as the tempo of Rivero's voice rose and fell with passion. Both Rivero and Alvarez grew up in Argentina and have been playing music for about 16 years, but this was the first time they had played together. The duet played classic tango songs such as "La Ultima Curda y La Narajoen Flor."
About a half an hour into the set, professional tango dancers Sarah Graff, Misha Goro, and Olga Kokaurova from Dance Connection slipped onto the stage. The dancers melted the eyes of many as they entangled and slid across the dance floor. After a few songs played, the dancers grabbed members of the audience and swept them off their feet as they tangoed. As the night continued, other artists joined the stage, people mingled, ate well, and laughed often. The event was welcoming to all, and served as an enchanting evening of Latino musica y bailar.
The LCC Thursday series was presented to UIC in the 1970s but never followed through as a consistent event. This school year is the first full year the LCC Thursday series will have organized and presented an event every Thursday for the entire year.
On the evening of Thursday Feb. 16, around 100 students, professors, family, and friends of all ages and ethnicities packed into the Latino Cultural Center to celebrate the first La Pena of 2006. La Pena, an LCC Thursday series event, takes place every third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in Lecture Center B2. Rodrigo Carraminana, the director of the Latino Cultural Center, started off the themed evening "Una Noche de Tango Y Romance," by greeting the crowd and introducing La Pena as, "A night dedicated to Latino music, and cultural awareness."
Agustin Alvarez accompanied Rivero on the guitar, playing with a smooth strum that adapted as the tempo of Rivero's voice rose and fell with passion. Both Rivero and Alvarez grew up in Argentina and have been playing music for about 16 years, but this was the first time they had played together. The duet played classic tango songs such as "La Ultima Curda y La Narajoen Flor."
About a half an hour into the set, professional tango dancers Sarah Graff, Misha Goro, and Olga Kokaurova from Dance Connection slipped onto the stage. The dancers melted the eyes of many as they entangled and slid across the dance floor. After a few songs played, the dancers grabbed members of the audience and swept them off their feet as they tangoed. As the night continued, other artists joined the stage, people mingled, ate well, and laughed often. The event was welcoming to all, and served as an enchanting evening of Latino musica y bailar.
The LCC Thursday series was presented to UIC in the 1970s but never followed through as a consistent event. This school year is the first full year the LCC Thursday series will have organized and presented an event every Thursday for the entire year.