Salome Sandoval, the artistic director of Iberica Early Music Festival says, “Hello Amigos, as an early music performer I am excited to research, present and perform music from what we Latin Americans call “La Madre Patria” or the motherland. I feel a strong connection with the music from Spain and more specifically from the 1500s-1700s periods. I hope to share all the passion for this work that my colleagues and I have put into these couple of programs. Join us for an extraordinary line up of musical jewels and talented performers, as well as for some wine and tapas; enjoy!”

The site of the two-concert-festival, the Church of St. John the Evangelist, 35 Bowdoin Street, Boston, will feature Meravelha’s Spanish Medieval program “The Road Most Traveled” at 8:00pm on Friday August 23^rd. On Saturday night at 8:00pm, El Fuego Early Music Ensemble offers “Italian Cantatas in Spain,” with music by Antonio de Literes.

Meravelha’s concert features music from several stops along the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and explores the both the lighter and more ponderous aspects of the religious journey, culminating in the celebration of arrival. The music includes Cantigas de Santa Maria, selections from the Codex Las Huelgas and Codex Calixtinus and features exotic melodies and dance-like rhythms that will get your head bobbing and toe tapping!

Formed in 2012 in Boston for the purpose of making medieval music accessible to a wider audience through live performances, Meravelha uses music, poetry, and movement, to tell stories that reflect themes illustrated within the songs and cultures of the 11^th-15^th centuries.  The name “Meravelha,” translated as “marvel” or “wonder” was taken from the song “Non es meravelha s’eu chan” (It is no wonder that I sing) by Bernard de Ventadorn, a 12^th-century troubadour. The performers include Elise Groves, Barbara Allen Hill, Jaya Lakshminarayanan, Dan Meyers, Josh Schreiber Shalem, Catherine Stein, Timothy Whipple, and Teri Kowiak, director.

On Saturday night Sandoval herself will direct and participate in “The Italian Cantata in Spain”: 17^th-century music by Antonio de Literes with the group El Fuego, singers and multi-instrumentalists specializing in repertoire from Spain and the New World colonies. Artistic Director Salomé Sandoval has received wide acclaim for singing while providing her own continuo parts on lutes and guitars; together with Teri Kowiak (voice) and Dan Meyers (woodwinds and percussion), they apparently create “an unusually rich sound, full of melodic and rhythmic excitement.”

The repertoire will include Literes’s sacred cantata, Alienta Humano Deselvo, Handel’s rarely heard cantata for voice, bass instrument and guitar, No Se Enmendara Jamas, as well as a large selection of Litare’s theatrical music from 18^th-century Spain.

Tickets at the door $25 general audience, $20 senior citizens
and students or at http://www.myeventguru.com/events/IBERICAMeravelha/ and
http://www.myeventguru.com/events/IBERICA/Iberica/
For more info please contact Salome Sandoval at admin@salomesandoval.com and
617-922-9667.