IL Road Scholar: The Music Tells Our Stories: Latines in Illinois and the USA

This presentation is provided by the Illinois Humanities' Road Scholars Speakers Bureau.

Music can be viewed and “read” as a tool that shares the cultural values, roots, and history of peoples. Numerous Latino musical genres share the concerns of Latinos throughout the years —from songs documenting daily life to celebration tunes to protest music and more— the music tells the stories of our lives.

This program focuses on a broad overview of milestones from the last several centuries years of music in the Latine U.S. as a way of understanding the history, roots, and concerns of Latines in this land, with a special emphasis on Latine populations that have profoundly marked the state of Illinois’ culture and music.

The presentation, paired with slides and musical samples, is lively and focused on participation, discussion, and exploration of complex topics through musical enjoyment!

Catalina Maria Johnson, Ph.D. is a bilingual Chicago-based music journalist. She hosts and produces her own radio show, Beat Latino, which airs in Chicago on Vocalo (Chicago Public Media) and other USA cities. Catalina is also a regular contributor to NPR, Songlines and other publications. She is an editorial board member of Revista Contratiempo and is a speaker on the Illinois Humanities' Road Scholars Speakers Bureau roster. Her music journalism explores the extraordinary diversity of the global music scene with an emphasis on Latine music – from the most traditional roots music to cutting-edge electronic grooves.