Colombia-based Salsa group makes stop in Nixa during U.S. tour

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NIXA, Mo. — It’s probably an easy guess that when the women of Las Guaracheras formed in Cali, Colombia seven years ago, they didn’t think they’d be performing in Nixa, Missouri.

OzarksFirst caught up with the group before their performance at the Aetos Center for the Performing Arts.

“They’ve been friends since they met, which was playing in various bands outside of last March and when they came together to create [the group] last year, it brought them even closer, and now it’s like a family,” said Dan Neville, who is replacing one of the original six for the show Tuesday night.

The Nixa School District says it was perfect timing to book Las Guaracheras for this week.

“We’re always looking at opportunities to bring in different cultural groups and just kind of expose the arts in a variety of ways. We were lucky when this group was coming through that it just happened to be during Hispanic Heritage Month, so it kind of all worked out for us to do it all at the same time and kind of have an opportunity to bring this group in from Colombia,” Zac Rantz, a spokesperson for the district.

Rantz says the local Hispanic population has increased over the years.

“[Hispanic] people are our top minority population in [the Nixa area], and so this was one way to expose our community to a different aspect of maybe a different Latin culture, and also to give maybe our students who are from a Hispanic heritage an opportunity to see themselves represented on stage,” Rantz added.

“This is our first tour in the U.S.A. and we are very excited. We have been in Europe and Mexico, Canada and other countries, but it our first time here and we are very excited to be here,” Elizabeth Hermann said.

“I think one of the reasons [this music is important] is because our music is so happy. It represents happiness and joy, and we want to share our music, it’s original music,” Gina Botia said. “Music is important, but the salsa and latin music is music that you can express, express your feelings and be happy.”

Neville says bringing South American music to the American Midwest gives those in the Ozarks another chance to experience a different music culture.

“I think right now, right now is particularly important to showcase the contributions of the various styles of music and culture that come from Latin America because we’re living in a time of polarization. With the elections coming up, there’s a lot of tension in the country has been for a long time now. I think we have to stay united, you know, between communities from one community to another. We have to respect each other and love each other,” Neville said. “We have a lot of waves of immigration that happened historically that have given identity to certain parts of the country. From what I’ve been talking to folks and gathering, there’s a mass communities of Latinos where seven years ago there weren’t, and so I think it’s just important for folks to not look at them as intruders, but accept them as fellow human beings.”

Today the group also held a workshop for Nixa High School students.

“Aetos overall has been an opportunity for us to give our students experiences in the arts that honestly, we never would have before, from working backstage to work in front of house. They’re learning professional systems and then also with all of the groups that come in, we try to add an educational component to it, whether it’s a special student performance, or it’s a workshop,” Rantz said.

While the Aetos building wasn’t constructed with a dancefloor inside the auditorium, members of the group hope to still get people out of their seats.

“It’s magic. We always invite the people to dance. We always make them dance because the music is inviting, and [creates] happiness,” the group said. “This is so important to Colombia and the Colombian women because we are representing the movement, the female power. We are giving a woman confidence to achieve their dreams. Whatever they want to do, they can do it.”

Las Guaracheras continues their tour after Nixa, with their next show at the University of Illinois on September 25.

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