$30 | $20 under 35 | $10 Students
With an aggressive, tight, yet sensitive style that balances the traditional with the contemporary, global and local, Plena Libre creates a brand of music and live performance that is both profoundly Puerto Rican and universally appealing. Filtering the sounds of various Afro-Caribbean forms like merengue, cumbia, mambo and salsa through a unique set of artistic sensibilities, this versatile collection of expert performers creates a celebratory spectacle and engaging sonic ecstasy. Thrilling audiences around the world, from the Fez Festival in Morocco to the Playboy Jazz Festival, Plena Libre is a train that just keeps picking up steam as it charges ahead in unexpected and exciting directions.
Plena Libre presents a mainstage performance in UChicago’s Mandel Hall. With its unique, modern blend of a hard-hitting horn section, master hand drummers, and lush three-part vocal harmonies, Plena Libre infuses contemporary Caribbean compositions with a deep sense of indigenous musical traditions, reviving a century-old style for a new generation.
This concert is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Presented in partnership with the Center for Latin American Studies.
UChicago Presents events are open to all invitees regardless of vaccination status and, because of ongoing health risks, particularly to the unvaccinated, participants are expected to adopt the risk mitigation measures (masking and social distancing, etc.) appropriate to their vaccination status as advised by public health officials or to their individual vulnerabilities as advised by a medical professional. Public convening may not be safe for all and carries a risk for contracting COVID-19, particularly for those unvaccinated. Participants will not know the vaccination status of others and should follow appropriate risk mitigation measures.