Friday, April 21, 2023
Universal Unitarian Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA
Doors at 6:30pm, concert at 7:30pm
Free, no tickets required, plenty of parking
The Center for Cultural Vibrancy, the Dream Project, Diablada Boliviana and Tinkus Tiataco proudly present the stunning Bolivian/Appalachian group OUROS for a FREE evening of live music and dance on Friday, April 21st at the Universal Unitarian Church in Arlington.
Ouros infuses deftly crafted musical composition and songwriting with impeccable musicianship. This bilingual band performs songs in both Spanish and English with rich vocal harmonies and sizzling instrumentation. The four band-members, hailing from both Bolivia and the United States, are deeply experienced in both the native Bolivian music of the Andes and the bluegrass of the Appalachian mountains, as well as many other influences from Flamenco to Latin to jazz.
Ouros is led by brothers Mario and Jose Oretea, born and raised in Bolivia. The Oretea brothers started playing guitar at a young age and were influenced by the musical culture of their family and the rich music of their native Andean culture. Mario and Jose became well known throughout Bolivia, performing with such master artists as charanguist Alejandro Camera, flutist Macro Chacolla, Fortaleza Group of Ramiro de la Cerda and many others. In 1998 Mario recorded an album with Grupo Tierra Nueva who invited them to tour with them to the International Folk Festival in Spain where Mario and Jose experienced the Gypsy-Flamenco culture, which they have integrated into their own original music.
The Oretea brothers moved to the United States in 2000, where they began to play in and around Washington, D.C. There they met the talented multi-instrumentalist Danny Knicely from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. One of the most respected and versatile multi-instrumentalists of his generation, Danny has won many awards for his fiddle, guitar, clogging and flatfoot dancing and mandolin playing including first place in the mandolin contest at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Danny is constantly performing and recording his own music and collaborating with other musicians and dancers from across the globe. Joined by critically acclaimed bassist Ralph Gordon, Ouros carefully knits diverging musical components into a consistent and original sound, weaving a fabric of infectious rhythms and melodic splendour not to be missed.
Joining Ouros will be a special dance presentation by members of Arlington-based Comite Pro Bolivia
and Diablada Boliviana. Food and refreshments will be offered by the Dream Project Parent
Community. Plenty of free parking is available.
