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Raíces, Rutas y Ritmos: The Influence of Latin American Music in North Carolina
A photography exhibition by Roderico Yool Diaz
April 19 to September 15, 2022
John Hope Franklin Center Gallery | 2204 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC
For nearly half a century, Latino/a/x communities across North Carolina have played an important role in re-shaping the local and regional cultural footprint. However, the creative contributions of Latino/a/x people are often overlooked in narratives of migration and labor in the United States. This exhibit highlighted the importance of music-making among these North Carolinians, as well as the prominence of Latin American-derived music in the Triangle area. Music is at the center of how these communities maintain relationships with their places of origin, navigate shifting social circumstances, and cultivate new ideas of home and belonging. The stories and voices present in this exhibit were not complete. They represented only a fraction of Latin American-derived traditions in North Carolina and cannot capture the diversity of North Carolina's Latino/a/x communities. Rather, these photos represented the beginning of a more intentional effort to document migrant music and musicians in North Carolina. It was an invitation to celebrate the raíces, rutas, and ritmos of Latino/a/x North Carolinians. See the photos documented at https://sites.duke.edu/raicesrutasritmos/
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This exhibition inspired four public concerts by the musicians featured in the photos by Roderico Yool Diaz both at Duke and in the Durham community. With grateful thanks to the Duke Office of Durham and Community Affairs, Duke Romance Studies, the Spanish Language Program, and Artist Studio Project Publishing, LLC.