Canciones del San Joaquín

Date and Time

• Saturday, Jun 7, 2025  5pm - 8pm

Location

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Details

“Canciones del San Joaquín” to Showcase Powerful New Musical Works from Valley Composers

Live concert presented by ACTA and Radio Bilingüe celebrates the musical talents of artists in the San Joaquin Valley, honoring cultural traditions of Greater Mexico.

Fresno, CA — The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) and Radio Bilingüe are proud to present Canciones del San Joaquín, a one-night-only concert celebrating the cultural and musical richness of the San Joaquin Valley. The event will take place on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 5:00–8:00 PM (doors open at 4:00 PM) at the Fresno Memorial Auditorium, 2425 Fresno St, Fresno, CA.

Tickets are $10, and youth 18 and under are free.

As part of ACTA’s Sounds of California: San Joaquín Valley initiative, Canciones del San Joaquín will debut ten newly commissioned works by a diverse group of local composers and singers, representing a broad spectrum of regional and diasporic genres, including Chilena Tradicional, Hip-Hop/Mixtec Rap, Latin Rock, Afro Latin Jazz, Mariachi, Norteño, Nuevo Canto, Ranchera Mexicana, and Son Jarocho. A recorded compilation will be available after the concert performance.

Featured performers include:
Steve Alcalá Rumba 32
Luis Arturo Campos, Los Kirrines del Norte
Los Fresnanitos, with Cesar Castro
Agustin Lira, Agustín Lira & Friends
Juan Morales, Mariachi Mestizo
Sofía Plummer, Las Damas del Valle
Gerardo Ramírez, Los Hijos de San Juan Mixtepec
Marilyn Rodríguez, Cambio de Rumbo
Miguel Villegas Ventura, Una Isu

The San Joaquin Valley is home to one of the largest and most culturally diverse Greater Mexico populations in the country. From songs accompanying migrant farmworker movements to hometown family-run mariachi bands, music here is more than entertainment—it’s a form of celebration, resistance, and survival. Canciones del San Joaquín brings this history into the present, offering a rare opportunity to hear new, original works that reflect life in the Valley today. These songs tell stories of migration, identity, joy, struggle, and home—infused with rhythms and genres as wide-ranging as the people who live here.

Each commissioned artist brings a unique voice and cultural lens to the stage—some rooted in longstanding traditions like norteño and mariachi music, others blending heritage with modern expression through Latin Rock or Hip-Hop/Mixtec Rap. Taken together, their performances represent a living archive of the Valley’s past, present, and future. This is music that moves with the people—music that honors memory and place while speaking boldly to now.

“This is music rooted in place and memory, but also in innovation,” said ACTA Executive Director Amy Kitchener. “These artists are not only preserving tradition—they’re expanding it, remixing it, and making it speak to today’s realities.”

This special evening invites audiences to experience the Valley’s diverse musical and cultural traditions sharing the same stage, fostering a powerful sense of connection through shared sound, story, and celebration.

EVENT DETAILS
Canciones del San Joaquín
📅 Saturday, June 7, 2025
🕔 5:00–8:00 PM (Doors open at 4:00 PM)
📍 Fresno Memorial Auditorium, 2425 Fresno St., Fresno, CA 93721
🎟️ Tickets: $10 / Free for youth 18 and under
Purchase at actaonline.org/canciones
More info: (559) 242-6183

Presented by:

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts & Radio Bilingüe

Supported by:

Fresno Arts Council, through the City of Fresno’s Measure P Expanded Access to Arts and Culture Fund

About the Alliance for California Traditional Arts:
ACTA supports ways for cultural traditions to thrive now and into the future. Working alongside artists and communities, ACTA helps ensure the vibrancy of traditional arts as essential to cultural identity, community belonging, and social resilience. Learn more at actaonline.org.

About Radio Bilingüe:
Radio Bilingüe is the nation’s leading Latino public radio network, serving communities with vibrant music, cultural programming, and trusted information in Spanish, English, Mixteco, and Triqui. Learn more at radiobilingue.org.