FIESTA CONCERT Educational Study Guide MEET FLOR

Hello friends/Hola amigos! My name is Flor, I was born in Trujillo, Peru. I am a bilingual actress/singer/songwriter, storyteller and puppeteer. My love for music started at a very early age. When I was 4 years old I used to sing in front of the mirror and perform for my family.

I wrote my first song at the age of 14. After High School, I went to a Performing School in Peru and then I moved to NYC to study Musical Theatre. I recently released my second bilingual family “Fiesta Global”, which is an invitation to dance around the world.

FIESTA GLOBAL FIESTA GLOBAL is an invitation to dance around the world. In this new bilingual album we will discover our roots and learn about our own and other cultures while traveling to the places where the rhythms were born. We all come from somewhere else. FIESTA GLOBAL’s message is to demonstrate that we are all global citizens and that music is universal. The album has musical genre influences from all over the world: Peruvian Marinera, Son Jarocho, NOLA Jazz, Punk Rock, Batucada, Cumbia, Merengue and Ska, among others, are some of the rhythms you will find in this album.

Are you familiar with Latin American Music? Which place in Latin America would you like to visit? THE INSTRUMENTS IN THE SHOW

La Guitarra/The It’s a plucked stringed musical instrument that originated in Spain early in the 16th century. It has 6 strings, a flat sounding board and a hole in the center. Flor plays a Washburn Rover traveling acoustic guitar named “Chiquita” and a Taylor electro acoustic guitar named “Bonita”.

The Cajon The cajon is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front or rear faces (made of plywood) with the hands, fingers or sometimes brushes, mallets or sticks.

La Quijada/The Jawbone The quijada de burro is a percussion instrument made from the jawbone of a donkey, horse or mule cattle, producing a powerful buzzing sound. The jawbone is cleaned of tissue and dried to make the teeth loose and act as rattle. It was brought to the Americas by the Africans during the colonial era.

The Keyboard /El Teclado A musical instrument on which different notes can be sounded by pressing a series of keys. It resembles a but can also make other sounds. LALALALALA

THEME: FRIENDSHIP : CUMBIA COUNTRY: COLOMBIA

Lesson 1: Learning about friendship In “Lalalalala” we talk about how important friendship is when we are feeling down and need someone to rely upon, but also when we feel happy and want to celebrate having friends. What are the some of qualities that make a good friend? Do you have a best friend? What do you like about them?

Lesson 2: Learn about Colombia Colombia is a country largely situated in the north of South America. Colombia is ethnically diverse, with its rich cultural heritage reflecting influences by various Amerindian civilizations, European settlement, forced African labor, and immigration from Europe and the greater Middle East. The language that is predominant in Colombia is Spanish. Do you know how to speak Spanish? What are some words you now how to say in Spanish?

Activity: Learn to dance Cumbia Cumbia is Colombia’s national dance, one of its most representative rhythms and the source and inspiration behind much of the country’s popular music. The word cumbia is derived from the African cumbe, which means dance. It represents a blending of cultures both musically and rhythmically during the 17th century when African slaves were brought to Colombia by the Spanish.

DANCING STEPS 1. Start with you feet together 2. Step back with your right foot 3. Step in place with your left foot 4. Bring your right foot forward to neutral 5. Step back with your left foot 6. Bring your left foot forward to neutral 7. Repeat BIRDS FLY

THEME: BIRDS & MIGRATION

Lesson 1: Learn about migration Why do birds migrate? Birds migration is when the birds fly south in the wintertime. Birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. The two primary resources being sought are food and nesting locations.

Lesson 2: Learn about inspiration. What inspired Flor to write this song? I’ve always loved watching the birds fly in a V shape. One day I was looking at the sky and saw them flying and it looked like they were dancing so I came up with a melody to their dance, that’s how I wrote the chorus and then I went home and thought about the verses. I wrote the song first in English and then found places to insert Spanish to make it bilingual.

Activity: Draw your favorite bird WE CAME TO AMERICA THEME: EQUILITY WITHIN RACES, RELIGION, CULTURE

Lesson 1: Who is Faith Ringgold? My song “We Came to America” was inspired by Faith Ringgold’s title book. Faith Ringgold is a painter, writer, mixed media sculptor and performance artist, best known for her narrative quilts. Faith Ringgold was born on October 8, 1930, in Harlem, New York City. Her parents descended from working-class families displaced by the Great Migration. Ringgold was raised in an environment that encouraged her creativity (her mother was a fashion designer and father an avid storyteller). She has written and illustrated 17 children’s books. In her picture books, Ringgold approaches complex issues of racism in straightforward and hopeful ways, combining fantasy and realism to create an uplifting message for children.

Lesson 2: What is Equality? In “We Came to America” we talk about being treated the same no matter our color, race or religion. Equality Is the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities. Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are not treated differently or less favorably , on the basis of their specific protected characteristic, including areas of race, gender, disability, religion or belief, and age. In this song we want to express that no matter where we came from, we are all the same. We should learn to live together and thrive together, encouraging one another and making sure we have the same rights. \

Activity: Learn the chorus of the song in English and Spanish In my upcoming album “FIESTA GLOBAL”, I’ve made two versions of this song, one in English and one in Spanish. You can learn the song in either language and share it with your friends and family.

We came to America Vinimos a America Every color race and religion Con colores, cultos y fe From every country in the world Del Norte, Centro y el Sur We came to America Vinimos a America

Link for song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmEDkbPZcDY … After the show What was your favorite instrument? Why?

What was your favorite song?

If you were a bird and could fly anywhere, where would you go?

Did you learn any new rhythm?

Are you curious to learn more about Latin America and their dances and stories?

Activity: Find a folktale and tell it to your class

I love finding new folktales at the library and tell it to my friends. You can also be a storyteller, you don’t have to memorize the book, just read it, and tell what you remember of it, make your own version of the story! Feel free to add characters, music or make silly voices. Just have fun!

“FIESTA GLOBAL” Now available on