Sound Travels II: Modern Currents and Ancient Echoes Across the Americas

We explore how indigenous cosmologies, African heritage, and European forms continue to fuse in unexpected ways: from the southern Andean traditions of Argentina and Chile to the socially conscious folk revival that reshaped musical expression across both countries. Through listening, discussion, and cultural context, participants gain a deeper understanding of the musical expressions that have carried stories across borders, struggles, and generations. From the revolutionary tango innovations of Astor Piazzolla to the global pulse of reggae, from the ancient musical languages of the Maya to the growing impact of Latin music in the United States, each session highlights how tradition and innovation coexist to define identity and artistic expression.

No prior musical experience needed; only curiosity and a desire to listen closely.

Session 1: Cross-Border Currents – The Influence of Latin Music in the United States

Here we trace how Latin American and Caribbean music reshaped U.S. popular culture, from early mambo and Latin jazz to salsa dura, Tejano, reggaetón, and modern Latin pop. We explore the diasporic communities that fueled these genres in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Texas, and highlight artists such as Celia Cruz, Carlos Santana, Selena, Gloria Estefan, and current chart-toppers who dominate global streaming. This session reveals how Latin music helped redefine American identity, dance, and mainstream sound.

Session 2: Jamaica & The History of Reggae Music

We travel to Jamaica to uncover reggae’s evolution from ska and rocksteady to the spiritually infused rhythms that captivated the world. This session highlights reggae’s deep ties to Rastafari, social resistance, and community storytelling. We chart its global rise through iconic figures like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear. Reggae becomes a case study in how local struggles can resonate universally.

Session 3: Central America – Mestizo and Maya Musical Traditions

In this session, we explore the rich musical diversity of Central America, where indigenous Maya cosmology and instruments (such as the marimba, ocarinas, and ceremonial drums) intertwine with Spanish colonial influences to form vibrant mestizo styles. We examine musical practices from Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico, including ritual songs, communal dance traditions, and contemporary ensembles that preserve ancestral knowledge. Participants learn how these sounds reflect identity, resistance, and memory in both rural and urban contexts.

Session 4: South-America: Folk Traditions of the Southern Andes

In our fourth session we explore the deeply rooted folk traditions of Argentina and Chile, where indigenous Mapuche heritage, rural gaucho culture, and European influences converge in expressive musical forms. Crossing the Andes into Chile, we delve into the rhythmic diversity of cueca, the national dance, and the ritual depth of Mapuche music featuring kultrún drums and trutruka trumpets. We continue tracing the legacy of Chile’s folk revival through artists such as Violeta Parra and Víctor Jara, whose compositions preserved rural traditions while challenging political oppression. Together, these musical worlds reveal how the Southern Andes’ folk heritage remains a living expression of memory, resistance, and cultural pride. 

We continue in Argentina with genres such as the zamba, chacarera, and vidala, highlighting the role of the bombos legüeros, guitars, and poetic dance traditions from Santiago del Estero and the northwest. We also examine the Nueva Canción movement’s impact, with figures like Atahualpa Yupanqui and Mercedes Sosa, whose socially conscious songs blended folk forms with powerful messages of justice and identity.

Session 5: Astor Piazzolla and the New Tango

This session examines how Piazzolla transformed traditional tango into a bold, modern art form known as tango nuevo, blending classical composition, jazz harmony, and avant-garde experimentation. We trace his early influences, the role of the bandoneón, and the controversies that surrounded his break with tango’s golden-age traditions. Through key works like Libertango and Adiós Nonino, we explore how Piazzolla expanded tango’s emotional and expressive landscape while maintaining its unmistakable soul.

 Please see below the dates of the 5 in-person sessions at the RIAM:

• Tuesday 17th February 5:30 - 6:45 PM

• Tuesday 24th February 5:30 - 6:45 PM

• Tuesday 3rd March 5:30 - 6:45 PM 

• Tuesday 10th March 5:30 - 6:45 PM

• Tuesday 17th March 5:30 - 6:45 PM 

Please also check about our other Music Appreciation Course Option next term:

Close Conversations - The (He)Art of Chamber Music - Royal Irish Academy of Music (with Deborah Kelleher RIAM Director)

Participants should be 18+

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's passion for research began in Argentina were she developed a passion for native American music, researching the music of native tribes and completing two dissertations related to Latin American music (the history if tango and Astor piazzolla, and Violeta Gainza and her music education methodology). She is now completing a PHD on Michele Esposito and his piano school in Dublin between the year 1882 to 1926.

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.