Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit Exploring Influence
of Latinos in American Popular Music Coming to the Latino Cultural Center
Latino musicians have had a profound influence on traditional genres of music in the United States, including jazz, rhythm and blues, rock ’n’ roll and hip-hop. American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian, presents the musical contributions of U.S. Latinos from the 1940s to the present, exploring the social history and individual creativity that produced stars like Tito Puente, Ritchie Valens, Celia Cruz, Carlos Santana and Selena.
The exhibition will be on view at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas, TX, March 24 through June 17, 2012. Developed by EMP Museum and the University of Washington, and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES), American Sabor will travel to 12 cities through 2015. The exhibition, its national tour and related programs are made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund.
“The impact of Latino musicians on American popular music moves beyond the unmistakable rhythms and dance,” said Anna R. Cohn, director of SITES. “‘American Sabor’ tells the broader story of Latino communities and how their artistry expresses their experiences as Americans.”
American Sabor (sabor is the Spanish word for taste or flavor, commonly used to describe good music) documents the roles of post-World War II U.S. Latino musicians as interpreters and disseminators of Latin American genres while highlighting their innovations in various traditional U.S. genres.
The exhibition focuses on five major centers of Latino popular music production—New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio and San Francisco—that represent the remarkable diversity of this music. Each city section explores the broader histories and cultures that created the music from those areas, including how the musical innovations of Latino youths crossed ethnic and racial boundaries and helped shape American popular music, how immigration and migration influenced Latino and U.S. popular music and the ways in which Latinos have musically expressed their experiences as Americans.
“Ford Motor Company Fund is proud to support American Saboras part of our long-standing commitment to Hispanic arts and culture,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Visitors to the exhibition will experience the many contributions that Hispanic musicians have made to American music and the richness of Latino sounds.”
Based on the 5,000-square-foot exhibition of the same name, American Sabor is a 2,500-square-foot learning experience designed for smaller museums and cultural centers.With engaging bilingual (English and Spanish) text panels, striking graphics and photographs, a dance floor and compelling listening stations and films, the exhibition celebrates the true flavor, or “sabor,” of Latin music in the United States.
American Saborwill be bolstered through dynamic community and educational programs spearheaded by the Latino Cultural Center to maximize its impact.
The exhibition is complemented by an interactive website— includes expanded exhibition content, historic photographs, lesson plans, video oral histories from Latin music stars,a jukebox featuring a special American Sabor playlist and a mixing-board interactive activity.
About the Latino Cultural Center
The Latino Cultural Center is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. Our mission is to serve as a regional catalyst for the preservation, development, and promotion of Latino and Hispanic arts and culture. The Center's 27,000 sq. ft. facility was designed by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta and features a 300-seat theater, two visual arts galleries, and an outdoor plaza. Its signature purple tower serves as a beacon to guide visitors to our East Dallas / Deep Ellum location.
The Latino Cultural Center is located at 2600 Live Oak, Dallas, Texas 75204. Located immediately east of downtown Dallas, the Center is less than 1 mile from the Dallas Arts District and conveniently located two blocks north of the DART Green Line Deep Ellum Station. Onsite free parking available. The Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and in the evenings when performing arts events are scheduled. For additional information, call (214) 671-0045 or visit
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C. for almost 60 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at
EMP Museum
EMP Museum is dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in popular music. By blending interpretive, interactive exhibitions with cutting-edge technology, EMP captures and reflects the essence of rock ’n’ roll, its roots in jazz, soul, gospel, country and the blues, as well as rock’s influence on hip-hop, punk and other recent genres. Visitors can view rare artifacts and memorabilia and experience the creative process by listening to musicians tell their stories.
University of Washington
Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest state-supported institutions of higher education on the West Coast and is one of the preeminent research universities in the world.
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education andAmerican heritage and community life.The Ford Motor Company Fundhas operated for more than 60 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company.For more information, visit
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