World Music Series welcomes LADAMA to Rochester
Five artists, representing four countries, are coming to southeast Minnesota for three shows, two of them in Rochester, for a one-of-a-kind experience.
The lineup of performances from the internationally-acclaimed musical group LADAMA are part of Riverside Concerts’ 2019 World Music Series.
The group, known for their danceable musical arrangements, will host two free mini-concerts — one at Austin’s Paramount Theatre and another at Rochester’s Mayo Civic Center — before performing a full-length ticketed show Thursday evening in the Rochester Civic Theatre’s Black Box.
Who they are
The origins of LADAMA trace back to 2014 when Lara Klaus, Daniela Serna, Mafer Bandola and Sara Luca met while participating in OneBeat, an artist residency that brings together musicians from all over the world. (A fifth collaborator, Pat Swoboda, also performs with the group as a bassist.)
In their initial collaborations, the group discovered synergy in blending together musical styles and traditional instruments from their respective countries. They also had a desire to share their cultures with the world and to empower others, especially young women, to do the same.
Today, the group travels the globe — often hosting youth workshops to accompany their on-stage performances. As group member Mafer Bandola tells us, “We are musicians, but we are also educators.”
Bandola’s stage name reflects her instrument of choice, the Bandola Llanera, an obscure four-stringed, guitar-looking instrument from her native country of Venezuela. The group also features musicians performing the Tambor Alegre from Colombia and the Pandeiro from Brazil.
Together, they use these instruments — along with superb vocals — to create a style that connects their cultural roots with their modern musical sensibilities. What results are rhythms that make you want to move.
“If you see us, you hear us, you will feel that sensation,” says Bandola.
Concert details
There are three opportunities to see LADAMA this week:
Wednesday
7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre in Austin (mini concert)
Admission is free.
Thursday
1 p.m. at the Mayo Civic Center, Suite 101, in Rochester (mini concert)
Admission is free.
7 p.m. in the Rochester Civic Theatre’s Black Box (full-length concert)
Tickets are $17. They can be purchased online, at the Riverside Concerts office in City Hall, or through the RCT box office.
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