¡Cante! Library Invites Families to Bilingual Sing-Along on May 20

Jackson, WY- Teton County Library presents a multi-cultural, musical journey with José-Luis Orozco, a bilingual musician who gets audiences on their feet and singing along in English and Spanish.

Families with children of all ages are invited to join An Evening of Spanish Children’s Music with José-Luis Orozco at 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 20. The bilingual program, presented in the library’s Ordway Auditorium, is free and open to the public.

An award-winning songwriter, recording artist and children’s book author, Orozco takes audiences on a musical tour of Latin America. He has recorded 13 volumes of “Lírica Infantil, Latin American Children’s Music,” and enjoys introducing listeners to songs, rhymes, tongue twisters, lullabies, games and holiday celebrations from Spanish-speaking countries.

“Orozco is one of the few musicians to gather together so many traditional folk songs from across Latin America,” says Patty Rocha, Latino Programs Coordinator. “His performances put Latinos in touch with their cultural roots and inspire pride in those traditions. He’s also translated the songs into English so audiences, who don’t speak Spanish, can appreciate the lyrics too.”

Orozco got an early introduction to music from his paternal grandmother, who taught him many songs during his childhood. At age 8, he joined the Mexico City Boy’s Choir, which allowed him to travel to 32 countries. Seeing such a variety of cultures from Europe to the Caribbean to Latin America shaped his life. Today, Orozco uses song and stories to share his cultural knowledge and experiences with children.

Orozco has performed in many schools and libraries. His latest book, “Rin, Rin, Rin…Do, Re, Mi,” shows how everyday family activities, such as cooking, singing, reading and storytelling foster essential early literacy skills. The book is the first in a series slated for publication by Scholastic’s Latino initiative Lee y Serás (Read and You Will Be), which was created to improve reading and literacy development among Latino children.

Orozco earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s in multicultural education from the University of San Francisco. Born in Mexico City, Orozco has dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship and today lives in Los Angeles.

The library program is sponsored by the Matthew and Virgie O. Dragicevich Foundation, through the general support of the Teton County Library Foundation. For information on Latino programs at the library, contact Latino Program Coordinator Patty Rocha at 733-2164 ext. 237.

###
Teton County Library offers open and equal access to information, literature and ideas…to encourage a lifetime of learning, to strengthen our evolving community, to inspire us all.