Book event: Eugene Rodriguez & Los Cenzontles // Santa Cruz
This special event will also feature a musical performance from Los Cenzontles.
Join us for a special book event with the amazing Eugene Rodriguez and Los Cenzontles.
Bookshop Santa Cruz
Sat. September 14th at 3pm! đđ¶âš
Our director Consuelo Alba will be in conversation with Eugene about his wonderful memoir âBird of Four Hundred Voicesâ.
Space is limited. RSVP for this free event here. https://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/eugene-rodriguez
This is what the critics are saying about the book:
âA son of so much: activism, history, art, pride, California, Mexico and the world. Each sentence, paragraph, page and story is a fandango for the soul.â
-Gustavo Arellano, LA Times Columnist (Ask A Mexican) and Taco USA author âđœđź
âFirmly rooted in tradition and activism, Eugene Rodriguezâs âBird of Four Hundred Voicesâ brings us the extraordinary trajectory of one of the most renowned traditonal Mexican dance (and music) advocates and attests to the tremendous power of cultural affirmation and celebrationâ
-Norma E. CantĂș, coeditor of Dancing Across Borders đđŸđđČđœđŒ
About event:
FREE IN-STORE EVENT:
Bookshop Santa Cruz welcomes Eugene Rodriguez, founder of Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy, for a celebration of his new memoir Bird of Four Hundred Voices: A Mexican American Memoir of Music and Belonging. Rodriguez will be in conversation with Consuelo Alba, a passionate arts leader who unleashes the power of film and culture for social change in Santa Cruz County and beyond. This special event will also feature a musical performance from Los Cenzontles.
“I wish I had studied with Eugene Rodrigeuz when I was growing up. Read this beautifully written book about culture, identity and resilience, and you will know why.” âLinda Ronstadt
Your registration helps us plan for your arrival and keep in touch with any changes. Thank you for registering!
From an early age Eugene Rodriguez knew he was captivated by music. But he found himself encountering the same two problems again and again: the chilly rigidity of so much formal music education, and the underrepresentation of Mexican culture in American media. In 1989 he founded Los Cenzontles (The Mockingbirds), a group that offered music education to Bay Area youth, and that gave pride of place to Mexican musical traditions.
Bird of Four Hundred Voices follows Rodriguez as he leads his young students from a California barrio to uncover their ancestral roots. From their home community in San Pablo, Los Cenzontles journey to fandangos in Veracruz, resurrect a lost mariachi tradition, and collaborate with luminaries like Linda Ronstadt, Lalo Guerrero, Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, Flaco JimĂ©nez, and Los Lobos. Rodriguez’s story offers an honest, deeply personal look at the cultural work that confronts historical oppression and joyously challenges cultural borders. And it is a profound celebration of the powerful influence of Mexico’s musical heritage on American culture.
Eugene Rodriguez is founder and executive director of Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy, a nonprofit based in San Pablo, California. He formed Los Cenzontles in 1989. Rodriguez has produced over thirty albums and numerous films for Los Cenzontles, and he has collaborated with Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Los Lobos, Lalo Guerrero, Ry Cooder, the Chieftains, and Taj Mahal. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR. He is also the recipient of several awards and fellowships, including from the California Arts Council and United States Artists. He lives in Richmond, California.
Consuelo Alba is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Watsonville Film Festival (WFF), a non-profit arts organization offering year-round programs and support for local filmmakers since 2012. The WFF mission is to showcase Latine and Indigenous stories that illuminate our shared humanity and promote positive change. Consuelo was born and raised in Mexico City. Her parents instilled in her a deep appreciation for her culture. Since moving to California 25 years ago, she made it her mission to honor her cultural heritage through her work as a translator, reporter, editor, business owner, documentary filmmaker and cultural activist. She graduated with honors with a BA in Communication Sciences & Journalism from the Universidad Nacional AutĂłnoma de MĂ©xico. She worked as a translator for El Andar, an iconic bilingual magazine in Santa Cruz, and as an editor and reporter with Nuevo Mundo, the Spanish language publication of the San Jose Mercury News. Consuelo serves on the Board of the Arts Council Santa Cruz County and is an inaugural member of Rise Together Coalition. She recently completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business NonProfit Leadership Program and was recognized as a Cultural Leader by the Bay Area Funders for Equity in the Arts.
