LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — Music from Poplar Hill, St. Mary’s Recreation and Parks, and St. Mary’s Arts Council are joining forces to bring a one-of-a-kind musical experience to the residents of St. Mary’s in celebration of Latin American Heritage Month. Raíces Negras will perform on Thursday, Sept. 25, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Carver Recreation Center, located at 7382 Lincoln Ave., Lexington Park. The event is free to the public.
A ticketed concert is scheduled for the following evening, Sept. 26, in Valley Lee, Maryland. Additional details for that concert can be found here.
Raíces Negras is a 12-person ensemble led by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell, a flutist and professor who has spent his career traveling, performing, teaching and advocating for the arts. Raíces Negras is a music collective celebrating Black and Latine voices across the Americas with chamber music repertoire ranging from the rich timbral colors of modern Pierrot ensemble works, to the Afro-Brazilian swing of choros, to the polyphonic rhythmic framework of Afro-Cuban jazz and everything in between. The group respects traditional genres while also bending and blending them with improvisatory intersections. It is also just one of Dr. Mitchell’s musical projects.
Poplar Hill Music’s artistic director, Eliza Garth, knew that Mitchell and Raíces Negras would be a great fit for the Latin American Heritage Month celebrations in St. Mary’s County. She previously brought Dr. Mitchell’s Brazilian Choro music performance to Poplar Hill several years ago. She loved how engaged he was with the audience and his ability to teach throughout the performance.
Music from Poplar Hill is a music series dedicated to bringing in programming that is not available elsewhere in the county and focusing on “top-notch, high-performing guests” from nearby urban centers. The series is now in its sixth year and typically hosts events at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Valley Lee. The group aims to present the community, especially kids, with different kinds of music and offer an educational component alongside it.
“What we look for is artists who are well established, professional musicians but who also have a real passion for teaching,” Garth said.
Because of this combination, Garth knew Mitchell would be a great fit for the Latin American Heritage Month celebration. His passion, knowledge and ability to connect with the audience and share information about the music set this type of event apart from others. It gives the audience the chance to learn something new and connect with the community through music.
Mitchell wrote an emailed statement sharing his excitement for the event. “The infectious Cuban charanga band dance music is distinctive American music with a rich history of cultural and musical integration. African polyrhythmic chants and drums, European social dances, Spanish language and song, and other influences combine to create Latin American music that has mesmerized the world from the dance craze of the 1940s/50s to today. We can’t wait to move and groove with you. ¡A bailar, a gozar!”
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