We Are of a Tribe
Celebrating the richness and diversity of the Latin American diaspora, this program brings together contemporary choral works that speak to identity, belonging, and shared humanity.
We Are of a Tribe is centered on a work commissioned by Border CrosSing from Colombian American composer Nico Gutierrez, set to a poem by Mexican American poet Alberto Ríos. The poem imagines the earth beneath us as shifting and uncertain, while the sky above remains a shared home that’s indifferent to passports, fences, and the boundaries we create. The program opens with Atahualpa Yupanqui’s “Los Hermanos,” which is a song that recognizes the people we encounter along life’s journey as brothers and sisters.
Mexican American composer Mari Esabel Valverde’s “Border Lines,” set to a poem by Dominican Cuban American poet Yesenia Montilla, explores the border not simply as a line on a map, but as a force that can separate families, restrict movement, and turn difference into division. Cuban American composer Tania León’s “En el dendero ancho,” with a poem by Cuban American poet Iraida Iturralde, offers a wider perspective. The “wide path” becomes a space of possibility and a reminder of our smallness within the world’s vastness and of our connection to those traveling alongside us.
The program concludes with “Entre a mi pago sin golpear,” a joyful invitation to come in. After an evening exploring borders, displacement, and belonging, the final song offers a simple gesture of welcome. Through a vibrant tapestry of voices and musical traditions, We Are of a Tribe takes audiences on a musical journey through connection, memory, and the communities we create across borders and generations.