Fabiola Méndez's concert "Afrorriqueña" is a musical tribute to the Jíbaro and African roots in Puerto Rican culture. The music itself, inspired by poetry from Puerto Rican female poets [Angelamaría Davila, Yara Liceaga-Rojas, Ana Teresa Toro & Carmen Colon Pellot to name a few] aims to take the listener through the feelings of pride, beauty, cultural responsibility, and love for afro roots.

With the Puerto Rican cuatro (traditional guitar) as the protagonist of this journey, Fabiola will be accompanied by bassist and producer Juan Maldonado, and percussionist and traditional güiro player Miguel Martínez.

This performance is part of a collaboration between Mayo Street Arts and the East End Community School. This MSA-EECS Partnership is a portion of a year-round approach toward engagement with our neighbors in East Bayside. A committee of elementary students and faculty helps to select artists and tailor workshops to support classroom curriculum. 

Saturday, November 5, 7:30 PM (Doors 7:00 PM), 75-minutes with intermission

Tickets are available for $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and $22 for preferred seating (sliding scale available).

Join the artist earlier in the day at 3:00 PM for the FREE Puerto Rican Folk Music and Traditions Workshop. 

Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

Many thanks to the Docent's Collection for providing lodging for our visiting artists throughout our 2022-2023 season

ARTIST BIOS

Fabiola Méndez is a Puerto Rican cuatro player that has taken part in a musical movement, crossing over the lines of genres such as folkloric, jazz & Latin. A graduate of Berklee College of Music '18, Fabiola has worked and performed for artists such as Totó La Momposina, Eddie Palmieri, Puerto Rican Symphony Orchestra, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Chicago Philharmonic, and Pedro Capó, among others. She was a luminary at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and currently works as an independent artist all around New England, collaborating with organizations such as the MET Museum, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), Celebrity Series of Boston, Hyde Square Task Force, and Agora Cultural Architects.

Miguel Martinez is one of the most esteemed percussionists in the music scene of Boston, Massachusetts today. Miguel is an experienced percussionist in many styles, such as World Music, R&B, Latin, and other genres, especially Folklore music from Puerto Rico. At the age of 4, Miguel began to impress his family with musical actions towards his first instrument the “Puerto Rican guiro”. Miguel later self-taught himself on the congas and other percussion instruments around him. In the world of Tropical music, his professional experiences have given him the opportunity to share the stage with legendary performers such as Jerry Rivera, Andy Montañez, Ismael Miranda, Tony Vega, Jose Alberto “El Canario”-- just to name a few. Miguel is currently a member of "Puchi Colon & Salsa Praise" a ten-piece band based on the East Coast, as well as the “The Eguie Castrillo Palladium Orchestra.” When he's not performing with them, he's recording and performing with other and artists such as Andy Montañez, Angel Lopez y Conjunto Raices, David & Abraham, Endel Dueño, Hector Tricoche, Ismael Miranda, Jerry Rivera, Jesus Pagan, Johnny Rivera, Jose Alberto “El Canario”, Paquito Guzman, Tony Vega, Viti Ruiz, Patty Padilla, Ezequiel Colón, Julio Cesar Sanabria, Pilo el Cirujano.

Juan Maldonado is an educator, producer, composer, studio engineer, and performer appearing in events such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, BeanTown Jazz Festival, Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, Sarasota Jazz Festival, and Heineken Jazz Festival among others. In 2014, Juan was awarded the Berklee Urban Service Award for his outstanding work with youth in Boston and selected as a chair for Boston Creates, a community-wide effort to harness creativity and build a shared vision for arts and culture in Boston. Juan is a Berklee College of Music Alumni and the owner and founder of JM Studio Productions, a music school and recording studio serving Boston residents and surrounding cities. Juan is also the Program Director at Sociedad Latina, a youth development organization based in Mission Hill with a mission to create the next generation of Latino leaders.

SLIDING SCALE POLICY

No one will be turned away for lack of funds; contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org for information on our sliding scale admission policy.

COVID-19 POLICY

Audience members, staff, and volunteers will be asked to mask while not actively eating, or drinking.

Mayo Street Arts is committed to the safety of everyone at our events and will adhere to all Federal & Maine CDC guidelines on the day of the event. As we anticipate mid-season changes to our COVID-19 policy, please click here to visit our website and view the most current information.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Mayo Street Arts has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.