Latinos in Illinois and the USA: Music as a Cultural History

Music can be viewed and “read” as a tool to share the cultural values, roots, and history of a community. Numerous musical genres have shared the concerns of the Latino community throughout the years. Please join us as Catalina Maria Johnson presents an overview of music in the U.S. Latino community from the last 75 years as a way to understand the history, roots, and concerns of Latinx Americans, with a special emphasis on Mexican and Puerto Rican musicians in Illinois who have profoundly marked our state’s culture and music.

Catalina Maria Johnson, Ph.D., is a Chicagobased journalist. She hosts and produces Beat Latino, which airs in Chicago on Vocalo Radio 91.1 FM (Chicago Public Media). She is a regular contributor to National Public Radio, Bandcamp, Downbeat, and other media outlets. She also serves on the editorial board of Revista Contratiempo.

This event is made possible through the Road Scholars Speaker Bureau of Illinois Humanities, the Illinois affiliate of the National Endowment for Humanities. The event is free to all, but space is limited so reserve your place by calling the museum at 708-848-6755 or contacting us on our website.