Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Arturo Sandoval are among the artists who will perform in Washington next week at a White House celebration of Latin music. “Música Latina: In Performance at the White House,” hosted by the President and First Lady Michelle Obama, will also feature performances by Natalie Cole, Lila Downs, Raul Malo, Prince Royce, Romeo Santos, Alejandro Sanz and Marco Antonio Solís. The concer will be taped in the East Room of the White House on Monday, Sept. 16 and will air next month on PBS.
English- and Spanish-language versions of the concert will air on PBS stations across the country on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. and available to watch online the next day.
This is not the first time Latin music has been celebrated at the White House. In 2009, Marc Anthony, Sheila E., Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, Los Lobos, Thalía are more performed on the South Lawn at “Fiesta Latina,” a concert hosted by Eva Longoria, George Lopez and Jimmy Smits to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
The morning of the concert, the White House will also host a workshop for 130 local middle and high school students called “Celebrando el Ritmo Latino: The History of Latin Music.” The workshop will teach students about Latin music, its subgenres and how it has gained popularity across the world. Romeo Santos, Lila Downs and Marco Antonio Solís will be on hand to answer questions and discuss their musical experiences with the students.
“Música Latina: In Performance at the White House” is the twelfth performance in this series to be created during President Obama’s administration.