Museum Hosts Children’s Program with Jarabe Mexicano

The talented musical quintet Jarabe Mexicano will be performing a special program geared towards youth and teens at the Museum of Ventura County, noon to 1 p.m., July 18 in the plaza. Jarabe Mexicano combines stunning vocals, traditional mariachi instruments and percussion with a Spanish and English songbook that includes cumbias, sones, boleros, huapangos, reggae, DooWop and other American classics. Jarabe Mexicano will later be giving a public performance in Mission Park, 5-7:00 p.m., sponsored by the Ventura Music Festival. Both the museum program and the Mission Park concert are free to attend.

The five members of Jarabe Mexicano are bi-lingual with extensive backgrounds in music education. Members of the quintet include:

Gustavo Alcoser, a classically-trained vocalist, is a founding member of San Diego Pro Arte Voices and researcher on Indigenist contributions to Mexico.

Jose Martin Marquez is a veteran session artist and deep student of Mexican folkloric music. He plays a requinto, the smaller, higher pitched version of a classical guitar.

Kevin Lomes, a classically-trained vocalist, performs on the small “tenor range” guitar called a vihuela.

Chris A. Behrens, a veteran mariachi, plays guitarrón, a very large, deep-bodied Mexican six-string acoustic bass.

Danny Brito is also a composer and visual artist. He conducts master classes for top percussionists in the US.

For more information on the museum program, call 805-653-0323. For information on the Ventura Music Festival concert, visit http://www.venturamusicfestival.org/schedule/jarabe-mexicano/.