Tickets will go on sale Monday, April 2, for a concert at Western Carolina University by the acclaimed Afro-Cuban All Stars, a multi-generational band on a mission to share with the world the rich musical heritage of Cuba.
The Afro-Cuban All Stars will perform Tuesday, April 17, to close the 2000-2001 Lectures, Concerts and Exhibitions Series at Western. The concert, to begin at 7:30 p.m., will be held in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center.
Rocketed into the international spotlight by the popular documentary “Buena Vista Social Club,” the Afro-Cuban All Stars have found themselves at the forefront of the recent resurgence of Cuban music. Formed in 1997 by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, the band showcases both the legendary musicians of Cuba’s pre-revolutionary golden age and today’s young rising stars determined to keep the island’s traditions alive.
The group’s Grammy Award-nominated debut album, “A Toda Cuba le Gusta,” has been called an homage to the great Cuban singers and musicians of the 1950s. The band’s latest effort, “Distinto, Diferente,” is broader in scope, paying tribute to the diversity of Cuban music by marrying the island’s past to its present.
Tickets for the Afro-Cuban All Stars performance at Western will be available through the Ramsey Center ticket office, telephone (828) 227-7722. Ticket office hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekdays.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and WCU employees, $5 for children and non-WCU students, and free to WCU students with valid identification.