Sound Travels: A Cultural Expedition Through Latin America
A vibrant music appreciation course that explores the rich and diverse musical traditions of Latin America.
Description
Prepare to be transported across borders in 'Sound Travels: A Cultural Expedition Through Latin America'. Designed for curious listeners, cultural explorers, and music lovers of all kinds, this five-session course offers an immersive experience in the rhythms, instruments, and stories that shape the musical identities of this region.
Each session invites you to step into a new cultural landscape through guided listening, storytelling, and historical context. Discover how music expresses identity, struggle, celebration, and connection across time and place. No experience required—just an open heart and a love for rhythm and melody.
Session 1: Argentina & Uruguay – Tango traditions and the evolution of the bandoneón
Session 2: Brazil – From Samba to Bossa Nova
Session 3: The Caribbean - Salsa, Merengue and the influence of African rhythms
Session 4: Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela – Mariachi, son jarocho, and the rhythms of Cumbia and Joropo
Session 5: Peru, Bolivia & Ecuador – Indigenous legacies and Andean soundscapes
Please see below the dates of the 5 in-person sessions at the RIAM:
-
Friday 10th October 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
-
Friday 17th October 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
24th October, 31st October – 2 week break
-
7th November 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
-
14th November 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
-
21st November 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Prerequisites
Participants should be 18+
Tutors
Annalisa Monticelli
Pianist and singer Annalisa Monticelli is a highly sought-after musician who has performed internationally as a soloist and with ensembles and orchestras. Her passion for music began at a very young age, and she has dedicated her life to mastering a wide range of musical genres. Annalisa studied classical and jazz piano, voice, conducting, musicology, chamber music, composition, and music education in Italy, Argentina, and the USA. She has been the pianist for the Irish-Latin band Baile an Salsa since 2018 and is a co-founder, pianist, and singer for the Dublin-based quintet Hibertango. An eclectic musician, Annalisa has over twenty years of experience performing and coaching chamber music, opera, musical theatre, tango, jazz, and Latin American music, both as a pianist and a singer.
During her time in the USA, she discovered a passion for musical theatre and worked actively as a pianist for both third-level students and professional productions. She later moved to Ireland, where she worked as a collaborative pianist at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and eventually became an Italian and vocal coach. In 2015, she was appointed Lecturer-Repetiteur at Dundalk Institute of Technology, where she also served as Program Director for the Music and Musical Theatre program. Annalisa played a key role in the development and success of the Musical Theatre program, bringing her passion for the genre to a third-level institution.
Since moving to Ireland, Annalisa has performed at major venues across the country, collaborated with the Irish National Opera as an Italian coach, and released several CDs. In recent years, she has performed and taught opera, diction, chamber music, piano, Irish art song, and improvisation in masterclasses and workshops in Spain, Italy, Portugal, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Poland, France, Malaysia, and the USA.
Annalisa is also the pianist, musical director, and co-arranger for Ensemble Amarcord, currently performing The Morricone Experience, a successful production touring Ireland, as well as the recently launched The Hans Zimmer Experience.