Villalobos Brothers bring a blend of folk, jazz and classical music to ECC Oct. 7
The Villalobos Brothers will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive in Elgin.
Featuring a joyous mix of singing, strings, percussion, and contagious charisma, Villalobos Brothers' electrifying performances are anchored by its namesake brothers' virtuosic violins and voices.
One of today's leading contemporary Mexican music ensembles, the band's original compositions and arrangements celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music while masterfully blending it with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music.
Tickets are $9 to $25.
For tickets, call the ECC Arts Center box office at (847) 622-0300 or visit tickets.elgin.edu.
The Villalobos Brothers were born and raised in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. They spent their childhood listening to their grandmother Cristina Vásquez sing and play guitar and accordion after a day's work.
They took up the violin as children and soon learned to sing and play other instruments, including guitar and piano.
The Villalobos Brothers deliver an intoxicating brew of brilliance, cadence and virtuosity that awaken the senses and mesmerize the listener.
In 2013 they performed at Cumbre Tajin, one of the most important music festivals in Latin America, where they shared the stage with Regina Spector, Pet Shop Boys and Los Tigres del Norte.
Later that year, they became the Ultimate winners of the "2013 Battle of the Boroughs", one of National Public Radio's flagship competitions sponsored by The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, WNYC and WQXR's in New York City.
They were the first Mexican band ever to play at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC, as featured guest artists, adding this historic venue to an already impressive list of credits that includes the Latin Grammy Awards, Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations, Rockefeller Center, the New York Mets field at Shea Stadium, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, New Victory Theatre in Broadway, The Miller Stage in Milwaukee, The Ford Theatres in Hollywood, and Teatro Amadeo Roldán in Havana.
In February 2014 they performed for the first time in Asia for more than 3,000 IIT students at the opening night of Alcheringa Atlantis, the largest music festival in North East India.
During the summer they toured the United States with concerts in California, New Jersey, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Texas, and were invited to perform in Moscow, Russia, as special guests during the Mexican Independence Day celebration.
In 2015, the group was chosen as Musical Artist in Residence for Lincoln Center Education, 92nd Y, Latino Arts, and The New York Botanical Garden's record-breaking exhibit "Frida Kahlo: Art, Garden, Life". The Villalobos Brothers have collaborated with legendary musicians including Grammy winners Arturo O'Farrill, Antonio Sánchez, Dan Zanes, and many others.
To learn more about the ensemble, visit sroartists.com/artists/villalobosbrothers/ or www.facebook.com/villalobosbrothers/.
This presentation is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council and the Crane Group.