Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, members of the Latine Affinity Group paid tribute to Hispanic artists who have influenced and enriched their lives.

 

Andrés Contreras-Villalta ’25 shared the work of Salvadorean artist Fernando Llort, followed by a poem by Oswaldo Escobar Velado. Sascha Hume ’23 spoke of Chile’s poet, diplomat, and politician Pablo Neruda and shared an archival film of Neruda reading one of his poems. Theo Johnson ’23 (who donned shades to enter Trapier Theater to the music of rapper Pitbull, son of two Cuban immigrants) then spoke of a personal connection to Cuba through his grandfather Gastón Fernández de la Torriente, a poet, lawyer, and professor who emigrated to the United States at age forty. Charlie Boggs ’23 discussed the Buenavista Social Club, an ensemble whose traditional Cuban music—based on the music made popular at the 1940s Havana club of the same name—gained worldwide popularity. Phillip Sosnik ’23 discussed the music of the Argentinian rock group Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota. Zach Cantrell ’23 spoke of Mexico and the Grammy-winning rock music of Café Tacvba. And Anthony Robles ’23 spoke of his Mexican idol Vincente Fernández, known as “El Rey de la Música Ranchera” (The King of Ranchera Music).

 

Head of Upper School Sam Schaffer applauded the students for presenting a “remarkable” range of cultural expression and thanked them for helping make affinity groups such an important part of school life. #DEIatSTA