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Local venues court Hispanics while Latino stars see Phoenix as major tour stop

The upcoming Hispanic Heritage month means local Latino audiences will have much entertainment to choose from during the next six to eight weeks, yet their influence is drawing the attention of many mainstream venues beyond the annual celebration.

An increase in population may have the most to do with seeing more Latino shows in these mainstream venues. But don’t look at this as a new trend, says one prominent regional entertainment booking organization.

“I’m not to sure that the trend has gotten any stronger,” says Terry Burke, president of the Southwest market for Live Nation, an entertainment events company. “It seems like there’s been a fair amount of Latino acts who have played this market.” He cites Juan Elias of Elias Entertainment, the company that annually brings mariachi festivals to the southwest, as a successful promoter of Mexican entertainment.

With any kind of genre music there is growth, Burke says, and that leads to a crossing over by performers. He points to country acts that have crossed over to mainstream audiences, such as Keith Urban and Tim McGraw & Faith Hill. Even hip-hop artist Beyonce has recorded in Spanish, singing duets with Mexican superstar Alejandro Fernandez and Colombian singer/songwriter Shakira.

“What you are seeing in Latino acts is this: these acts always came through, but they didn’t cross over as much. As the market grows, they are playing the larger venues,” Burke explains. “Then you have the situation where it becomes cyclical; that is, when acts converge during a time period.

“And quite honestly, because there’s a crossover, the attention of these acts is more mainstream.”

And 2007 seems like a growth year, he says. Among Latin shows that will be seen this month and next: Ana Gabriel, Fernandez, Marco Antonio Solis at Dodge Theatre, and powerhouse rockers Maná at US Airways Center.

Add Arizona favorite Linda Ronstadt (a singer who practically invented the crossover maneuver) plus local acts such as Calo Flamenco, theater shows like The Women of Juarez and Speak Spanish to Me -- and you have the makings of an outstanding arts season, from a Brown perspective.

On the visual arts side, “Papel Chicano: Works on Paper from the Collection of Cheech Marin,” “Mexico and Modern Printmaking: A Revolution in the Graphic Arts, 1920 – 1950” and “Right to Print: Segura Publishing Company” are each appearing at major venues: Mesa Contemporary Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Arts, respectively.

Randy Vogel, assistant director of theatre and operations at Mesa Arts Center, points to the organization’s Hispanic initiative as an impetus for growing Latino – and other audiences – as a whole.

“We believe that what we’re doing is making sure that MAC is accessible to the entire community,” Vogel says. “The Cheech Marin exhibition has been phenomenally popular throughout the country.” He adds that other cultural shows, such as mariachi, translate into “great attendances, great music, and great experiences.”

“We have seen a raised level of interest with Latino viewers, especially after we enjoyed shows like the summer ‘06 paintings, the installations of Ricardo Mazal and the gorgeous photography of Flor Garduño,” says Lesley Oliver, public relations and marketing manager for SMoCA.

But Vogel and other MAC administrators also say such bookings transcend cultural borders. The center has made an effort to tap the expertise of local Latin resources for authenticity while trying to create broad appeal.

“We were able to bring in the local Mexican consulate, Xico Inc. (formerly called Xicanindio), Calaca Cultural Center, the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens, and Friends of Mexican Arts (FOMA),” says Patty Haberman, curator of Mesa Contemporary Arts. “We are working with them on a Day of the Dead celebration. They’re keeping us honest in a way that is making sure our programming is relevant and authentic.”

Besides developing artists’ workshops, MAC is providing a bilingual docent and intern as well as information in Spanish for its Latino art shows.

“In addition to the well-rounded global focus that we continue to seek with our exhibition programming, we have also tried to engage with a multicultural advisory committee that happens to have a very strong Latino contingency within the group,” Oliver says. “We meet with them to develop a connection, dialogue and focus with our events and programming that will be of interest and relevancy to many different groups.”

With the growth of the Valley’s Latino audiences, we will face the competition of the country’s largest cities for the biggest acts, Live Nation’s Burke says. Still, with the rapid rise in Arizona’s Hispanic population, chances are good that more Latin acts will make stops here.

“We go after shows that make sense and are worth bringing in and promoting,” Burke says. “At the end of the day, the Latino market is a really growing market and that’s why we’re involved with it.”

In the meantime, local venue officials say they will continue to pursue more diverse audiences.

“The dialogue is certainly there and seems to become richer, with more momentum each year,” Oliver adds. “I certainly hope the level of interest and awareness will continue with Latino visitors.”