Cantat a History in Brief

AMERICA CANTAT A HISTORY IN BRIEF by Oscar Escalada Editor’s Note: The America Cantat Orga- ductors were invited to lead concerts, nization in conjunction with the American including Carlos Alberto Pinto Fonseca Choral Directors Association will host from Brazil, Alice Parker from the United America Cantat 8 August 21-31, 2016, in States, and Eric Ericson from Sweden, Nassau, Bahamas, at the Atlantis Resort who brought his marvelous Eric Eric- of the Paradise Island. This will be the fi rst son Chamber Choir. The gala concerts time that the festival will be held in a were held at the Auditorium of Mar del non-Latin language country. The following Plata. The hall was designed as one fl oor, article is a brief overview of the history of which allowed us to seat all the choirs America Cantat. At the end you will fi nd a spread out along the balconies. Each preview of the events and workshops that choir sang one song as an introduction. will take place during the 2016 Festival. Photo 1. Oscar Escalada and Ricardo The closing gala with the mass choir Denegri, founders of the America Cantat was conducted by Alice Parker and per- Festivals in 1992. The America Cantat Festivals were formed on the stairs of the Cathedral of founded in Argentina in 1992 by Ricardo Mar del Plata. (Photo 2) Denegri, Emilio Morales, Maria Susana to meet the president of IFCM, Royce The Latin American audience is very Colombo, Luis Clemente, and Oscar Saltzman; then executive director of expressive; if they like the performance, Escalada to celebrate 500 years since ACDA, Gene Brooks; and Walter Collins, they will demonstrate it to the artist October 12, 1492—the day Christo- president of ACDA. Many other national with shouts, whispers, and sometimes pher Columbus arrived on the island and international renowed conductors by singing, “No se va, el coro no se va, el that he named San Salvador, which to- were in attendance. International con- coro no se va, el coro no se va.” (They day belongs to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The idea for the America Cantat Festivals was borrowed from our sister festival, Europa Cantat. In 1988, Emilio Morales participated in the festival in Pécs, Hungary, and when he came back he called us very excited, saying, “Hey, why don’t we do something like this here?” America Cantat 1 was held in Octo- ber 1992 in Mar del Plata, a beautiful city by the Atlantic Ocean in the Province of Buenos Aires. It was produced by the Sociedad de los Encuentros Corales. I remember that we had the pleasure Photo 2. Closing gala of America Cantat11.. CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 55 Number 9 41 AMERICA CANTAT don’t leave, the choir will not leave, the choir will not leave, the choir will not leave.) I remember that this hap- pened at the end of the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir’s performance; Eric was astonished and couldn’t believe such an explosion and excitement was going on. He told us later that he had never seen such an emotional way of express- ing the audience’s acceptance of the choir. When the choir left the stage, the audience gave a standing ovation and continued with their song, wanting the choir to come back and continue singing. The choir sang six more pieces, and people still continued with an enormous excitment. That was an unforgettable fi rst experience. America Cantat 2 was held in 1996, Photo 3. Alberto Grau, Jose Antonio Abreu, and María Guinand. also in Mar del Plata. It was produced by the Argentine Association for Choral early in the afternoon. For that occasion, by Carlos López Puccio, the Coro Uni- Music “America Cantat” (AAMCANT) we invited the Schola Cantorum de versitario de Mendoza conducted by using the same venues that had been Caracas conducted by María Guinand Felipe Valesi, and the Coral Femenino used four years before but adding the and the Cuban group Exaudi conducted de San Justo conducted by Roberto central hall of the Grand Hotel Provin- by María Felicia Perez. Great Argentine Saccente. Erkki Pohjola came from cial of Mar del Plata, where the people choirs were also invited such as the Es- Finland, and although he was not able could enjoy great choirs performing tudio Coral de Buenos Aires conducted to bring his Tapiola Children’s Choir, he conducted the workshops for children choirs’ conductors. I brought my Chil- dren’s Choir of the Teatro Argentino, the Opera House of the Province of Buenos Aires, to participate as the “pilot choir.” Other clincians were Lynn Whitten, Jerry McCoy, and Robert Ray from the United States; Maria Felicia Pérez from Cuba; Elsa Lakschevitz from Brazil; Alberto Grau, María Guinand, and Oscar Galian from Venezuela; and Alberto Balzanelli, Felipe Valesi, Roberto Saccente, Luis María Serra, Damián Sánchez, Hugo de la Vega, and Néstor Andrenacci from Argentina. (Photo 3) America Cantat 3 was held in Ca- racas, Venezuela, during Easter 2000. The festival was produced by Schola Cantorum de Caracas with María and Photo 4. A performance during America Cantat 3. Alberto leading it. It was the fi rst time that we used a big theatre like the Teresa 42 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 55 Number 9 A HISTORY IN BRIEF Photo 5. The Arts Center housed workshops for America Cantat 4. Carreño, and it was a fantastic and mod- ern hall with many other smaller halls where the workshops were scheduled. (Photo 4) I cannot forget the day we heard the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, the main Digna Guerra with Oscar Escalada and Roberto Valera at America Cantat 5. orchestra of the Sistema de Orquestas Juveniles de Venezuela founded by José bridge at America Cantat 3. (America Cantat Organization, ACO) Antonio Abreu in 1978. After introduc- America Cantat 4 was held in Mex- was formed. ing the orchestra, a young man was ico D.F. during Easter 2004 in the Arts America Cantat 5 was held in Ha- invited to conduct the orchestra. He Center of Conaculta. The festival was vana, Cuba, during Easter 2007 and was was just a boy of sixteen or seventeen produced by Gerardo Rabago Palafox. produced by the Music Cuban Institute years old. When he began directing, Mexico has beautiful churches all over (Instituto Cubano de la Música) at the the audience was puzzled that such a the city, and the organizers used many of Palacio de Convenciones, a huge build- young boy was charged with leading the them for concerts. The workshops were ing where the People’s Assembly takes orchestra. He conducted the Malambo spread out in the Arts Center (Photo place. Cuban choirs such as Exaudi, by Alberto Ginastera, and gradually we 5), and at lunch and dinner everybody conducted by María Felicia Perez; the were overwhelmed with his extraordi- met together under a big tent where National Choir of Cuba, conducted nary musicality and precision—and he they could make new friends and share by Digna Guerra; Schola Cantorum was conducting by memory! This young experiences. Coralina, conducted by Alina Orraca; man was Gustavo Dudamel, who later A historic moment for the America and the Chamber Choir of Matanzas, became one of the most important Cantat was when representatives of conducted by José Antonio Méndez, contemporary conductors in the world. Argentina (Ricardo Denegri and Oscar Erkki Pohola introduced Songbridge, Escalada), Venezuela (María Guinand and a great project of his that included origi- Alberto Grau), Mexico (Gerardo Ra- nal music composed by local composers bago Palafox), and Cuba (Digna Guerra) in conjunction with the local children’s signed “The Declaration of Mexico” choirs. The show was very touching with witnesses from IFCM (Jean-Claude because the conductors wrote their Wilkens and Dolf Rabus). This was the pieces with the participation of the fi rst document where these countries audience. The Des Moines Children’s agreed to work together with the aim Choir (United States), Coro de Niños y of making it possible for other American Jóvenes Ars Nova de Salta (Argentina), countries to host the America Cantat and Pequeños Cantores de al Schola Festival every three years. Thus, the (Venezuela) were part of the Song- Organización America Cantat, OAC CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 55 Number 9 43 AMERICA CANTAT gave the welcome, singing works by Cuban composers Roberto Valera and Guido Lopez Gavilan. The closing gala was held at the Teatro Karl Marx, and the Swedish choir Amanda and the Cuban group Vocal Sampling gave outstanding performances. The 4,000-seat hall was completely full. Some of the outstanding conductors invited to lead the workshops were Electo Silva and Sonia McCormack from Cuba; Doreen Rao from Canada; Victor Alarcón from Chile; André Pires from Brazil; Robert Sund from Sweden; and Nestor Zadoff, Ricardo Barrera, and Dante Andreo from Argentina. The Songbridge was also included, but un- fortunately it was without Erkki, who passed away some time before. An outstanding concert was presented at the Amadeo Roldan Theatre featuring Leaders receive recognition at America Cantat 7. Chucho Valdés and Omara Portuondo, a famous Cuban pianist and singer. Colombia, during Easter 2013. The fes- America Cantat 8 America Cantat 6 was held in Juiz tival was produced by the Corporación The America Cantat Organization de Fora, Brazil, during Easter 2010. It Coral de Colombia at the Cosmos 100 is looking forward to hosting America was produced by the University of Juiz Hotel. The Swingle Singers from England, Cantat 8 in Nassau, Bahamas. Following de Fora, and Lazare Edwueme traveled the Philippine Madrigal Singers from are some of the events and workshops from Africa to work on African music as Philippines, Entrevoces from Cuba, and that will be available.

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