Las Américas en Concierto

Las Américas en Concierto (LAEC)

Founder and Artistic Director of Las Américas en Concierto, composer Alba Potes, saw the need to add the voices of composers from all of the Americas to the musical and cultural dialogue of New York City.

On May 30, LAEC presented a varied program of music by composers from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Canada, and the US.

An example of the north/south dialogue found in this program were the juxtapositions of Augusta Ives lyrics in English, set by Charles Ives, and those same lyrics translated into Spanish and set to music by Alba Potes.

Cradle song
poem by Augusta Ives, set by Charles Ives

Hush thee, dear child, to slumbers;
We will sing softest numbers;
Naught thy sleeping encumbers.

Summer is slowly dying;
Autumnal winds are sighing;
faded leaflets are flying;

Brightly the willows quiver;
Peacefully flows the river;
So shall love flow forever.

Canción de cuna
(translated and set by Alba Potes)

Calma mi niño, duérmete
tú y yo cantaremos suavemente
que nada enturbie tu sueño

Lento el verano se está yendo; l
os vientos del otoño cantan,
las hojas en pedazos vuelan,

los brillos de los sauces tiemblan;
fluye el río en calma y así
fluirá el amor siempre.