Event includes Evening Performances and Daytime Student Workshop
in Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month
Monday, September 16 * White House – As part of their In Performance at the White House series, the President and First Lady will invite music artists to the White House for a celebration of Latin music during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Música Latina: In Performance at the White House will showcase Latin musical heritage, reflecting the influence of richly diverse Latino communities from throughout the Americas. The program celebrates the beauty and diversity of that music. From the lively rhythms of Central America and the Caribbean to the beautiful sounds of South America, Latin music is known for blending a wide variety of styles.
The evening will feature artists Natalie Cole, Lila Downs, Gloria Estefan, Raul Malo, Ricky Martin, Prince Royce, Arturo Sandoval, Romeo Santos, Alejandro Sanz and Marco Antonio Solis. (Program subject to change.) The President’s remarks will be pooled press, and the entire event will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Música Latina: In Performance at the White House will be broadcast Tuesday, October 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings). The program will also be broadcast Sunday, October 13 via the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.
As she has done with previous White House music events, the First Lady will host a special daytime event for students. The First Lady will welcome 130 middle and high school students from around the Washington, D.C. area to take part in an educational workshop, Celebrando el Ritmo Latino: The History of Latin Music. Beginning at 11:00 a.m. in the State Dining Room, The GRAMMY Museum’s Executive Director Robert Santelli will lead the students in an overview of the origins of Latin music, inform them of the elements of the genre, discuss how Latin music has been popularized in other parts of the world and talk about the many subgenres that encompass the larger Latin genre. Some performers from the evening event, including Lila Downs, Romeo Santos and Marco Antonio Solis, will share their experiences as well as answer student questions about the music and entertainment world.
The workshop will stream live on www.whitehouse.gov/live. This event will be open press, but space is limited. Members of the media who wish to cover this event must RSVP to firstladypress@who.eop.gov by Thursday, September 12 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Press who do not have a White House hard pass must include a social security number, date of birth, country of citizenship, current city/state of residence, and gender.
Música Latina: In Performance at the White House will be the twelfth In Performance at the White House program during President Barack Obama’s administration. From February 2009 to the most recent broadcast in May 2013, these latest In Performance at the White House events have honored the musical genius of Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Carole King, Burt Bacharach and Hal David; celebrated Hispanic musical heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month; marked Black History Month with events featuring the music from the Civil Rights Movement, Motown, Memphis Soul and the Blues; explored the history of the uniquely American art form of Country music; and spotlighted Broadway and the exceptional spirit of the American musical. The star-studded lineups have included Marc Anthony, Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Jamie Foxx, José Feliciano, Dave Grohl, Herbie Hancock, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Nathan Lane, Queen Latifah, John Legend, Eva Longoria, Lyle Lovett, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Smokey Robinson, Seal, Jerry Seinfeld, Esperanza Spalding, Elaine Stritch, James Taylor, Justin Timberlake and Jack White, among others.