WPAA
Continuing the celebration of its 50th season, Western Plains Arts Association brings Marimba Sol De Chiapas to Hoxie High School auditorium on Sunday, Oct. 11. The group will offer a free pre-concert workshop starting at 1:30 p.m. at the auditorium for anyone interested.
This project is generously funded by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
Major sponsors include a special grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan.
Marimba Sol De Chiapas is the first professional folkloric music ensemble of its kind permanently-based within the United States and calling Kansas City home since 1991. Now in its 16th year, the evolution of the group was actually started by Dr. Laurence Kaptain in 1988 as Marimba Yajalón. Committed to the authentic performance of the marimba, Marimba Sol de Chiapas (which translates as The Chiapan Sun Marimba Group) maintains an active schedule of performances, recordings, and multi-cultural workshops.
Sol is a Mid-America Arts Alliance-approved Touring Performer with more than 20 years of ensemble highlights ranging from a feature on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and a cameo appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America, to performing at the art world’s premier event of the Americas—Art Basel Miami. From performances at three International Festivals of the Marimba and events hosted by the Mexican Consul of New Orleans celebrating the Bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain, to several Compact Disc recordings. So authentic is their interpretation and approach that the ensemble has toured Mexico on numerous occasions as guests of the Mexican government.
Marimba Sol de Chiapas is North America's premiere professional Mexican Marimba band.
Much more than a musical instrument, the marimba in Mexico is a cultural symbol woven into the fabric of everyday life in the state of Chiapas. It is difficult to walk down any street within the state without hearing las maderas que cantan or what Chiapans affectionately call "the wood that sings." Chiapas is one of Mexico's most isolated and exotic states, which only adds resonance to the combination of reality and legend that surrounds the marimba, its music, and the people who play the instrument.
At first glance, a North American audience sees what they think is a sort of xylophone--and they are right! The marimba is a type of xylophone. There are two most obvious differences--aside from instrument materials/construction and appearance--between the Mexican marimba tradition and the "concert marimba" tradition that most North Americans are familiar with. The first is that the Mexican tradition most always has several musicians performing on a single instrument, whereas the concert tradition usually involves a single solo performer. The second difference is the very distinctive "buzz" that is an integral part of the sound of the Mexican instrument, and that is lacking on the concert version of the marimba.
Eclectic is the best term with which one would describe the repertoire of the marimba. Groups will literally perform any musical work.
— Submitted