A fiesta of community cultural celebration, education, diversity and musical excellence in Musiko Musika’s Voces Festival, returning to the Lyric Hammersmith for its 7th edition.

 

This final concert of the Voces Festival 2024 is a unique and remarkable musical journey into the spirit and amazing world of Quimantu, the ECCO Orchestra and the outstanding work of Musiko Musika. 

 

Quimantu’s distinctive sound is a celebration of ancient and modern influences with a repertoire reaching from Latin America to England and far beyond. Featuring the exquisite vocals of lead singer Laura Venegas-Rojas, the group combines virtuoso musicianship on a panoply of strings, percussion and wind, with the superb and brilliant violin playing of Rachel Pantin and the great artistry and beauty of the songwriting and arranging of the group’s director Mauricio Venegas-Astorga. The result is Quimantu’s uniquely creative exploration of Chilean and Latin American music and culture with a contemporary London twist from that entertains and informs, touching souls and minds with equal depth.  

 

And with Musiko Musika celebrating a milestone 15 years of the Ethnic Contemporary Classical Orchestra (ECCO), we are delighted to announce that Quimantu will also be joined on-stage by this truly inspirational group of young musicians. The social and cultural impact of the ECCO has been at the forefront of Musiko Musika’s achievements as an organisation committed to improving the lives of young people and communities through music, culture and education. 

 

“Their recent magical concert at London’s Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith was yet another reminder that Quimantú is one of the most talented groups of musicians performing in the UK today. Throughout that thrilling concert at the Lyric, we were gifted the dazzling voice of Mauricio’s daughter, Laura Venegas-Rojas, which can be both tender and forceful – sometimes in the very same song.”

Adam Feinstein

 

“This truly was a master class in world folk music which stretched from la cordillera, through the Amazon all the way up to Cuba before reaching the Celtic highlands. Now that’s a journey worth exploring! A musical History of Latin America!” 

Latino Music UK

 

And here’s what the audience told us about the Voces Festival 2023:

“Quimantu are a quite magical mix of musical skill, voice, instruments and always bringing in new people to engage with their work.”

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“A truly fantastic show.”