Qué Lisura! An unforgettable night in Charlotte.

salasartagency
Apr 23
2 min read

Updated: 15 minutes ago

Amid applause and a standing ovation from the audience, María Elena Pacheco and Ernesto Hermoza offered a beautiful concert in Central Piedmont Community College's Tate Hall entitled "Qué Lisura!" (What Lisura!), a Peruvian Creole expression referring to the grace and charm of someone who sings or dances well.

Maria Elena Pacheco and Ernesto Hermoza in Qué Lisura! (Photo: Keudis Sánchez)

María Elena is one of Peru's most distinguished violinists, a member and first violin of the National Symphony Orchestra. She trained in Germany and has a long artistic career that also includes a notable foray into Peruvian popular music for several years. In this field, María Elena has achieved significant recognition; she has accompanied many of the most representative artists of coastal and Andean musical genres, such as Cecilia Bracamonte and Susana Baca; she has toured nationally and internationally and participated in renowned recordings.

Ernesto Hermoza, for his part, is one of Peru's leading guitarists. A self-taught composer and passionate about flamenco, jazz, and Peruvian Creole music, his artistic life revolves around international tours, concerts, and extensive recording sessions. His hard work has earned him three Latin Grammy nominations and a gold record, and he has represented Peru at various guitar festivals around the world, playing with world-class musicians such as Quincy Jones, Ralph Towner, Frank Bungarten, Marco Pereira, and El Cigala, among others.

The concert program included festejos, marineras, and Peruvian tonderos, such as "El Mayoral," "Toromata," "El Palmero," and "Quiero que estás conmigo," among others; a nod to the North American repertoire with "Qué mundo tan maravilloso" (What a wonderful world); and even a heartfelt tribute to the violin of Huanquian maestro Zenobio Dagha, which concluded with a mix of northern marineras, elegantly danced by Ángela Castillo and Mauricio Salas.

Angela Castillo and Mauricio Salas dancing Marinera Norteña. (Photo: Keudis Sánchez)

Salas Art Agency presented this extraordinary string duo for the first time in Charlotte, thanks to La Casa de la Cultura, led by Milagros Ugueto and Keudis Sánchez, and the support of Alicia's Kitchen and Coco Cleaning Services, companies committed to Latinx culture and art. The concert was also captured by the fine lens of Ernesto Moreno, a prominent Peruvian audiovisual artist in Charlotte.

It was undoubtedly an unforgettable evening, one we hope to repeat soon.