KAIA String Quartet – In Residence

KAIA String Quartet: Victoria Moreir, violin | Naomi Culp, violin | Amanda Grimm, viola | Hope Shepherd DeCelle, cello (Photo: Todd Rosenberg)

WFMT is proud to present KAIA String Quartet as its first ensemble in residence. Victoria Moreira (violin), Naomi Culp (violin), Amanda Grimm (viola), and Hope Shepherd DeCelle (cello) are devoted to capturing the essence of Latin American culture through the medium of the string quartet. From May – July 2017, KAIA takes you on a musical journey throughout Latin America with daily segments, live broadcasts, and exclusive digital content that is fun for all ages.   Listen weekdays at 9:05 am and 6:00 pm to explore the music of Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cuba, Central America, and Argentina. Enjoy each segment again after it airs below, and discover more about the many kinds of music and culture in Latin America.


Music of Chicago’s Latino Composers

Music of Argentina

Hear Astor Piazzolla’s Tango Take on Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’

Unlike Vivaldi’s concertos, Piazzolla’s Four Seasons wasn’t originally intended to be a series.

KAIA Kids Around the World – The Music of Argentina

In this musical adventure with KAIA String Quartet, learn about one of Argentina’s most well-known styles of music and dance: tango. Tango originated in the towns and cities surrounding Río de la Plata, a wide river that forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay. The  rhythms of tango come from both African and European musical traditions, including Afro-Uruguayan candombe and French ...

Music of Central America and the Caribbean

Music of Cuba

The One Classical Album That Almost Caused Cuban Musician Roberto Fonseca to Quit Playing the Piano

"In Cuba you will find any type of music: mariachi, heavy metal, dubstep, or even free jazz... It's a mystery — it's something magical that you will find there in any type of music."

Listen to the One Cuban Singer That Omara Portuondo of Buena Vista Social Club Wants Everyone to Hear

Omara Portuondo is proud to be compared to Édith Piaf, but she also wants the world to know more about Cuban artists.

Music of Colombia

Quiz: Latin American Food or Instrument?

Can you tell the difference between Latin American foods and instruments? Take this quiz and find out.

Music of Puerto Rico

Music of Brazil

KAIA Kids Around the World – The Music of Brazil

WFMT is proud to present KAIA Kids Around the World, a new web series that explores music from across the globe. As WFMT’s first ensemble in residence, KAIA String Quartet is taking WFMT fans on a musical adventure throughout Latin America from May – July 2017. With nine different stops throughout Latin America, KAIA is exploring the music of Brazil from May ...

Hear Music by Chiquinha Gonzaga, the Brazilian Composer Who Was 100 Years Ahead of Her Time

Composer and musician Chiquinha Gonzaga, born Francisca Edwiges Neves Gonzaga When Brazilian pianist, conductor, and composer Chiquinha Gonzaga’s first husband told her to choose him or music, she replied, “Well, sir, my husband, I do not understand life without harmony.” Shortly after, they parted ways. The stigma of divorce, however, followed her. Shunned by her own family, Gonzaga was left ...

Music of Uruguay

How the Complex Rhythms of Colonialism Created One of Uruguay’s Most Celebrated Musical Traditions

Though Uruguay is one of the least populous countries in South America, every year it hosts the world’s longest Carnaval. Carnaval in Uruguay would not be complete without candombe, an Afro-Uruguayan performance tradition that is centuries old but still celebrated today. Candombe is rooted in the culture of enslaved peoples who were brought to Uruguay from Africa during the early ...

KAIA Kids Around the World: The Music of Uruguay

WFMT is proud to present KAIA Kids Around the World, a new web series that explores music from across the globe. As WFMT’s first ensemble in residence, KAIA String Quartet is taking WFMT fans on musical adventures throughout Latin America from May – July 2017. With nine different stops throughout Latin America, KAIA is exploring the music of Uruguay May ...

Music of Venezuela

Pianist Gabriela Montero Explains How Music Underscores Protests and Propaganda in Venezuela

When Gabriela Montero left her native Venezuela at the age of eight, she was motivated by the piano, not politics. “At that point, my teacher had left [Venezuela] and I didn’t have anyone I could work with."

KAIA Kids Around the World: The Music of Venezuela

The cultural traditions of Venezuela are as rich as its biodiversity. In the KAIA Kids adventure to Venezuela, learn about a special style of Venezuelan music and dance called joropo.

Music of Mexico

This Waltz Once Attributed to Strauss Is Actually by Indigenous Mexican Composer Juventino Rosas

Perhaps the next time you hear a waltz, you'll think Mexico City instead of Vienna.

How Lydia Mendoza, the First Queen of Tejano Music, Crossed Borders and Shaped a Tradition

Decades before fans called Selena Quintanilla-Pérez the Queen of Tejano music, singer and 12-string guitarist Lydia Mendoza held the crown as Tejano music’s first female icon. Born in 1916 to parents who migrated to Texas during the Mexican Revolution, Mendoza began her music career in a family band that performed on street corners and in open-air markets to make ends ...

KAIA Kids Around the World: The Music of Mexico

Mexico is home to many people and musical traditions. In the KAIA Kids adventure to Mexico, the quartet explores the history of mariachi and teaches you one of most popular mariachi tunes today, “México lindo y querido.”

WFMT’s In Residence program is made possible by the generous support of the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.