Los Cien’s 10th Annual Latinx Cultural Experience celebrates culture, early kick off to Hispanic Heritage Month

Los Cien, Sonoma County’s largest professional Latino organization, held a fiesta Friday to celebrate Latino culture, music and food.

The 10th annual Latinx Cultural Experience, held at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, was also an early chance to mark the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Guests ate from an array of Latino food offerings, including empanadas, tacos and churros from La Victoria, Yuca Mami and Sonoma Churros, whose food trucks were parked behind the performing art center’s main lobby.

“It's always great to play for the Latin community, especially when it comes from a social and a community point of view, because people are all under the same roof, the same concept, the same thoughts, you know, which is support, giving,” said Carlos Reyes, an internationally renowned harpist.

The Bay Area-based Paraguayan musician, who has performed with the likes of Steve Miller Band, Wynonna Judd and The Doobie Brothers, played at Los Cien’s inaugural event in 2013 — and every year since.

Reyes told the audience of the historical barriers that prevented him and other artists of color from performing in the mainstream music scene. His performance Friday showcased the power of music and art amid the backdrop of cultural celebration.

“Music is about communicating; music’s about healing. It’s about reaching out to people,” he said.

The event opened with Mateo Guzman playing the guitar, and singing romantic and rock ballads.

“I feel very proud,” he said, to perform for the audience — which included local community leaders.

A regular performer at Mitote Food Park, among other establishments in the county, Guzman said he is thankful a platform like Los Cien’s exists to showcase the county’s Latino community.

The Latinx Cultural Experience started as a celebration of the Luther Burbank Center’s youth mariachi program, LBC Mariachi Ensemble. The center then partnered with Los Cien to celebrate the many diverse local Latino cultures at the event, said Herman G. Hernandez, executive director of Los Cien.

“Today is about enjoying culture, grounding ourselves in our roots and where we come from,” he said.

The center’s student mariachi group was notably absent this year because the event took place during school hours.

“Taking them out of school is always a pain point and kind of goes against the ethics of our program, which is to instill in those students the importance of education and importance in setting themselves up for success,” said Ashleigh Worley, director of education and community engagement at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts.

Organizers are in talks of hosting future installments of the Latinx Experience at a different time for an opportunity to showcase the student performers.

Friday’s event, Worley said, also serves as an early kick-off to Hispanic Heritage Month. And it’s at the beginning of a “season of celebration,” filled with several cultural and heritage commemorations at the art center and across the county that ends with Día de los Muertos on Nov. 2.

One of the center’s biggest events during that time is the free Fiesta de Independencia — or Independence Party — that boasts over 5,000 participants and began as a way to celebrate Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16.

“It's kind of morphed over the years, as you recognize the vast differences in the cultures and backgrounds of the folks who are here, to be a celebration of all of Latin American countries who celebrate independence in and around this time,“ Worley said.

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua celebrate their respective independence days Sept. 15, followed by Chile’s on Sept. 18.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or jennifer.sawhney@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @sawhney_media.