Annual Navidad Latina brings songs and celebration for the Christmas season

The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart presented its annual Navidad Latina concert on Dec. 9 to a crowd of Spanish and English speakers for a joyous presentation of Spanish Christmas carols or villancicos.

The annual concert featured the Cathedral Spanish Choir, instrumentalists, and singers from Spanish-speaking parishes of the Archdiocese, under the direction of Olfary Gutiérrez, director of the Hispanic Music Ministry. A children’s choir called the “Los Querubines de la Catedral” (The Cathedral Cherubs) also sang.

The instrumentalists surrounded Gutiérrez with a harp, piano, organ, flute, bass, percussion, siku, charango, and guitars. This year’s concert repertoire consisted of classic Christmas carols mixed with regional songs from Ecuador, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Brazil.

The concert’s program was in both Spanish and English to invite all participants to join.

“We are having more and more participation from the non-Spanish-speaking community, and they’re learning more and more about our traditions. They want to come and hear the different traditional music of other countries,” Gutiérrez said. “They participate and join in with the songs, and it’s great to see more people.”

During various points of the presentation, Gutiérrez would stop conducting the choir and face the audience, encouraging them to sing along.

Two young women dressed as the Angel Gabriel and Mary and a young man dressed as Joseph sat at the left side of the altar. During the song “Claveles y Rosas” (Carnations and Roses), children dressed as angels paraded down the aisle and sat on the stairs of the altar with their hands held in prayer. Men, women, and children dressed as shepherds settled on the right side of the stairs of the altar. Finally, three men dressed as the three kings walked down the center of the cathedral and stood in the middle of the altar.

During breaks in singing, Bible verses were read to frame and introduce the upcoming songs and themes.

At the concert’s end, Gutiérrez thanked all the concert attendees and the Cathedral’s rector, Father Bismarck Chau. Special thanks were also given to Deacon Eduardo Pons, who had photographed the Navidad Latina since its inception.

The Navidad Latina concert has been performed for 15 years. The repertoire varies from year to year, with villancicos that come from different countries and Latin traditions. Some of the carols are traditional or more recent compositions. In the past years, the repertoire has included songs not only in Spanish but also in Portuguese, Quechua, and Nahuatl.

“I never want to miss it,” Maria Aurrea, a concert attendee, said. “It’s a beautiful event where we can meet together as the Hispanic community.”

Olfary Gutiérrez, Director

Kristin Dabaghian, Piano/ organ

Sopranos: Patricia Bautista, Clara Luz Iranzo, Sylvia Fragoso, Lina GarcÍa, Luz Adriana González, Pastora Hernández, Ana M. Lamboy, Kenia Marín, Irina Rindzuner, Nachi Santos, Victoria Torres

Altos: Viviana Batís, Lismarie Chigo, Zulma Cossio, Linda García, Lilia Jarrín, Janette Lallier, Caridad Pelayo, Christine Neville, María Torres

Tenors: John Alarcón, Henriberto Calle, Manuel Calle, Brian Jamieson, Isaías Ramírez, Everett Sutttle, Oscar Villata, Vern Woodhead

Baritones: Edward Calle, Argelio Díaz, Kevin Pruner, Luis Rojas, Ricardo Rosa, Jairo Santana

Cherbus of the Cathedral: Jazmín Colindre, Valerie Ayala, Jade García, Yorley Urgiles, Guillermo Verdugo, Bianca Flores, Camilla Flores, Brandy Molina, Noe Molina, Evelyn Molina, Scarlet Lazo, Elizabeth Lema, Issac Roldán

Instrumentalists: Carol Escobar, Harp; Efraín Chuquirruna, Guitar/ Charango/ Siku; Ramiro Gamaz, Guitar; Victor Licera, Guitar; Janette Lallier, Flute; Michael Harrist, Bass; James Musto, Percussion