CSU’s Latino Networking Organization (LNO) presented its second Latin Arts Festival, on Sept. 26 in the Ronald Berkman Hall auditorium at Cleveland State University.

The hosts for the evening were David Delgado, an Ohio trade adviser at the Monte Ahuja College of Business, and his co-chairs Dr. Antonio Medina-Rivera, professor of Spanish and chairperson of the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at CSU, and Dr. María Pujana, physician, clinical neurologist and faculty member at Case Western Reserve University.

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_{^{The festival was spiced up with an array of food, supplied by La Plaza Supermarket, and several different beverages in the main lobby. (credit: Karyssa Rose)}}

Guests were treated to the Latin stylings of musician Francisco Bedoy, who was accompanied by Madeline Levitz on piano. Their performance of “Desde Que Te Conocí,”or “Since I Met You,”filled the room with authentic sounds from South America. 

Next, the String Duo Alonso-Rebuffi played alongside guitarist Rodrigo Lara Alonso and violinist Marcelo Rebuffi through several classical Latin songs. The night ended with a vibrant performance by a local Latin Fusion band, Son Guitano. 

This event was hosted in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and it focused on showcasing the talent and rich history of the Latin Americas. Dr. Medina-Rivera, emphasized the significance of this event.

“This event is a fantastic way to reach out to the Latino community," the CSU professor said. “Our inaugural Latino Festival in 2019 was a resounding success.”

The LNO will host several other Hispanic Heritage Month events, including a Courageous Conversation, a free Zumba class Sept. 29, cookies and cafecito on Oct. 3, and an arts and crafts fair in collaboration with Cleveland Playhouse on Oct.12. More info can be found here.