Jenna Bacon, Campus Carrier arts and living editor

Last Thursday, Sigma Delta Pi hosted a performance of “Los Valientes” by the Core Ensemble at the Bell Recital Hall. The Department of Fine Arts co-sponsored the event. The Core Ensemble’s “Los Valientes” is a chamber music theater piece that explores the lives of Latin-American historical figures like Diego Rivera, Archbishop Oscar Romero and Joaquin Murrieta, highlighting their contributions to art, human rights and social justice. According to coreensemble.org, the music theatre group aims to “promote intercultural understanding; to explore social justice issues through artistic interpretation.”

Associate Professor of Spanish, World Languages & Cultures Jennifer Corry is the faculty advisor for Sigma Delta Pi. She worked with Director of Visual & Performing Arts Adam Hayes to make this event happen. Since Hispanic Heritage Month began Sept. 15th, this was the perfect time to have it. The performance included acoustic instruments like percussion, a cello and a piano. The music for the show featured songs by a number of Latin American composers including Astor Piazzolla and Osvaldo Golijov

Using music and songs to share important stories is not a new concept. According to Corry, Spanish troubadours used to compose and sing songs to spread news during the Middle Ages, particularly because many people were not able to read other news sources.

“When words are set to music, it seems to deepen the learning experience,” Corry said. “Especially when you add music to the mixture of teaching.”

The show featured a single lead actor who portrayed all three characters. In the first half of the performance, he  embodied Diego Rivera. During the second half of the show, the actor portrayed Archbishop Oscar Romera. He also played Joaquin Murrieta, whose exploits inspired the legend of Zorro.

Diego Rivera was a renowned Mexican muralist who was famous for his large-scale frescoes. These art pieces helped to establish the Mexican mural movement. Rivera’s art often included social and political themes, which showed his beliefs in communism and represented the hardships of the working class. “Detroit Industry Murals” and “Man at a Crossroads” are two of his most famous pieces, known for their bold colors. 

Archbishop Oscar Romero was a religious leader in the Salvadoran Roman Catholic church. During his lifetime, he became an advocate for human rights. Romero was also a vocal critic of the violence happening during El Salvador’s civil conflict. Most of the violence was perpetrated by the government, leftist guerrillas and right-wing groups. He was assassinated in 1980.

Joaquin Murrieta has often been referred to as the “Robin Hood of El Dorado” due to his vigilante exploits. He was a prominent figure during the Calfornia Gold Rush. Unfortunately, he experienced many tragedies, including the murder of his brother and assault of his wife. His search for revenge against the individuals who had wronged him launched him into a life of crime. He eventually became a folk hero among Mexican Americans, inspiring the legendary stories of Zorro.

Corry shares why seeing these historical figures being portrayed on stage is so important for Latin American history.

“It’s one thing to read these stories in a history book,” Corry said. “It’s another thing to have an actor capture the essence of what that person was.” 

Spanish major Bree Durham is currently taking a class titled “Cultural Icons of Hispanic World,” so this performance was a way for her to enhance her learning experience. According to Durham, the day following the show, her class discussed the performance and how each character was portrayed. Durham shared some additional takeaways she got from watching  the performance.

“Seeing works of art like that helped me to have a better understanding of Latin-American culture,” Durham said.  “To really feel these stories and see it in a show was a different experience, and it definitely helped solidify who those people are in my mind.”

Communications major Chika Lavelle also attended the show. According to Lavelle, she wasn’t initially engaged with the performance, but as she continued to watch, she began to become more invested in the storyline.

“By the second half of the show, when he began to play Oscar Romero and Joaquin Murrieta, I was more interested in the musical aspect of the story,” said Lavelle. “It was interesting to hear about these people and then see how they were depicted through a musical performance.”

The Core Ensemble’s performance of “Los Valientes” was a beautiful way to pay tribute to three prominent figures in Latin American History. Through a combination of music, theatre, and story-telling skills, this performance was able to entertain and educate an audience. This historical narrative displayed the importance of cultural representation and the lasting impact of some major historical figures.