Harmonizing cultures: Intocable, Eliades Ochoa and Cenicienta unite Madison through music and storytelling
Growing up in California and Texas, my exposure to Tejano music and other forms of Latino music and arts began early. I have fond memories of attending fairs, concerts and other cultural gatherings in Texas where many up-and-coming groups and performers first played. Artists and artistic experiences can help mark moments in our lives and provide a sense of familiarity and belonging and shared experience. One such group of artists who has been doing this for 30 years is Grupo Intocable.
One of the most influential groups in the Tejano/Norteño music scene, Intocable recently kicked off their 2024 national tour—with Madison as one of the first stops. On Friday, March 1, guests attended a high-energy Spanish-language concert in the historic Capitol Theater. The packed house—comprised of many Madison-area Latino community members—experienced a night full of magical memories and Tejano/conjunto music, where everyone sang along to their favorite songs. During the show, the lead singer asked the audience who was originally from Texas, Wisconsin or Mexico—with Mexico getting the greatest response. As cheers filled the theater, we were reminded of our shared culture.
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Overture Security Officer Eddie Cabrera, who greets guests at Overture’s main entrance, had many family members attend the show, while he worked security that evening. Cabrera shared what it meant to him to have Intocable perform at Overture:
“To me, it was about, amor, familia y Tejano, right here in the Rotunda.”
The following week, on Thursday, March 7, Eliades Ochoa’s spectacular performance, also in Capitol Theater, offered a similar feeling. Ochoa, a founding member of the Buena Vista Social Club, performed entirely in Spanish and as a welcome, offered “La música es el idioma universal.” Ochoa played many familiar songs, and many guests were literally dancing in the aisles, making Capitol Theater come alive with the joy of dancing and music.
Long-time community partner, Brenda González, director of community relations for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shared about her experience during Ochoa’s performance: “Great staff and amazing customer service. These events make all of us feel welcome in Overture spaces and in this city. Love the fact that multicultural events are part of the program and how these artists feel appreciated. As Eliades Ochoa said, ‘Music has no barriers.’ Music is the universal language that brings different cultures and communities together every time! Mil gracias!”
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On Wednesday, March 13, Capitol Theater came alive once again with an OnStage student field trip program. Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderella Story was told from the perspective of Belinda, a 10-year-old Latina girl who likes to create poetry and has a complicated relationship with her family, similar to Cinderella. The performance weaves puppetry, poetry and storytelling to share this classic tale with cultural significance.
Dominic Ledesma, assistant vice provost for Culture, Climate & Engagement for the Division of Information Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, attended the show as a chaperone for his daughter’s school, Nuestro Mundo. Within the Madison Metropolitan School District, Nuestro Mundo provides Dual Language Immersion (DLI) in Spanish and English for students. Ledesma shared that coming to Overture Center as a parent chaperone has always been a dream of his because his own parents were never able to do this due to their jobs.
Ledesma said, “to chaperone a field trip for the first time with our daughter was cool, but to do it while attending Cenicienta was even better. I am always curious as to how Latine cultures and our languages are represented in mainstream spaces. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. After seeing the artist’s use of both, and in ways that appreciated the complexities of who we are as a community was really excellent to see. To me, the art of representation lies within how artists can work within layers of complexity in a relatable and understandable way. Knowing who was in the audience and hearing how the audience reacted, I think the artist achieved this.” And when Ledesma asked his daughter, Citlali, what she liked most about the show, she said, “I liked when she was talking about her parents.”
As Ledesma so beautifully shared, representation like this is so important in the arts, and Overture Center is thrilled to provide meaningful experiences where people feel welcome, like they belong and that their cultural experiences are being valued and shared with an authentic nuance. Intocable, Eliades Ochoa and Cenicienta are shining examples of culturally significant storytelling in the arts.